Wow, 1 for 18???????  Bad elk year, or bad guide service?  Seems like they overbooked too if you were bumping into each other, but you say they did well last year, so who knows.

Sorry you didn't get into the elk. 

I got back from the area Tuesday.  Hunted Lynx creek, Picket Pin, Bear Creek, and Hauskins creek -- basically covered the entire area north of trappers lake road from Ripple Creek to Skinny fish up to the rims.  Put in about 15 miles/day looking for elk.  I saw 2 6-point bulls (antlers only, no bodies) on the first day, never saw the cows I was hunting for.  No one else was seeing elk.  Ran into one of the guides from Ripple Creek and heard the same story.  Good elk county, no animals, too many people.  Not going back there.

Ouch!! Sort to hear! Better luck next yr!

I just got back and I got my bull seen about 25 total with 3 bulls. shot him with my Rem. 700 270 at about 25 yrds. This was a solo hunt 5.5 miles in at about 10000' here are pictures one was opening morning my tent colapsed from the snow fun. won't let me attach any more photos sorry.

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Congrats on a great bull on a great solo hunt!

Nice bull!! Little hard work doesn't hurt.
Congrats again!!

Wow JDP that's pretty bad. Next year you might try DYI or another outfitter. Realize that lots of outfitters will really talk up their areas and show you pictures and all that but the tend to exagerate in many cases. I would recommend do more research your self on the numbers taken from units in the area you are looking at and see if you can contact previous hunters that have used the outfitter you looking at going through. It could have just been a bad year but that being said 1 in 18 is pathetic.

I'm pretty sure we've been warning people for years that you can't escape the pressure in that unit, whether or not you use a guide and drop camp.  You have to embrace the pressure up there and let it bring elk to you.  

This is the 4 year in a row I have hunted this area 1st season and it was also the most congested. The rumor was that Sports Afield ran 2 articles this year stating the area was the hottest elk spot in America. The resulting mass of hunters supported the rumor. I didn't see an elk alive. I did talk to what seemed to be a young man leading 6 teenagers back in to pack out the 5 elk they took opening weekend. He estimated the herd to be 300 at the time they took their elk. Of course you can imagine the results on the elk herd.