Guided Wyoming Horseback Elk Hunt Recommendation

[jnagel32]

Hello all! It's been a few years since I've been active on the forum and been out west hunting due to some life changes, which included a deployment, my wife going to nursing school, and buying the family farm. With that said, I am looking to reinvigorate my yearly western hunts. I am currently sitting on 10 elk points in Wyoming and I am looking for recommendations on who to book a guided horseback hunt with. This will be for the 2026 season, so I'll have 11 points by the time I need to apply. This will be a one time deal for me, due to it's expense and the amount of time it takes to build points. I enjoy DIY hunts and the planning aspect that goes along with doing it DIY, but riding horses into the mountains for an elk hunt has been a dream of mine since I was a young teenager. I have been on one DIY elk hunt in Montana a few years ago, which was unsuccessful but saw a ton of elk just no legal bulls. I have rode horses for a few years now as well, my wife used to barrel race and we own four, but I am no expert. Due it being a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, I am hoping you guys can recommend a great outfitter that I will have a memorable experience with and a great chance at harvesting a trophy bull. Who do you recommend?

 

[npaden]

Not sure if he is still doing it, but I think Bob Sundeen used to get good reviews on his operation. It is a fairly big camp so not sure if that is what you are looking for or not. I think you have enough points for that unit.

No personal experience with him, but there are several positive reviews posted around on forums. There will be grizzlies and it is probably a half day ride to get to the camp and then they ride out of camp most days.

 

[Wildcat77]

Hello all! It's been a few years since I've been active on the forum and been out west hunting due to some life changes, which included a deployment, my wife going to nursing school, and buying the family farm. With that said, I am looking to reinvigorate my yearly western hunts. I am currently sitting on 10 elk points in Wyoming and I am looking for recommendations on who to book a guided horseback hunt with. This will be for the 2026 season, so I'll have 11 points by the time I need to apply. This will be a one time deal for me, due to it's expense and the amount of time it takes to build points. I enjoy DIY hunts and the planning aspect that goes along with doing it DIY, but riding horses into the mountains for an elk hunt has been a dream of mine since I was a young teenager. I have been on one DIY elk hunt in Montana a few years ago, which was unsuccessful but saw a ton of elk just no legal bulls. I have rode horses for a few years now as well, my wife used to barrel race and we own four, but I am no expert. Due it being a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, I am hoping you guys can recommend a great outfitter that I will have a memorable experience with and a great chance at harvesting a trophy bull. Who do you recommend?

I am here in WY..I know someone.

 

[2rocky]

If you have go hunt filter the units based on trophy size. Look at a unit with a high percentage of wilderness that meets your trophy standard.

Then do a search with Wyoming elk unit and the unit number. That should narrow down your options.

Then in November or December, I would contact the outfitters and see what kind of responses you get. So much of the experience relies on your interaction with people that I would hate to recommend someone.

One decision point you were going to have to make is whether you want a late season migration hunt for giant bulls , or an early season bugle hunt where you may not have as many bulls to pick from.

The early season Hunt lends itself to more horseback riding.

 

[Wildcat77]

If you have go hunt filter the units based on trophy size. Look at a unit with a high percentage of wilderness that meets your trophy standard.

Then do a search with Wyoming elk unit and the unit number. That should narrow down your options.

Then in November or December, I would contact the outfitters and see what kind of responses you get. So much of the experience relies on your interaction with people that I would hate to recommend someone.

One decision point you were going to have to make is whether you want a late season migration hunt for giant bulls , or an early season bugle hunt where you may not have as many bulls to pick from.

The early season Hunt lends itself to more horseback riding.

I think he said General Tag...you don't rely on drawing...then you hunt areas for the time
you go in. Horseback is awesome. I have 3 and going to do exactly that...Nothing like it!
I got my horse at a training facility who has my horse ready for the mountains in 2 weeks. Young horse but is bold afraid of nothing...Spotted saddle horse.

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

Not sure if he is still doing it, but I think Bob Sundeen used to get good reviews on his operation. It is a fairly big camp so not sure if that is what you are looking for or not. I think you have enough points for that unit.

No personal experience with him, but there are several positive reviews posted around on forums. There will be grizzlies and it is probably a half day ride to get to the camp and then they ride out of camp most days.

Bob Sundeen sold that operation a few years ago. I hunted with the new owner this year. That area takes around 13 points to draw currently.

