© 2016 -2021 Copyright by P. K. H. Groth, Denver, Colorado, USA All rights reserved -
See contact page for for permission to republish article excerpts.
Colorado Elk
Hunting Planning
Carefully
approach
elk
hunting
with
proper
planning,
which
can
not
be
done
at
the
last
minute.
I
report
some
disasters
in
my
book.
This
website
has
some
more
“miscalcuations”
in
the
hunter
fiascoes
section
and
the
hunting
stories.
This
section
emphasises
the
critical
but
often
overlooked
factor
of
the
hunting
camp
-
selection
of
and
party
control
of
your
mates.
A
week
with
the
improperly
selected
companions
will
be
ruinous to good outcomes!
Disorganized for a Hunting Disaster:
I
received
another
2014
report
from
an
outfitter
about
easterners
obviously
not
prepared
to
experience
high
country
hunting
success.
Eight
fellows
booked
a
cabin
and
a
remote
drop
camp
for
the
second
season
–
good.
However,
by
the
time
they
left
Pennsylvania
eight
others
were
tagging
along.
The
outfitter
was
unprepared
for
the
unannounced
double
number
of
hunters,
but
tried to accommodate them as best as possible.
The
group
had
not
planned
and
communicated.
Each
person
brought
his
own
gear
and
bickered
with
the
wranglers
who
tried
to
point
out
that
duplicate
axes,
saws,
tables
and
chairs,
etc.
were
not
needed.
Couldn’t
they
share
bottles
of
whiskey
to
cut
down
on
the
panier
loads?
Nor
were
their
cases
of
Duraflame
fireplace
logs
in
a
wilderness
of
trees
a
necessary
overload
for
pack
horses.
This
unorganized
lazy
elk
camp
obviously
was
not
headed for hunting glory.
A
large
part
of
the
group
was
packed
up
above
10,000
feet
to
a
select
secluded
hunt
area.
Loitering,
boozing
and
gabbing
began
as
soon
as
they
reached
their
tent.
Only
one
experienced
member
gathered
firewood,
made
the
camp
ship-
shape
and
scouted
for
elk.
I
suspect
as
he
worked
he
was
thinking
how
carefully
he’d
choose
future
hunting
companions.
I
know
from
previous
reports
that
such
camps
fail
at
hunting,
and
friendships
often fracture.
Snow
fell.
All
of
ten
God-sent
inches
that
would
make
an
ordinary
elk
hunter’s
heart
leap
for
joy!
On
the
third
day
of
hunting
the
group
had
enough
of
the
weather
(and
each
other?)
and
radioed
the
outfitter
to
come
and
get
them.
Interrupting
planned
hunting
guiding
and
work
routines,
the
wranglers
took
all
the
horses
up
for
the
evacuation.
Arriving,
they
found
that
actually
only
half
the
guys
wanted
to
leave.
The
rest
reconsidered
and
wanted
to
stay
a
couple
more
days.
That
meant
two
7
½
hour
roundtrips
instead
of
one
trip
they
had
paid
for.
After
all
their
work
in
rough
terrain
and
weather,
the
wranglers
were
tipped
a
mere
total
$40.
That
is
about
the
cost
of
one
of
the
many
jugs
of
booze
(and
beer
cases)
flaunted
in
front
of
the
wranglers
who
had
to
cart
it
up
and
down
from
the
wilderness.
There
is
nothing
like
insulting
and
demeaning
a
person
who
you
asked
for
help.
The
evil
good
thing
is:
wranglers
have
pretty
good
memories.
Those
hunters
will
never
get
the
best
site
again
if
they
return! PS – They saw nor got elk!
Give
at
least
reasonably
good
tips.
Follow
the
15%
tips
for
usual
service.
Increase
the
gratuity
if
the
wranglers
provide
extra
service
like
guiding,
field
dressing
your
elk
or
extracting
it
from
timber,
or
help erect or take down your drop camp.
Work With Your Outfitter:
The
above
story
illustrates
why
outfitters
don’t
wish
for
some
clients
to
return.
The
large
group
did
not
see
any
close
elk,
and
their
laziness
precluded
bagging
game.
Their
poor
attitudes
will
probably
result
in
blaming
the
outfitter
and
his
wranglers
for
not
getting
elk.
Sixteen
disgruntled
men
complaining
to
twenty
friends
in
Pennsylvania
results
in
a
loss
of
320
potential
future
hunters.
The
best,
hardest
working,
most
knowledgeable,
client-dedicated
outfitter
cannot
stay
in
business
long
with
that
kind
of
publicity.
That
is
why
some
outfitters
simply
will
not
book
you (or your friends) again.
Outfitting
is
hard
work
and
the
profit
margin
is
not
that
great.
The
gear,
Forest
Service
licenses,
yea-
round
horse
care
and
equipment
maintenance
is
more
than
a
few
shekels.
Obtaining
and
paying
experienced
seasonal
workers
for
grueling
work
routines
is
not
easy.
So
listen
to
outfitter
preparatory
advice
and
come
prepared,
and
bring
an
understanding
attitude.
Help
as
much
as
possible.
Communicate
clearly.
Take
good
necessary
equipment
in
prime
condition.
Get
in
shape
so
you
will
not
be
a
burden
or
emergency
waiting
to
happen.
Behave
yourself.
The
last
thing
an
outfitter
wants
is
a
tipsy
client
falling
off
his
horse.
Smart Students:
I
chatted
with
a
very
happy,
tickled
pink
outfitter.
He
had
three
University
of
Colorado
students
as
clients.
They
came
with
their
own
food.
If
you
know
Boulder,
Colorado
students
or
have
been
to
one
of
their
tailgate
parties,
you
can
imagine
it
was
not
peanut
butter
and
jelly.
They
had
planned
for
gastronomic
excellence,
bringing
spices,
predinner
hordevors
’devours,
fancy
cheeses
and
pate
and
baked
cakes.
Moreover,
they
had
called
ahead
so
they
had
brought
enough
food
for
the
outfitter
crew.
They
joyously
prepared
the
meals
in
challenges
for
cooking
excellence.
They
almost
immediately
got
a
bull
without
trying
(they
were
in
good
shape
and
attitude).
The
best
reward
was
that
their
conviviality
got
them
a
ten
year
elk
hunting
experience
education
from
the
crew
during
the
next
two
days
of
conversations,
interactions,
and
helping
around
base
camp.
You
do
not
have
to
pay
for
all
education,
but
you
have
to
earn
it.
I
know
those
students
will
go
far
in
life.
And
any
friends
they
refer
to
the
outfitter
will
receive special treatment. It is called networking.
© 2016 -2021 Copyright by P. K. H. Groth, Denver, Colorado, USA All rights reserved -
See contact page for for permission to republish article excerpts.