Drop Camp Recommendations

[WesternRookie]

Hello,
Open to state. Looking for drop camp recommendations for 2020

A little about me. Lifelong whitetail hunter. Never actually hunted elk before, but have spent some time in Colorado hiking the "14ers". I am 40 yrs old, am "in shape"........have backpack hunted on a 10 day dall sheep hunt in Canada. Hauled 82# pack out 10 miles with only 3 five minute breaks......made me want to train even harder for my next hunt. Understand the importance of glassing and playing the wind. Open to bow or rifle.

Looking for a drop camp that someone like me would have a high probability of being successful.

Thanks for any feedback

 

[Southern Elk]

Welcome to Hunt Talk. With your experience, why not just do a backpack hunt? I don't think a drop camp increases your odds that much, if any. You could always line up a packer to haul your elk out, if that's you concern.

 

[Rzrbck918]

Welcome to HT. +1 on a backpack hunt. You're definitely in good enough shape for it.

 

[wytex]

This being the forum that it is , that is why you get the DIY advise. Sounds like you could take it and do fine.
For a drop camp, I would think most outfitters will want more than one person to fill a camp to make it worth while.

 

[ntodwild]

I am with Southern Elk on this one. Do some homework and DIY. Drop camps are cool if you have a group of friends of which a majority are not that experienced can find themselves in a pre scouted, pre setup, typically back country camp with a "good" chance of success. Use the money you would have spent on a drop camp and purchase plane tickets or tags as well as gear you will need. Idaho comes to mind as they have over the counter tags for out of state. Idaho is a tuff place to hunt but if you do your homework I think you could find not only a great place to hunt but may even bee wildly successful. I don't have anything bad to report on Drop Camps, just my .02

If the experience of a drop camp is something you want to pursue, go for it. The experience is worth doing at least once. They can be super fun if you find yourself with a group of good friends you can share it with or you can show up alone and meet new people which is also very cool and could be a Segway into a lifetime of friendships.

 

[WesternRookie]

Thanks for the replies thus far.

A big part of it is the idea of having horses etc. to haul out meat. I have seen other threads around having a packer on speed dial and it looks like that is hit or miss.

I also was thinking, if my range is X miles from a trailhead on a backpack, I would rather add that X miles onto how far in a drop camp is. Some of the drop camp websites I have checked out say 8-10 miles in.

Some of the drop camp amenities look nice too. Especially having a big supply of drinkable water.

 

[Gr8bawana]

So an outfitter takes you in 8-10 miles, who's to say there will be any game in the area. An outfitter is not going to take people to the best areas, he is going to save those for hunters paying for a fully guided and outfitted hunt.

 

[Pucky Freak]

You may have better luck on a different website (won't mention any by name) getting recommendations for drop camp, seeing as HT is geared mostly towards the DIYer crowd.

Never actually hunted elk before, but have spent some time in Colorado hiking the "14ers".

CO Parks and Wildlife has unbelievable data and interactive maps for big game species. It's not hard to research good spots to hunt. Most OTC units are any elk for archery, so that increases your success rate as well.

Hauled 82# pack out 10 miles with only 3 five minute breaks......made me want to train even harder for my next hunt.

If you can carry 82 lbs out 10 miles in one slog, you can take three 80 lb loads out in six miles (240 lbs. elk meat 2 miles from car divided by 3 loads). A lot of elk can be found closer to the road like this. Sheep are often further in/up the talus.

Thanks for the replies thus far.

A big part of it is the idea of having horses etc. to haul out meat. I have seen other threads around having a packer on speed dial and it looks like that is hit or miss.

I also was thinking, if my range is X miles from a trailhead on a backpack, I would rather add that X miles onto how far in a drop camp is. Some of the drop camp websites I have checked out say 8-10 miles in.

Some of the drop camp amenities look nice too. Especially having a big supply of drinkable water.

Bring some Aqua Mira and that solves the drinkable water issue.

What other amenities are you thinking about? At this point, you're looking at $2500 or whatever to pay someone to (hopefully) do your scouting for you, which is free to do on your own, plus "amenities."

Anyways...there are lots of folks who enjoy drop camp just fine, so maybe this is what you will decide on anyways.

