Wyoming outfitters words ??
Elk
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So i've been talking with some outfitters about a 2021 archery hunt , not naming any names , but i really like one that i've talked with several times. He claims he kills as good a bulls as guides in units that take lots of points to draw. Even though the units he hunts are 0 - 2 pts to draw. So my question is this , i will have 9 pts in 2021 , would it be foolish to hunt with him and burn 9 pts or find another outfitter who guides a unit that takes 9 pts to draw. I have Mules and haven't ruled out the possibility of hunting with them on my own and staying out there till i kill a good bull or the seasons over, whichever comes first.
Well, here's what a lot of people will suggest: 1. get ref's then check out the ref's. 2. ask for photo's 3. find out what he considers to be "as good"
Personally, I would use the points in a high point unit if I was going outfitted.
I worked off and on for one of those outfitters so I won't suggest a unit. Those units tend to have more high end bulls and often you well be in great elk every day.
Regardless, keep notes and have a good story for us.
Yes. While you can kill a big bull in any unit, especially if the dates are favorable for archery, there is a reason some units take more points. Look at the harvest rates. Use your points on a unit with more potential for your success and then can circle back to consider lower point options. Sales people, and an outfitter is one, have been known to enhance the reality of what is going to happen when you put boots on the ground. My 2 cents.
A general elk tag takes 2.5 points. Curious what unit he is saying takes 0-2.
Talking about unit 70 & 71.
Do your research, pick the best unit you can draw, scout it if possible, and go DIY. It’ll be much more satisfying than having your hand held thru a hunt.
Matt
Points are just a paper tally, an outfitter that sitting on access to big bulls is gold, disregarding points need to get in his unit. If you need apply in a unit to show value to your point collection then that’s what the mind is urging you to do and would go that route get some experience and kill a big elk in the high point unit and then your free to go on your next elk hunt with your outfitter that only needs 0-2 points to draw and kill another monster .
You win by hunting elk this year in. 7 point unit without devaluing the perceived value of your accumulate points, you win avian as you can hunt in the next year or two with the outfitter in the low point unit, you can stop out on this years hunt and check out the outfitters mega bulls for next year.
Best Outfitter in the world can't kill help that aren't there. There's a reason some units take a lot more points. And there are thousands of people trying to find a place like you described that he claims to have. The simple fact is it's extremely unlikely he can do what he says. Extremely.
Anytime there's a place with Quality Elk you going to pay for it one way or the other. Trespass fee, lots of points, landowner tag.
If he's packing into a very remote area around Yellowstone he can definitely do fairly well. Not many people get that far in. That said the quality of topping balls will not be equivalent to the better draw units.
Huntcell , are you saying it's possible for me to apply for a unit lets say one that takes up to 7 pts to draw get the tag hunt it and then have 2 pts left and draw a tag with the outfitter the next year ?
No, if you apply for a 7 pt unit and draw the tag, you will lose all 9 points.
Matt
Birdman, you did not say whether or not you're a WY resident. Since no one mentioned it just be aware of the wilderness restriction for NR's. I'm in nearly the same boat as you but I definitely will go with an outfitter or resident friend when I draw so I can hunt the wilderness areas.
There aren’t any elk points for residents.
I would hunt in a better unit, and then try him out a couple years after that.
^^^^I agree with 12yards. Thats what I would do. You have the points, try a unit you may not get to hunt again or at least not for a long time. Sounds like you can hunt with that guy every couple years after you burn your points.
He said he would have 9 points in 2021. Use your points this year you go to zero. Then in a next year your at zero and gain one each year after that . your outfitter says your good to go with 0-2 that’s what I mean in 0-2 your back in the game with outfitter no need to be one and done with current points.
Only problem is that those units won't be 0-2 point units for long, even in the special draw.
From the title I thought WY outfitters were adopting Game of Thrones words. . . .
Winter is coming
An outfitter always pays his debts
We don't sow
70/71 gen units are good units. I would not doubt at all that he is taking bulls that are as good as bulls taken in units that require 9 points. The outfitters running hunts in Gen units around Yellowstone take a good number of 320 class bulls on those hunts. They take more 270-300 class six points and plenty of 5 points. To be honest not much different distribution that what most high demand LQ units produce. I see far more 280-300 class 6 points than I do 330+ bulls taken from units 30-32 and 100. And those are some of the hardest draw odds in the state. Far too often the only people that post pictures of their success are the ones that took a high scoring animal. This leads people to believe that animals like that are the norm. Bowsite is better than most because it appears its members are not as hung up on book scores as some other websites, I'm looking at you MM's, and the added difficulty of archery gear just naturally gives people a higher feeling of accomplishment that they wish to share with others, regardless of what the animal scores. The point being, 9 PP isn't going to guarantee you a 320+ bull. Will they be in the unit? Most likely. Are they in 70/71? Yes. If you have been building PP for 8 years you must have some idea of what unit you were working towards. If not then you really need to make a plan. Just gathering PP without a solid plan on when and where you intend to use those points is a recipe for disappointment. A person can do some relatively easy research on quality and quantity of elk by unit, terrain type, land ownership and draw odds. Then make some simple assumptions on point creep based off past history and should be able to get pretty damn close on when they will be hunting. If you were just accumulating PP's then I say "why stop now". See how high you can get that PP total. Make that your goal. If your goal is to hunt elk in 2021, you found an outfitter that you enjoyed talking to, he hunts an amazing area, then I say "Book it".
I'm betting he has private land leased and it's very real possibility he takes big bulls from a general area. Do you have anyone to share PP with and go on the hunt with you? Simply stating he must be lying is a stretch, lots of great bulls come form general areas and private access increases those odds. He may well be also hunting up in grizz country in general areas, migration hunts get you into some awesome hunting when conditions are right. Call his references. Any chance it's in SC Wyoming, if so pm me I may know who the outfitter is and where he hunts. You do not have to max PP to get a great hunt for big bulls.
mulecreek has wise information.
It’s hard to generalize without knowing all the details. I know guys who routinely take monster bulls in WY general tag areas. But they are very hard-core hunters and are the exception rather than the rule.
Just me, I woudlnt dump 9 points for a General tag. Perosnally i would draw out a decent unit with my points, go hunt. Then put in for the special draw and hope to draw a general tag until you have the two plus points required. At that point i would go on the hunt with the outfitter.
Hunt the 9pt unit first, then hunt the 0-2pt unit in a year or two. Best of both worlds! Good luck.