 

[cgasner1]

Bob Sundeen sold that operation a few years ago. I hunted with the new owner this year. That area takes around 13 points to draw currently.

That’s a lot of points what caliber of bulls where you chasing?

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

That’s a lot of points what caliber of bulls where you chasing?

The 3 bulls taken ranged from 320ish to close to 350. I did not get one. Long story there…

 

[revturbo9967]

I just hunted with 7J and we were 20+miles in to some nasty country. Horse back in took about 7.5 hours. You won’t need 11 points to draw in this area as it’s a general unit but there were some studs taken in camp by some other hunters. 5 out of 6 hunters punched tags at this camp with 2 being on the smaller side including mine. Oh and that was with 4 days hunting as we lost a day due to fires. Very professional outfit, I will absolutely hunt with them again. There were 4 guides for 6 hunters and 4 support staff in camp which is needed IMO . You can hunt 1x1 with them for an extra fee which I did.

 

[MaybelNellie]

jnagel, thank you for your service. Sorry for late reply, but in same boat except with 2 short of max. On another thread here with same discussion, and starting my search after giving up on going on a max point tier unit with my preferred outfit that I hunted sheep with. Give me a shout, but have some thoughts with 11 points. My adult kids have about same as you also and hoping they can hunt in 2026 and 2027 timeframe also. General thought is you want that mid-range limited draw unit OR go with the best outfit that has openings in the Thorofare (Gen units but best odds for best experience).

 

[2rocky]

Hello all! It's been a few years since I've been active on the forum and been out west hunting due to some life changes, which included a deployment, my wife going to nursing school, and buying the family farm. With that said, I am looking to reinvigorate my yearly western hunts. I am currently sitting on 10 elk points in Wyoming and I am looking for recommendations on who to book a guided horseback hunt with. This will be for the 2026 season, so I'll have 11 points by the time I need to apply. This will be a one time deal for me, due to it's expense and the amount of time it takes to build points. I enjoy DIY hunts and the planning aspect that goes along with doing it DIY, but riding horses into the mountains for an elk hunt has been a dream of mine since I was a young teenager. I have been on one DIY elk hunt in Montana a few years ago, which was unsuccessful but saw a ton of elk just no legal bulls. I have rode horses for a few years now as well, my wife used to barrel race and we own four, but I am no expert. Due it being a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, I am hoping you guys can recommend a great outfitter that I will have a memorable experience with and a great chance at harvesting a trophy bull. Who do you recommend?

The thought occurred to me, if you find a general tag outfitter you like and has the kind of horseback hunting you desire....do you have someone you hunt with at home who you would share points with? Surely a once in a lifetime hunt should be shared with someone for the memories at least...

 

[Westelker]

I would highly consider a late migration hunt for 2026 with a reliable and recommended outfitter on private property.

Sometimes, even in designated wilderness areas, there can be a ton of outfitter camps, small "spike" camps and non-outfitter individual horse camps.

 

[outdoors198621]

