Thanks for all the input guys. Chestnut a few things
I've haven't hunted the 1st or 2nd season before, I have hunted the 3rd season several times.
Let me preface my statements below with this, I don't know your age, hunting history or abilities or your body condition.
So this is from my view from 54 yrs old, have a desk job, a country boy from Miss., I work out 3 day a week and live in Memphis(low country).
I don't know if you will be at a guided spike camp, DIY spike camp or at the main camp.
I was at the main camp, stayed in both cabin and a tent.
Be in shape or your trip will be miserable, your guide can only work as hard as your abilities allow. It's 2-1 hunters to guide ratio, so your partners shape will also dictate where you hunt, how you hunt and can literally ruin what you are capable of doing on your own. If you start working out today, and work out 4 days a week, I mean a real workout. You will still be exhausted the first day and dead tired by weeks end. I using a elevation mask this year while working out and running to see if it will help.
You will be on a horse at 4:30 in the morning going up a mountain, usually takes 1 1/2 to 3 hours to get where you're going to hunt.(there are 2 public camp sites right by her main camp and you have to go further and higher then the 90% of campers who walk! the other 10% have horses. No motorized vehicle allowed) In 3rd season the trails are frozen in the morning, and muddy and messy coming down at night. Not once have we ever gotten back to camp in daylight.
Tell them the truth about your horse ability, many people get hurt every year some bad, they will match your ability to your horse. These are real stock horses they rent from Sombrero, no mules just horses, these horses test you everyday as to who's the boss you or them. It's much easier going up a mountain than down a mountain, my knees ached bad coming down, my partner this year couldn't handle the knee pain and literally stopped using horse 1st day and walked from camp every morning. He never saw another elk all week.
You will eat like a king breakfast and supper in mess tent. You pack your lunch from their offering.
Hydration is super important, main camp is at 9000 I think and you go as high as 10-11,000 ft.
They have 3 out houses for toilet. One hot shower for the camp, I usually took 2 per week.
Beg for Tom to be your guide, he is incredible and works his ass off.
Typical day:
Your own alarm wake you at 4-4:15, you will get on horse at 4:30-4:45.(you load your b/pack the night before). Your horse will have saddle bags, and a scabbard. If you have the raised caps on your scope, good luck. You may be using muzzle loader in 2nd season.
You ride on trail in dark up the mountain, many parts in "dark timber" , western pine is what they are. And your horse wants to get as close to them as they can for the good footing.( scrapped knees and lose you hat if you're not careful)
First and last light are best time in 3rd season to see elk on their feet, unless they've been jumped. Midday you are trying to find them in their beds.
Their definition of a good shot is 250-300 yds, practice using a shooting stick. I missed several at 450-500, I just can't shoot that far with any consistently.
If you draw blood and can't find animal, your hunt is over. Unless you 2 tags( bull so OTC, cow is draw) Jeanee (Jean-ee) will be happy to put you in the draw.
You get back to camp after dark, everyone eats together.
Sleep like a baby, then repeat. If you make a kill, the guide will quarter out your elk, put the meat in bags and hang it up. The packers will come in the night and get game. By the way, they use the gutless method, I had never seen it done.
Tipping, tip your guide $500 if you make a kill, $300 if you don't.
Cook you tip $100
Packers you tip $25-50, they will split it up.
Tip in cash.
They will get your meat,hide if you want it and horns to the processor. They will give you a sheet you fill out telling the processor how you want you meat processed. Processor has a 24 hour turn around on meat, you pay processor when you pick up on way home. Take coolers to put meat in, be sure and choose the shrink wrap option for $25 it's well worth it, they will give you dry ice. I killed bull last day and they had to ship it UPS, had processor euro mount horns(separate cost) it only cost $250 and got them back in 2 weeks.
They use Brothers Packing Comp. And they are good. I killed cow 2nd day and got to bring it home.
If you are driving, we drove to Salina, KS 1st day got hotel, drove to Steamboat next day got hotel. Got up and went to range in Craig to check guns(no range at camp), got to camp at noon and settled in.
Very good atmosphere at camp, no drunks limited language and all the camp staff are fabulous.
She has a pretty good pond at her camp for lake trout to. She has rods.
Hope this is useful, and remember to beg for Tom.
Good luck.
John
. I'm not going to drive all the way to Colorado and hike around in the Rockies to hunt grouse, for example, unless I've already checked a bunch of other trips off my list.
