Bumping into outfitters

[Poser]

I once saw a drop camp right smack in the middle of a sheep grazing permit. I looked up the outfitter’s prices and it was $3,000 to get parked in the middle of 20,000 land maggots.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Yes the drop camps need to be registered. I’m reading some horror stories. As GBFlyer stated you run into some outfitter doing something illegal turn him in.
If you take someone’s property it’s theft. At some point it would become abandoned but to be safe you need to report it to the forest service cops. In most jurisdictions there is no statute of limitations on possession of stolen property. You take some equipment that’s identifiable, even if you know it’s been there for a couple of years, the original owner passes by, calls the cops you could be in a world of hurt.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

From what I understand those drop camp locations also need to be registered with the FS.

Colorado, camps are registered, that’s one reason Outfitters have a problem when they get to a location and someone is camped there. We can’t exactly tell people to leave but we also cannot take our camp and move it 500 yards to a different spot. Outfitters spots are registered and that’s where they have to put their camp, this is so the USFS, can check the camps and know where they are. Surprise inspections do happen, which is why we take pics before and after to show when we got there and when we left in case something happens in between. I don’t want to pay fines on stuff that the public did. We can’t go set a camp wherever we want, so if camps aren’t in the same spot every year something is going on. Myself I have 13 locations I only use 3-4 per season and will move them to other spots with the animals. There is also a courtesy area for public to set up they say it’s 300 yards from the center of the Outfitter camp.... unless I’m bringing clients into a camp I won’t ask a group of guys to move. I just tell them when I’ll be back with clients, and ask they move by that time, usually it’s the next season so not a big deal. I also take pics of their camp and remind them of the rules of the forest we have to follow as well as the general public.


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[SheddingLightTravis]

Met some guys two miles in bringing back a string of miles that had dropped off some hunters. They were super nice guys and told us where the hunters were they dropped off. Also have us their numbers if we needed help dragging one out. Just two cowboys trying to make a living.


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[MTguy0341]

I've had multiple good and bad experiences with outfitters. The bad experiences were from an outfitter who is no longer is involved in the outfitting business. Had a run in with a fellow Rokslider a few years back, hunting an area in Montana. Said I was welcome to shoot any of the smaller bucks. I guess he thought he owned the mountain.

 

[blackdawg]

Colorado, camps are registered, that’s one reason Outfitters have a problem when they get to a location and someone is camped there. We can’t exactly tell people to leave but we also cannot take our camp and move it 500 yards to a different spot. Outfitters spots are registered and that’s where they have to put their camp, this is so the USFS, can check the camps and know where they are. Surprise inspections do happen, which is why we take pics before and after to show when we got there and when we left in case something happens in between. I don’t want to pay fines on stuff that the public did. We can’t go set a camp wherever we want, so if camps aren’t in the same spot every year something is going on. Myself I have 13 locations I only use 3-4 per season and will move them to other spots with the animals. There is also a courtesy area for public to set up they say it’s 300 yards from the center of the Outfitter camp.... unless I’m bringing clients into a camp I won’t ask a group of guys to move. I just tell them when I’ll be back with clients, and ask they move by that time, usually it’s the next season so not a big deal. I also take pics of their camp and remind them of the rules of the forest we have to follow as well as the general public.


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I could see the potential for myself being irritated if I had my camp setup in a prime spot, had been hunting for a few days and someone showed up without notice asking me to relocate. Does the forest service assign 13 locations where outfitters can set up camp to everyone? How could the public ever know what was assigned, I have never spotted any markers indicating that a campsite was registered to an outfitter?


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[MallardSX2]

Interesting.

Now I read that the area within 300 yards of an outfitters location of base camp appears to be off limits to camping on public land? Or is this another unwritten rule? lol

Good luck getting 95% of the public guys to move their camp if there were there first and the water sources were limited in the area.

If it were up to me Colorado would have to publish a yearly KMZ file of all of the camp locations so they can be avoided if thats the case. I think that would benefit everyone.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

I could see the potential for myself being irritated if I had my camp setup in a prime spot, had been hunting for a few days and someone showed up without notice asking me to relocate. Does the forest service assign 13 locations where outfitters can set up camp to everyone? How could the public ever know what was assigned, I have never spotted any markers indicating that a campsite was registered to an outfitter?


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No not every Outfitter has 13 camps, some have 2 some have 5 just depends on their permit. The only time they are required to have their camp marked is when they have their camp set up. If that sign is up we are technically using the camp and paying for use of that spot. You can find out what Outfitters are where and where their camps are by calling the USFS office in that area.


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[BigAntlerGetter]

Interesting.

Now I read that the area within 300 yards of an outfitters location of base camp appears to be off limits to camping on public land? Or is this another unwritten rule? lol

Good luck getting 95% of the public guys to move their camp if there were there first and the water sources were limited in the area.

If it were up to me Colorado would have to publish a yearly KMZ file of all of the camp locations so they can be avoided if thats the case. I think that would benefit everyone.

That’s the area they control or are required to maintain around their camp. And technically they can’t tell anyone to move, but they can set up their camp in their spot regardless. Since they cannot move down the way. They will not provide a file I guarantee that to many people that hate Outfitters that will cause problems they tried this in an area I was working 10 years ago they published a random spot in there and 2 weeks after it was published a camp site was vandalized. Another had a tent in it and the tent was tore down and cut up. If you want to find out the outfitters and their camps you gotta call the USFS and find out


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[MallardSX2]

I can certainly understand its a double edged sword.

For what its worth I would try to avoid them and not vandalize them but I cant speak for the rest of humanity....

 

[jspradley]

I've had multiple good and bad experiences with outfitters. The bad experiences were from an outfitter who is no longer is involved in the outfitting business. Had a run in with a fellow Rokslider a few years back, hunting an area in Montana. Said I was welcome to shoot any of the smaller bucks. I guess he thought he owned the mountain.

What a generous guy!!!

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

It is a double edged sword, lot of guys hate outfitters, but happens in every industry. I’m courteous to everyone I run into unless there’s illegal activity, but my guides are required to be courteous regardless. If I find out they were rude they are reprimanded. I’ve picked up clients on the mountain just because I made a good impression.
And I don’t ride into a camp with clients and it’s vandelized. The construction crew outside my ranch was vandelized over the weekend because someone didn’t agree with what they were doing, they didn’t do anything wrong just making a living


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