outfitter recommendations

[WRO]

Most average private land hunts are in the 4-7k range, great hunts up to 12k (350 type bulls). Coles runs a 80% success rate if I remember right, we run about 50%, in think walker was in the 60% range on public last year. I've got a buddy who's would be 100% with the right clients, but has averaged 75% the last few years.

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[KHNC]

Most average private land hunts are in the 4-7k range, great hunts up to 12k (350 type bulls). Coles runs a 80% success rate if I remember right, we run about 50%, in think walker was in the 60% range on public last year. I've got a buddy who's would be 100% with the right clients, but has averaged 75% the last few years.

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Very impressive numbers! Too bad i didnt know this in 2018. I would have went to Oregon vs Montana for my rifle hunt.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

@KHNC - We booked our hunt with Montana Safaris. The owner, Colter Heckman, is a 3rd generation outfitter in the area and is the person who responded to my questions. He has been 100% transparent about expectations in the last year of planning the hunt, and while he may be trying to paint a rosey picture, after talking to him in person twice and over many emails, I don't think he would lie. As a result, I will respectfully disagree with you and hold my judgment until the hunt is over.

Everything I read about Western big game hunting says that a hunter's attitude is everything. I am going in as positive as possible and ready to hunt HARD. I will absolutely report back what we see and provide a review of the operation.

 

[KHNC]

@KHNC - We booked our hunt with Montana Safaris. The owner, Colter Heckman, is a 3rd generation outfitter in the area and is the person who responded to my questions. He has been 100% transparent about expectations in the last year of planning the hunt, and while he may be trying to paint a rosey picture, after talking to him in person twice and over many emails, I don't think he would lie. As a result, I will respectfully disagree with you and hold my judgment until the hunt is over.

Everything I read about Western big game hunting says that a hunter's attitude is everything. I am going in as positive as possible and ready to hunt HARD. I will absolutely report back what we see and provide a review of the operation.

Having a great attitude is absolutely critical to a successful hunt. However, if you arent checking references from recent prior hunters, you are making a grave error in your judgement! Hopefully it works out for yall! Good luck!

 

[Doc Holliday]

@KHNC - We booked our hunt with Montana Safaris. The owner, Colter Heckman, is a 3rd generation outfitter in the area and is the person who responded to my questions. He has been 100% transparent about expectations in the last year of planning the hunt, and while he may be trying to paint a rosey picture, after talking to him in person twice and over many emails, I don't think he would lie. As a result, I will respectfully disagree with you and hold my judgment until the hunt is over.

Everything I read about Western big game hunting says that a hunter's attitude is everything. I am going in as positive as possible and ready to hunt HARD. I will absolutely report back what we see and provide a review of the operation.

Wow....I checked out their rates and dates page. That is very cheap for an 8 day hunt....

I would ask:

How many camps they run each week
How many hunters in each camp each week
Success rates/shot opportunity % last year.....
Quality of bulls

I am relatively new to Western hunting, but have been on a couple of trips, and have been following the forums for several years and read lots of stories, good and bad.......when it comes to outfitted hunts, "you get what you pay for" is something to incorporate into your expectations. I'm sure you will have a great experience, no matter who you go with, and I do hope you will give us a full report.

 

[WRO]

Having a great attitude is absolutely critical to a successful hunt. However, if you arent checking references from recent prior hunters, you are making a grave error in your judgement! Hopefully it works out for yall! Good luck!

From most of the reports I've read, Montana public outfitters have really been struggling to put up good numbers the last few years.

 

[KHNC]

From most of the reports I've read, Montana public outfitters have really been struggling to put up good numbers the last few years.

Exactly. I feel like this outfitter , Montana Safaris, will probably do everything in their power to get clients into game. I just dont think the public land in that area has much of a game population any more due to predation by lions and wolves.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Wow....I checked out their rates and dates page. That is very cheap for an 8 day hunt....

I would ask:

How many camps they run each week
How many hunters in each camp each week
Success rates/shot opportunity % last year.....
Quality of bulls

I am relatively new to Western hunting, but have been on a couple of trips, and have been following the forums for several years and read lots of stories, good and bad.......when it comes to outfitted hunts, "you get what you pay for" is something to incorporate into your expectations. I'm sure you will have a great experience, no matter who you go with, and I do hope you will give us a full report.