DO NOT USE SADDLEHORN OUTFITTERS. In Wyoming Unit 98 there is an area called the Wilderness that nonresidents cannot go to without hiring a guide. Based off our research a majority of the elk and good bulls are still up high in that area early season. So we started looking into Guides calling around and expressing our desire to hunt that area. Jesse with SaddleHorn Outfitters talked a good game and made all kinds of promises. He stated, “He has the most access to all the land out of anyone, and he will put us on the best Bulls and hunt the best areas”. Well we fell for it choosing him over other better Guide options. When we got there we met our guides and discussed our hunting plans. When they did not include the Wilderness area I asked why not and only then we were informed that Jesse failed to get the correct permit for that area and we cannot go. When I asked when they knew this, they said months ago. So, Jesse clearly hid that information from us when we could have booked someone else or came later in the season when the elk moved down out of the Wilderness area. I expressed my frustrations and even Jesse’s guides agreed and apologized. It was Jesse who failed to communicate with us not them, so we decided to try and make the best of it. We spent the next 5 days hunting the same exact spot every single day (which was Public and everyone had access to it, not just Saddlehorn) and it was the one and only herd they found, so we were told. This herd contained 2 bulls and there were 2 of us. This spot took 3 hours roundtrip to get to so we spent a lot of time in the truck driving there in the morning, “hunting” for only 1-2 hours, then heading back to the hotel we were staying at to sit in our hotel for 8 hours before they picked us up in the evening to do that drive again and only “hunting” the last 20 minutes of shooting light. We were told the elk “don’t move during the day”. This was the exact opposite of the adventure hunt and the backwoods time we expressed desire for with Jesse. I continually asked what we could do different or spend more time in the woods but under Jesse’s direction during the day our guides spent their time running errands for Jesse’s personal needs and setting up/moving a bear bait stand for his wife to hunt rather than focus on us and the hunt we paid for. Finally on Day 4 I convinced the guide to go to a different area to sit all day which is what we always wanted. We were on the boarder of our Unit and we watched Bulls bugle and moving around all day in the unit next to us (not our unit and closed to rifle hunting). I guess sometimes they are active during the day!… After discussing how we wished we could hunt those elk all day, one bull stepped out on that unit 1200 yards away. Even though I told the guide during our pre-hunt shooting time I was comfortable to a max of 800 yards (Jesse told me 300 yards is all you need, that was also wrong) the guide told me to “take a chance” on that elk even though it was illegal. Being frustrated with the hunt and knowing I was not getting any other chances I did and missed. The guide later said he prayed I would miss (I did contact WY Fish and Game about this). The hunt was so frustrating that I canceled the last 2 days of our 7-day hunt with Jesse’s group and hunted without them. Jesse seemed to have no care about that, never talked to me about it, and promptly moved his guides to more clients making himself more money rather than having a conversation or adjusting. After the trip I reached out to Jesse and asked what he thought about him misleading us to believe we would hunt the Wilderness area and my unhappiness with they type of hunt we got. I was hit with a barrage of emotionally charged words, he lied saying he never said he would take us to that area (or that he said we could not), and that I failed on my hunt due to my own doing and that I had an opportunity (the illegal shot at 1200 yards) so I should be happy and they fulfilled their duties. He did not care that we were unhappy with riding around in a truck and sitting in a hotel room all day as well. Every attack he made on me personally I had an answer to with facts but again he did not care. He wanted to make any and every excuse why it is not his fault even if you provided proof it wasn’t. He kept telling me his story was different and made up a bunch of lies that I supposedly did even though he was never there and I had his own guide’s words in writing contradicting him. Again, I will note that his “pre-scouting” found 1 single herd to hunt in our area but was adamant that was good enough and that the hunt in the Wilderness area would have been no different, even though every other guide went there...

Jesse will say I am upset I did not get a bull but that is because he refuses to listen. For us we waited 7 years for this tag, 2 veterans with combat tour experiences, and we wanted a different type of hunt than sitting in a truck and a hotel room and we clearly expressed that prior. Jesse is clearly a man who will never admit he is wrong, he is arrogant, money hungry, concerned with only taking care of his own needs, and not concerned whatsoever with providing you the experience you are looking for. Not great qualities for a guide service. I recommend you look elsewhere. Saddlehorn charges the same price as other Outfitters in that area without any access to the best areas and will only take you to Public land and will ignore all your preferences as a client. If you like the style of hunt I described, I suggest you get everything Jesse is supposed to do for you in writing. Don’t assume he will do anything for you because he won’t. His guides were supposed to debone our meat for us which I asked him to put in the contract and he never told his guides to even do that. It is sad you must do that but if it is not written down, he will hide behind his ambiguous “contract” and will not help you, then blame you if anything goes wrong or you question anything. He will perform his duties at the bare minimum and expect you to be happy about it. Last red flag- he will have you pay everything in full ahead of time. I get putting half down for expenses but have never been required to fully pay for a service before even getting there. It is my opinion he does this so when you show up and see through his lies and deceit he already has your money and there is nothing you or he will do about it. His own website says the hunt will be “hunting by 4×4 automobile, UTVs or horseback for a full day of spot and stalk hunting” LIES!

