Gila Outfitter for Archery Elk

[kinneyjo]

WIBowhunter23 The hunt went good man. Seen a decent amount of elk. With that being said though I put in a good amount of time scouting beforehand. The elk in that unit are pockety and water is scarce. Logistically it can be a nightmare if backpacking just due to how hard it is to find the water and where the elk are located. Most folks that do well are on horses and can travel in a good amount of miles. I enjoy the backpacking as well but finding water sources to be able to drink from are a rarity. Lastly this unit requires hunters that ain't got horses to be in outstanding shape. 16B is not for the faint of heart. I guess the diy, drop camp, or fully guided will depend on how deep your pockets are haha. Tom's outfit at San Fran is too notch for 16B if you are looking for a guided hunt. Last year he was booked up but provided good insight to what to expect in the unit. Overall it was a good hunt and a good time. Personally if I drew it again I would DIY it due to how much ground I covered last year in the unit. Without scouting though a guide may be best if you have the money to spend. I personally do not have any packers in mind but maybe Tom knows some folks or could point you in the right direction. Feel free to reach out with any others questions you may have.

 

[TX_Diver]

kinneyjo curious to hear how your hunt went. I drew 16B 2nd season archery for this year. Currently trying to decide between DIY on foot with packer lined up, drop camp & fully guided with Tom at San Fran (talked to him this afternoon). Would you do it differently now that it is over? Or would you still go DIY? Also any packer contacts if you used one would be extremely helpful.

Any info you're willing to share would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

I had that tag and hunted with Tom. Don't regret it at all.

I also couldn't get anyone to commit to being a packer, but hunting with Tom's group was an awesome experience.

If he has a spot left, jump on it.