Choosing a guide service

[jbadams4211]

I am starting to build points in Wyoming with plans for a guided wilderness hunt in about 10 years. Hopefully I will be hunting either Colorado or Idaho with OTC tags between now and then but I want to have one good back country hunt with horses packing in and a chance at a decent bull. I know I have plenty of time but how do you go about choosing an outfitter with all the different options? As for units I am looking near the park in limited entry areas. I dont mind the bear as long as I trust the outfitter has experience hunting around them.

I know that I could build a few points and draw a general tag and hunt a few times for the same cost as a guide but I am really wanting the back country experience and feel like an outfitter would be my best way to enjoy it as I dont have horses, equipment, or experince necessary for that kind of a hunt.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Couple things...
1. Most folks on here DIY so you might not get a ton of responses simply because a lot of people have never gone guided

2. 10 years is a long way out, if you do get a recommendation it's very possible that outfitter or the particular guide that works their that made it such a great experience will be long gone. I would wait till the year before my hunt to sniff out an outfitter.

 

[Gman12]

IMO, the best way to find an outfitter is by word of mouth. Talk to everyone that you know who likes to hunt and ask them. They might not go themselves but may have a buddy who elk hunts that they know. Also, when at local gun or bow shops ask the guys who work there. These guys are normally hardcore hunters and may have a good suggestion. Another place is larger taxidermist. Oftentimes taxidermist are a wealth of information as all they do is deal with hunters every day. Hopefully you can get some names and have a good starting point and can further research these outfitters.

Also, there are some excellent OTC units to hunt so don't think just because these units do not require drawing a tag that they can not provide excellent hunting opportunities.

 

[88man]

There are some great General unit wilderness hunts in wyoming that you won't need to wait 10 years if you are set on going guided/outfitted

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Good idea to plan in advance. No idea how it is in Wyo, but in many areas hunts are booked a year plus in advance with the best guides. Do your homework now will pay off if you can reserve a spot with a premier guide in the future.

Here is a place to get started: https://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/OUTFITTERREPORTS/outfitter.cfm

You may have to go back a decent amount, but I you'll get an idea of who is around wyoming guiding and how people feel about them.


Good luck!

 

[Salmonchaser]

To guide in the National Forest the operators need to have a Conditional use permit, pick your region, see who’s got a permit and while your at it see if those operators have any complaints or violations. You might be able to weed out a poor operator right there.
Check with the state licensing board and fish and wildlife for violations. Same thing, looking for more serious violations or complaints. (I’ve never been cited by state or feds in 20 years)
I’ve seen a lot of operations change hands over 10 years, that is a long time, particularly for guides to hang around but learning how to do your due diligence takes practice. You won’t be hurt by starting to learn your way around. Ask if the business/guide area is up for sale.
Success rates/opportunity rates are important but don’t rely too much on that.
Client list/referrals are very important. If the operators offer five ask for 10. Ask for at least one who had a bad trip. Of the referrals provided ask them if they have stayed in touch with any of the others who were in camp. The guys who had a bad trip, you’ll be able to figure out if they were a poor bastard or the out fitter didn’t do a good job for them.
I’d want a list going back at least five years. Look for consistency in operation and available game.
I’m getting “the look” I’m in the middle of hanging a new door. Gotta go.

 

[Werty]

Watch hunting shows, then look up the outfitters. Contact taxidermy shops in the areas you're looking in, ask them who they recommend. In the end, you need to CHECK REFERENCES!

 

[Stay Sharp]

I go about the USA hunting with guides and outfitters (the species you hunt matters not one bit). Reading reviews and asking for references is all well and good and will likely mislead you. Ive done it myself, I do/did all the due diligence anybody can do when hiring a stranger. Ive asked for references and called them. Ive searched all avenues and read as much as I could on a particular guide and still you can get totally burned. Find a specific outfitter/guide and seek out all the intel you can but know its still a risk. Get the contract from an outfitter even before you sign on with them. Search to see if they have any actions against them. I did all this and still got burned in Ohio last fall. Turns out the crooked guy burned enough people that he changed his name meaning there was no info to be gathered under his new name, his new facebook page was fluff and contains pics that are 12 years old. 5 or 6 hunters in camp left out of frustration after 3 days of a 5 day hunt. The one guy that remained, flew there and wanted to leave but was bond to his airline tickets and the rest of us drove.

 

[midwesthunter]

First I have never been on a guided elk hunt but to start if I was to do so, I'd recommend going to some hunting expos, and talking with some of the outfitters there. You should be able to get a good feel for how they operate. Do what your doing now and ask questions in advance, probably not 10 years, I would start 2-3 years out. I have worked for a couple outfitters in the past, mostly whitetails, the good ones are booked out a year in advance. Ask for references.

 

[rmyoung1]

As was mentioned earlier, you don’t have to wait 10 years to do a quality outfitted hunt in Wyoming. Look into outfitters hunting the Thorofare. That’ll give you the experience you’re looking for: long pack strings, wall tent camps, 20+ mile horse rides to camp, and plenty of wild country. The Thorofare region is a general area, so you could go soon. Do it!

 

[daltrix99]

The meateater guys recently did a guided Wyoming muley hunt. They did a podcast with the guides - probably worth listening to.

 

[jbadams4211]

Thanks for all the information guys. Its exactly what I am looking for and helps me understand how to research the different guides services and what information to try and get.

 

[Fremont15]

You could get a Wyoming General tag with a couple of points and have a great wilderness hunt. Take a look at Wind River Backcountry Outfitters.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Have fun.

 

[LopeHunter]

Outfitting and guiding is a tough business to get rich in so things can rise and fall from season to season. Lose a guide or two after a season ends and a solid outfit goes into your hunt using new staff and there could be a big fall off in the quality of your hunt experience compared to the reference you spoke with that loved last year's hunt. Or, the reference could have been the guide's brother in law. You can check references etc which you should though understand you could burn a decade of points then drop close to $10,000 on tag/travel/guide and burn a week of vacation time to then have a terrible experience with no real recourse as head home with a bitter feeling you have been swindled. Do your research, hope for the best and you may have a great experience. I have had awesome guided hunts including into wilderness on horses. I have had some less than awesome experiences as well and every hunt will have curveballs out of everyone's control. I do expect a guide to know the unit, the target species, be safe, work hard use good gear, have a Plan A and B and C for where to head in the unit, etc.

 

[dgc1963]

I have been on several guided hunts for elk and deer heres my 2 cents
1 find a state and unit you want to hunt on your own based on the quality of animal your looking for then find a few outfitters in that general area ask lots of questions keeping in mind some outfitters say anything to book your hunt, and some are very honest if your looking at an archery hunt make it 100% sure that your guide is an archer also if hes not you could be in trouble
2 best thing I do is I want a list from past 3 yrs of people that DID NOT harvest an animal if someone got their bull , deer, bear they may have a very slanted look at the hunt but if they didnt fill their tag and tell you it was a great hunt with the guides working hard to make it happen you are probably going to enjoy the trip
3 and finally keep realistic expectations it still hunting