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

DO NOT USE SADDLEHORN OUTFITTERS. In Wyoming Unit 98 there is an area called the Wilderness that nonresidents cannot go to without hiring a guide. Based off our research a majority of the elk and good bulls are still up high in that area early season. So we started looking into Guides calling around and expressing our desire to hunt that area. Jesse with SaddleHorn Outfitters talked a good game and made all kinds of promises. He stated, “He has the most access to all the land out of anyone, and he will put us on the best Bulls and hunt the best areas”. Well we fell for it choosing him over other better Guide options. When we got there we met our guides and discussed our hunting plans. When they did not include the Wilderness area I asked why not and only then we were informed that Jesse failed to get the correct permit for that area and we cannot go. When I asked when they knew this, they said months ago. So, Jesse clearly hid that information from us when we could have booked someone else or came later in the season when the elk moved down out of the Wilderness area. I expressed my frustrations and even Jesse’s guides agreed and apologized. It was Jesse who failed to communicate with us not them, so we decided to try and make the best of it. We spent the next 5 days hunting the same exact spot every single day (which was Public and everyone had access to it, not just Saddlehorn) and it was the one and only herd they found, so we were told. This herd contained 2 bulls and there were 2 of us. This spot took 3 hours roundtrip to get to so we spent a lot of time in the truck driving there in the morning, “hunting” for only 1-2 hours, then heading back to the hotel we were staying at to sit in our hotel for 8 hours before they picked us up in the evening to do that drive again and only “hunting” the last 20 minutes of shooting light. We were told the elk “don’t move during the day”. This was the exact opposite of the adventure hunt and the backwoods time we expressed desire for with Jesse. I continually asked what we could do different or spend more time in the woods but under Jesse’s direction during the day our guides spent their time running errands for Jesse’s personal needs and setting up/moving a bear bait stand for his wife to hunt rather than focus on us and the hunt we paid for. Finally on Day 4 I convinced the guide to go to a different area to sit all day which is what we always wanted. We were on the boarder of our Unit and we watched Bulls bugle and moving around all day in the unit next to us (not our unit and closed to rifle hunting). I guess sometimes they are active during the day!… After discussing how we wished we could hunt those elk all day, one bull stepped out on that unit 1200 yards away. Even though I told the guide during our pre-hunt shooting time I was comfortable to a max of 800 yards (Jesse told me 300 yards is all you need, that was also wrong) the guide told me to “take a chance” on that elk even though it was illegal. Being frustrated with the hunt and knowing I was not getting any other chances I did and missed. The guide later said he prayed I would miss (I did contact WY Fish and Game about this). The hunt was so frustrating that I canceled the last 2 days of our 7-day hunt with Jesse’s group and hunted without them. Jesse seemed to have no care about that, never talked to me about it, and promptly moved his guides to more clients making himself more money rather than having a conversation or adjusting. After the trip I reached out to Jesse and asked what he thought about him misleading us to believe we would hunt the Wilderness area and my unhappiness with they type of hunt we got. I was hit with a barrage of emotionally charged words, he lied saying he never said he would take us to that area (or that he said we could not), and that I failed on my hunt due to my own doing and that I had an opportunity (the illegal shot at 1200 yards) so I should be happy and they fulfilled their duties. He did not care that we were unhappy with riding around in a truck and sitting in a hotel room all day as well. Every attack he made on me personally I had an answer to with facts but again he did not care. He wanted to make any and every excuse why it is not his fault even if you provided proof it wasn’t. He kept telling me his story was different and made up a bunch of lies that I supposedly did even though he was never there and I had his own guide’s words in writing contradicting him. Again, I will note that his “pre-scouting” found 1 single herd to hunt in our area but was adamant that was good enough and that the hunt in the Wilderness area would have been no different, even though every other guide went there...

Jesse will say I am upset I did not get a bull but that is because he refuses to listen. For us we waited 7 years for this tag, 2 veterans with combat tour experiences, and we wanted a different type of hunt than sitting in a truck and a hotel room and we clearly expressed that prior. Jesse is clearly a man who will never admit he is wrong, he is arrogant, money hungry, concerned with only taking care of his own needs, and not concerned whatsoever with providing you the experience you are looking for. Not great qualities for a guide service. I recommend you look elsewhere. Saddlehorn charges the same price as other Outfitters in that area without any access to the best areas and will only take you to Public land and will ignore all your preferences as a client. If you like the style of hunt I described, I suggest you get everything Jesse is supposed to do for you in writing. Don’t assume he will do anything for you because he won’t. His guides were supposed to debone our meat for us which I asked him to put in the contract and he never told his guides to even do that. It is sad you must do that but if it is not written down, he will hide behind his ambiguous “contract” and will not help you, then blame you if anything goes wrong or you question anything. He will perform his duties at the bare minimum and expect you to be happy about it. Last red flag- he will have you pay everything in full ahead of time. I get putting half down for expenses but have never been required to fully pay for a service before even getting there. It is my opinion he does this so when you show up and see through his lies and deceit he already has your money and there is nothing you or he will do about it. His own website says the hunt will be “hunting by 4×4 automobile, UTVs or horseback for a full day of spot and stalk hunting” LIES!