Guided or Semi Guided Wyo Mule Deer...?

[JustCarr]

I am thinking of planning a Mule Deer hunt into Wyoming in the next couple of years (depending on preference points). Not sure I'll be able to scout the area I am thinking of going at all so I am thinking of hiring a guide. I would like to do an early season archery hunt up high. I have never hunted with a guide before and I am not sure how they operate but I don't want the type of hunt where they do most of the work and you never get your hands dirty.

So what I am wondering is if there's such a thing as a semi guided hunt? Like where they just take you into an area and basically help you glass? Or are there outfitters that have different levels of services that vary in price according to what you are looking for? Being early season I don't really need/want a big camp set up. Basically just what ever I can carry on my back. Possibly someone that I could rent horses from.

Would possibly just look at renting a few horses as well. Would save me from hauling mine all the way down there.

Region H is where I am thinking.

Would any of you Roksliders have any recommendations or suggestions?

 

[mntnguide]

You won't find any semi-guided type options in western Wyoming like you are describing. They book full with hunters pretty easy and that is more of a pain for an outfitter to deal with. There are multiple horse rental type places. Yellowstone Outfitters is one of the largest out of Afton with over 1000 head.

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[mnhoundman]

Some outfitters do drop camps. Pack you and your gear into one of there areas and then you do it on your own. Have never talked to anyone who has done it though

 

[Jd259]

You don’t need a guide in region h just get some maps showing the wilderness boundary's and then get on google earth and find some good lookin high country and go for it. As for horses Chad is the man up there he owns Yellowstone horse rentals as mentioned above and there very reasonable I rented from him this year to pack elk out of that country and it worked great and he’ll even drop them at the trailhead for you and pick them up when your done... if your goin solo you’d only need one horse with a pack saddle that’ll get all your gear and meat outta there in one trip no problem...

 

[JustCarr]

Do you guys have any names for drop camp type outfitters?
Yellowstone horse rentals seems like a pretty interesting option as well.

Good info so far, thanks.

 

[Indian Summer]

I tried working with an outfitter for a drop camp or even just to pack me in and out. He wanted the business and was all about helping me out. But the Forest Service in that entire area wouldn’t authorize it. Guided hunts only so we weren’t able to make it work. One thing about deer hunting in G and H is any big bucks are way up high. I hunt from a base camp at my truck in that area for elk. You can’t really do that for big mulies. You need to get up top and stay there. So taking care of horses is a big deal. You’d have to pack hay in and make sure you had a sufficient water source. Water can be hard to find way up at or above timberline. If you have the money you could have Chad bring up a horse, pack everything in, and then have him come pick it up. Then do the same at the end of the hunt to get everything out. He charges $3 per mile round trip to deliver so do the math. How many points do you have?

 

[Jd259]

Chad won’t pack you in or out all he will do is drop horses at the trailhead he’s not licensed to pack anything in that area strictly drop horses off and pick up. The water will definitely be the trouble up in deer country as it’s real hard to come by you don’t need to pack hay you can just graze the horses everyday there’s plenty of feed up there for them we had five horses this year for 10 days packed in and didn’t pack a flake of hay and the horses looked better when we got off the mountain than when we started lol

 

[JustCarr]

Water is definitely one of my worries. That's where a "semi-guided" hunt would be desirable. That way the guide would know where the water would be. Further on in my planning I will be in contact with the forest service to see which creeks run year round or at least until September. Then camp next to one and hunt from there. I assumed there would be lots of grass for the horses, so good to hear that is confirmed. So far it's looking like one or two horses might be the ticket...

JD259; Were you in unit H and if so what was the water situation like and were other hunters present near the water sources?

 

[Jd259]

Last year was the best I’ve ever seen the water and there still wasn’t any water up high most all the creeks run year around but they dry up around 7000’ and I deer hunt up between 8-9000’ there’s only one place I know of where there’s actually water up where the deer are. As for pressure there is zero where I hunt most people will day hike it from the trail head and only go in a few miles and we’re usually 8-10 miles in with or without horses when we have horses we camp down lower next to a water source for the horses and when we don’t have horses we camp up high and pack water in with us and pack back down to refill every few days which is a huge pain in the ass but you don’t have much choice... if you rented two horses it wouldn’t be to bad as you can climb the elevation in an hour or so with horses where on foot it takes damn near half a day to get up top from the water...

 

[hartigjosh]

I hunted with Tre Heiner's outfit (Double Diamond) in Region G this year. They also operate in H. It was a fully guided hunt and although G is very much a DIY possible unit I am very glad I went through Tre. While I would like to think I am capable on a horse there are just somethings I dont know and mistakes I could easily make with a horse, In all fairness to the animal and out of respect I couldnt honestly say I should be renting horses. Too many things can go wrong. If I was doing a horseback hunt I would use an outfitter but thats me. If backpacking is a possibility or using llamas/goats than G and H you could easily hunt yourself. Lot of good deer up there and I went third week and barely saw people. Cant speak for early archery but got to imagine you will have plenty room to roll

 

[JustCarr]

" if you rented two horses it wouldn’t be to bad as you can climb the elevation in an hour or so with horses where on foot it takes damn near half a day to get up top from the water... "

That was my thinking. This year in Idaho I hiked into a spot where I thought there would be a creek but it was dry. Had to hike back out. Lots of walking for nothing. Camping with the horses next to water and then moving into higher country everyday is my current plan as of now since I really don't feel like day hunting from the trail head.

 

[Jd259]

" if you rented two horses it wouldn’t be to bad as you can climb the elevation in an hour or so with horses where on foot it takes damn near half a day to get up top from the water... "

That was my thinking. This year in Idaho I hiked into a spot where I thought there would be a creek but it was dry. Had to hike back out. Lots of walking for nothing. Camping with the horses next to water and then moving into higher country everyday is my current plan as of now since I really don't feel like day hunting from the trail head.

Yeah that will definitely be your best bet and you may find a place that has water up higher than where I hunt there’s a lot of country in there I just found a good spot and have stuck to it ever since I don’t know where you plan on hunting but I know the country that borders g gets a lot more people than the country further north for sure

 

[JustCarr]

Yeah that will definitely be your best bet and you may find a place that has water up higher than where I hunt there’s a lot of country in there I just found a good spot and have stuck to it ever since I don’t know where you plan on hunting but I know the country that borders g gets a lot more people than the country further north for sure

How far north before people start getting scarce? The unit I am planning on hunting borders G but I was planning on being in the central or more northern part of that unit, which is miles from G. Might look at different areas too though. Would rather be away from people than close to G just because it's G...

 

[Jd259]

How far north before people start getting scarce? The unit I am planning on hunting borders G but I was planning on being in the central or more northern part of that unit, which is miles from G. Might look at different areas too though. Would rather be away from people than close to G just because it's G...

Shoot me a pm and we’ll chat about it