We returned from our hunt on 9/23. To answer your questions:

-They run one early rifle camp per week for 3 weeks where we hunted. After the early season is over they move locations further to the south.
-8 hunters and 4 guides per camp. During our hunt a father/son combo decided to leave on day 3, because the son couldn't hack it.
-MS doesn't publish success rates, but I can tell you in 6 days of hunting I shot the only bull seen.
-My bull was ancient and scored 339"

Great Bear Outfitting is run by one of the guides in our camp. His name is Mike Anderson, and he specializes in bow hunts. Unfortunately, his 2 clients cancelled (one needed prostate surgery and the other didn't want to go alone) for the week we hunted, so he guided for MS. He has guided for MS for many years while running his side gig as well. Mike is a solid and straight up dude. He is from Kalispell and has spent his whole life in the mountains.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Exactly. I feel like this outfitter , Montana Safaris, will probably do everything in their power to get clients into game. I just dont think the public land in that area has much of a game population any more due to predation by lions and wolves.

In 6 days of hunting covering 60 miles on horses and another 30 on foot across multiple mountains and glassing thousands of acres of drainages, we saw the following:

-1 bull
-1 cow
-12 mule does
-1 trophy mule buck
-1 black bear
-1 grizzly with cub
-2 other groups of hunters with different outfitters
-3 hikers

Contrary to what we heard prior to hunt, the consensus amongst the guides during supper was that the predator numbers are out of control in the Bob. We never saw any wolves or much wolf sign, but that could be because they've already run most of the game out of the area we hunted.

 

[KHNC]

In 6 days of hunting covering 60 miles on horses and another 30 on foot across multiple mountains and glassing thousands of acres of drainages, we saw the following:

-1 bull
-1 cow
-12 mule does
-1 trophy mule buck
-1 black bear
-1 grizzly with cub
-2 other groups of hunters with different outfitters
-3 hikers

Contrary to what we heard prior to hunt, the consensus amongst the guides during supper was that the predator numbers are out of control in the Bob. We never saw any wolves or much wolf sign, but that could be because they've already run most of the game out of the area we hunted.

That is a shame. I wish these outfitters would be more honest about the predator numbers and lack of game. Instead, many of them blame their clients for being out of shape and lack of effort. Sounds like yall did everything possible to try to locate elk.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

That is a shame. I wish these outfitters would be more honest about the predator numbers and lack of game. Instead, many of them blame their clients for being out of shape and lack of effort. Sounds like yall did everything possible to try to locate elk.

Don't get me wrong, we had an amazing adventure and saw country most people will never enjoy. However, if a hunter's sole priority is bringing home an animal, the Bob is not the place to go, and some of the outfitters state this plainly on their websites.

The guides with MS worked their a$$e$ off every day for the hunters in camp. Breakfast was at 5a every day, and they were up wrangling and saddling horses and mules around 3a while we were still sleeping. The cook was awesome and fed us hearty breakfasts, packed big lunches, and prepared huge suppers. If we had seen more animals during the trip it would have been a 12 out of 10. Unfortunately, it is hunting, not killing, and the outfitter and his staff did their best.

I read an article on Field and Stream the day we headed home that said the average success rate for elk hunters is around 10%. Obviously some places are higher and others lower, and my guess is that private land numbers and non-wilderness hunts generally enjoy higher success rates. Ironically, on our way south on I90, we saw multiple huge herds of elk, mule deer, and antelope grazing out in the open on irrigated alfalfa fields. If a guy wants high probablility of shooting an animal, there has to be much easier hunts available.

 

[sneaky]

I asked our outfitter (3rd generation) his thoughts about wolves and their impact on deer and elk populations in the Bob.

"The wolf population is almost gone, compared to what it was 15 years ago. Elk numbers are currently on the “high” end according to the wildlife biologists, but yes, there are less populations of elk than there were twenty years ago. Every elk herd in the country can say the same thing though and that is due to more and more hunting pressure and an abundance of predators nationwide." He continued, "Wolf populations have decreased dramatically over the last 15 years in NW Montana and don’t have much of an impact anymore. They are almost an open season animal in Montana now and are hunted hard. Currently every person with a license is allowed to kill up to 5 wolves with any methods, hunting, trapping, etc. for an 8 month season."

That outfitter would be a good lawyer because he's lying through his teeth

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