Drop Camp Wilderness Elk Hunt

The drop camp is the soul of the wilderness outfitter. Not for the faint of heart, this do-it-yourself option was born in the age of the self-sufficient hunter. All the hunter needed was the logistics of getting away from the trailhead and the help of a mule’s back getting game and supplies in/out of the deep wilderness. Camp gear has improved over time and modern technology has perfected logistics. However, the experience is mostly unchanged since its birth over a hundred years ago: We get ya packed into camps set up with all the outfitted gear, you do the huntin’, and we pack the meat.

Our Drop Camp Promise:

Nobody in the industry can match our logistics and management of the controllable variables in this business. We use the best gear, use camps that have been productive over the past 30+ years of outfitting, run top-of-the-line stock and crew, and we will spend as much time as needed on the phone and email pre-hunt to make sure you feel ready for this experience.

Rifle Drop Camp Hunts

All rifle drop camps are 7 days (1-day pack-in, 5 days hunting, 1-day pack-out).

1st season is an easy elk draw, but you must go through the draw to get a tag. The first season is a great time, with fewer hunters, better weather, and it is likely you will catch the tail end of the rut. In recent seasons, the elk were still bugling through 1st season.

4th season bulls tags are by draw but close to 100% of hunters draw without preference points.

2nd and 3rd season are over-the-counter purchased tags. By the 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons, you need to be prepared for the possibility of heavy snow. These later seasons can produce nice bulls that are pushed out of high elevations. The biggest variable for hunting quality is weather and snow accumulation.

Every year some good high-country mule deer bucks are also taken by hunters. You must draw a deer tag for the season you will be hunting if you want that opportunity. We can also focus on mule deer when it comes to camp selection if you choose. Our 3rd and 4th season, guided lodge hunts are a good option if deer is your focus. 2nd and 3rd season drop camps are also productive. It varies year-to-year but residents can draw 3rd season buck tags with no points with a nearly 100% chance. Non-residents have a 70-80% chance without points. With just 1 point, non-residents will draw a 3rd season buck tag. 2nd season tags can be drawn without points for both residents and non-residents.

We primarily hunt from our lodge in the 4th season because of the possibility of dangerous snowfall at our high-elevation camps. We rarely offer drop camps during 4th season.

All of these hunts are true wilderness hunts where being in good shape and being able to bare inclement weather will pay off with the hunt of a lifetime. Hunts average 25-60%+ shot opportunity on legal bulls for those that hunt every morning and afternoon/night of their hunt. The majority of bulls are medium-sized, 4-6 point animals. Roughly 1/10th of our harvested bulls score 300+. During 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons our hunters with deer tags have 40-65% shot opportunity on bucks.

On our multi-species hunts, 2nd-4th rifle, it is not uncommon for hunters in good physical shape with good marksmanship skills to harvest two species.

Base price is per group of up to 5 hunters for a 1st-3rd Season Rifle Hunt. Add Additional hunters for an additional fee per hunter.