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packing services units 17/18/27 area?

can anyone recommend a packing service for getting an elk, or hopefully 3 elk out of the mountains near units 17,18,27? Just a pack out, not a drop camp service. trying to set something up beforehand to give us a few extra miles to hunt if need be. Thanks for any info.

Call Ozzy @ 970 531 9414

You may need to find a couple different licensed outfitters depending upon which unit the elk died in. You're talking about two different National Forests and three different counties for those units. The NF offices can tell you who is licensed to pack in their respective districts.

Yours is a common issue. I rent llamas there but as everyone in your shoes wants "on call" it seldom works out. Just the way it works with licenses permits territories not necessarily lining up with your travels/camps.

And nobody sits pining by the phone on a "maybe" call. While that tick tock of spoilage keeps right on ticking.

If you want the service, book the service, and yes you pay, needed or not.

Bone out the elk, three guys should be able to make short work of it and carry out the meat. The odds of you all three getting an elk is very slim. If one of you get an elk, the odds might be better. I have packed out a boned out elk by myself. Just take a few trips.

try the grand lake stables, a couple years ago they told me they did some packing.

Ned, the archery success % for those three units are as following:

unit 17 9%

Unit 18 4%. one of the lowest % statewide for archery. When I lived in the area during the 1990, the success was closer to 12-15% but that has all changed with less elk and more bow hunters.

unit 27 7%

Thanks for the info fellas, I've been on quite a few elk hunts, just getting older and maybe trying to extend our distance a little if need be. We're all three retired so we have an extended amount of time to hunt this year, so I feel our odds are greatly increased. I guess I've read different stats and info on these units, but I have a few other areas researched if we can't find the elk. Thanks again.

To Paul's point (and I've hunted those three units for most of the past 40 years) the PUBLIC land success rates are about 1/3 of the published success stats. The elk population in 17 has been dramatically reduced on purpose.

That said, if you hunt smart and put in the effort you'll get opportunities if you aren't picky about what you shoot. Good luck and enjoy the adventure!

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