Did one drop camp myself in WY wilderness for fishing/backpacking, and my first thought when I arrived at camp was, "why didn't I just do this myself???"

 

[WesternRookie]

You may have better luck on a different website (won't mention any by name) getting recommendations for drop camp, seeing as HT is geared mostly towards the DIYer crowd.

CO Parks and Wildlife has unbelievable data and interactive maps for big game species. It's not hard to research good spots to hunt. Most OTC units are any elk for archery, so that increases your success rate as well.



If you can carry 82 lbs out 10 miles in one slog, you can take three 80 lb loads out in six miles (240 lbs. elk meat 2 miles from car divided by 3 loads). A lot of elk can be found closer to the road like this. Sheep are often further in/up the talus.



Bring some Aqua Mira and that solves the drinkable water issue.

What other amenities are you thinking about? At this point, you're looking at $2500 or whatever to pay someone to (hopefully) do your scouting for you, which is free to do on your own, plus "amenities."

Anyways...there are lots of folks who enjoy drop camp just fine, so maybe this is what you will decide on anyways.

Did one drop camp myself in WY wilderness for fishing/backpacking, and my first thought when I arrived at camp was, "why didn't I just do this myself???"

Thanks Bud. I didn't realize this site was hardcore DIY. Glad I didn't ask for a guided outfitter recommendation

Your last sentence definitely hits home. And thanks for the info on Aqua Mira.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

There are a couple of different outfitters that will rent you llamas, could be an option as well.

 

[El Jason]

Just because you are 8-10 miles in doesn’t mean you’ll be the only drop camp in the area. You very well might have just as much competition as you’d have doing it yourself.

Outfitters are permitted in where they can put drop camps, so it’s not like you just pick a spot and they drop you there. It has to be within their licensed use area, and just like their client camps they have specific sites they can use.

 

[Tradewind]

Thanks Bud. I didn't realize this site was hardcore DIY. Glad I didn't ask for a guided outfitter recommendation


Actually you would prob get some good suggestions on that

 

[Western Traveler1]

So an outfitter takes you in 8-10 miles, who's to say there will be any game in the area. An outfitter is not going to take people to the best areas, he is going to save those for hunters paying for a fully guided and outfitted hunt.

Yes, This...
Also for the money you pay an outfitter for that drop camp you can buy a darn nice wall tent from Davis Tent in Denver or Montana Canvas in Belgrade MT including wood stove and extras or another company for substantially less money and Set up a nice base camp and with your physical conditioning you can Day hunt from there. Even do a spike camp staying out a night or 3 with a comfortable and warm place to return to. After the initial investment you are set for the next 15-20 years if you want. Having transportation available one can head to multiple trailheads during the trip if missing the mark on camp location. Just a thought.

 

[Idhikker]

Drop camp locations suck in my area. It's just like I'll throw a camp here because I don't take my guided hunters there and it's obviously not a prime location if you have hunted there a while. Buyer beware with drop camps but there's bad incentive involved to overhunt an area and focus on the guided hunters.

 

[EOregonian]

I have one experience with a drop camp name of outfitter will not be named-new owners since then but I am same areas. We came in looking for primarily elk which was clearly stated when we booked and clearly the outfitter didn't care as we didn't find any elk or sign within miles of the camp. We would have had to bring a separate camp to be in elk daily or blue sky it but at 9,000ft that wasn't going to happen. They didn't check on us when they said they would this was before cell phones/sat phones were norm. It was good for deer however and killed two bucks. But with all that said-Oregon is a state you can archery hunt otc for elk and deer and Del Sol has a good reputation from what I have heard. Rifle hunts however you need to build points and in Oregon unless you also hunt with a bow I would not just let them have your hard earned dollars for points. If you look them up and were an early Eastman's BH guy you will recognize his name.

 

[Western Traveler1]

Look in "Fireside" on this Forum and open Camp Pics. Start at page 119 and work back or plow through the pages. You will see what I'm talking about. To me having my own camp, picking a spot and setting up is part of the fun. Bucking and splitting wood while getting a feel of the place etc. Especially if a bunch of guys are along (breaking er down, not so much...lol)
or click here>> https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/camp-pics.222938/page-119