I am going on a 1st rifle season elk hunt in Unit 77 this fall, DIY elk and am looking for anyone who would be able to provide a drop in and pack out with some horses.
The outfitters in the area tell me than unless we use thier designated camp sites they cannot do it, so I need a non professional for the job.
Please let me know if you can or know of anyone who could take the job.
Planning to go in for scouting around the 10th, pack out the morning of the 21st, with the possibility of a pack out job once the season is on. There are two of us with minimal gear.
Thanks,
Joe.

Joe,

Have you tried Dave Guilliams (970-731-4630, toll free 800-898-2006) at Backcountry Outfitters? I believe he offers drop camps where he supplies all the camp gear, but I'm not sure about just packing you and your own camp gear into the place of your choice. Worth a try, though. Feel free to tell him I referred you to him.

http://www.elk-hunting.com/

Thank you for the information Tony.
However we have our own gear and want to have to freedom of chosing our own campiste, the outfitters are required to use designated camp sites, which is something we want to avoid.
But I will give him a call, it can't hurt to find out more.

If that doesn't pan out, Call the Ski and Bow Rack 970-264-2370.

Ask for Larry Fisher, pretty sure he will know of someone in the area who can help you.

Buy a Black Bear tag (if it is still possible). Good number of Bears in the area.

Not sure how they do their Bear tags. They do sell leftover tags but I think they have already sold them??? Don't know.

It is worth double checking.

Thanks for the tip Wendell, I had completely forgotten about the bear tags. They are over the counter, but went on sale back in July I believe. I will find out and see there are still any left.

Don't know what you mean by "minimal gear" but the weather conditions there can be very variable.

http://sanjuanoutfitting.com/info.html

I hunted with them. They might accomadate you

quote:

Originally posted by EXPRESS:
But I will give him a call, it can't hurt to find out more.

Exactly.

BTW, I guided in the Weminuche for elk and deer in the unit next to 77 way back in the 1970s. I think it's unit 751 now.

I got in touch with the people suggested. The Bow Rack put me in touch with a local outfitter who was knowldgeable and open to sharing some of that knowledge, he also put me straight on a few things I was not able to learn from where I am now.
The problem remains that an outfitter can only drop off and pick up from within their designated parts of the GMU, and a private citizen cannot take payment for the job, otherwise that would be infringing on the outfitters business.
The only options seem to be either to use an outfitter to get into an area and stay pretty much within that area, which was not my original plan, to to find a person who has some horses and is willing to do it without cash exchanging hands. I could offer an elk carcasse as compensation, but if cash changes hands then it would be breaking the law.
I will have to find out which outfitters are operating in which parts of the unit and make a decision.
That, or hike in, but it's at least two days hike into the area I plan to hunt, then we are left with the eventual problem of packing out the meat.
I will be in touch with the guy from Sundown outfitting, who so far has been very helpful and see what I come up with.
Thanks for the help, if anyone knows of someone in the area with horses who would appreciate the meat, maybe we can come to a friendly agreement?

Express,

Heard there was going to be someone from Italy on AR that was going to be hunting antelope in CO as well as some other hunts. Would that be you?

That would be me, however I have not heard from my contact there who was organizing it, I think he might be out of town because his voicemail is full and his cell phone is not working.
Do you know anything about it?

quote:

Originally posted by EXPRESS:
and a private citizen cannot take payment for the job, otherwise that would be infringing on the outfitters business.

Are you positive a private party or a packer can't provide you and your equipment transportation in and out?
I have a hard time imagining this is against a "law". More likely everyone is afraid of stepping on the outfitter's toes.

That is only what I have been told by all the outfitters I have spoken to...Furthermore, each outfitter is assigned an area within the GMU, and are not free to range over the entire unit. Obviously one outfitter can not drop you (or guide you) into an area assigned to another outfitter.
The explanation I was given is that if a private party accepts payment for the service of dropping a hunter into an area assigned to an outfitter, and I assume that the whole unit is assigned to various outfits, they would be steping on the toes of the outfitters who are licenced, legitimate operators in that sector, thereby taking busuness away from them, and I was told that the law prohibits this practise.

Individual hunters are free to roam and hunt over the entire unit they have a tag for, they are also free to camp, ride and do whatever they please (within the limits of the law) if not being guided or outfitted, as long as they do in under their own steam.

At least that is my understanding of the situation, which is admiteddly limided and second hand information, but I can see the sense to it.

quote:

Originally posted by EXPRESS:
The problem remains that an outfitter can only drop off and pick up from within their designated parts of the GMU...

Okay, that seems to be a given. Now, since you appear to know where you want to camp/hunt, why not try to find out which outfitter has that area? Thus, you can contact him directly and see if he's willing to cart you in without providing the drop camp.

That's what I'm leaning towards now, however I was hoping that we would be able to roam freely throughout the unit and get picked up or have a beast packed out from wherever we chose...

Once you get packed in, I believe you can roam wherever you want to hunt within the GMU unit you have.

That said, I think you'll find the areas assigned to the outfitters are quite large, thus providing you plenty of options. And it's likely you'll never see another hunter within that area, especially if it's within one of the wilderness areas. Of course, if your camp choice happens to be next to one of the outfitter's camps, all bets are off.

EXPRESS,

I'm the other hunter for antelope that weekend! Don't know if we will get to cross paths as I think I may only hunt Sunday. Its a rather quick affair. But maybe ill try and head out Sat afternoon and Sunday morning if necessary. I'm going to call my contact this afternoon....he MAY be out on a hunt, its been tough to catch him in town but that's what he does for a living! Make great hunts for people.

What day are you arriving in Denver? I imagine you'll be a few days early as to acclimate and be on top of things before heading straight to the field.

I will be arriving on the evening of the 30th, that is next Thursday. I plan in staying in Denver for about a week, then heading down to Durango or Pagosa Springs, depending on who I get in touch with for advice about our elk hunt. The antelope hunt came along once I had already planne the rest of the hunt, so I just moved my flight so I could make it, I have always wanted to shoot one of those "speedgoats"!

I'm sure you will enjoy speedgoat hunting! If you're not too beat from the flight when you arrive, send me a PM and id gladly buy you a welcome to colorado beer!

Seems to me you should be able to rent a couple Pack Mules for your trip.Do a search.