wyoming deer outfitters-9 pts

bodhi · Dec 7, 2021

Looking for suggestions for a mule deer outfitter. I have 7 pts now but will have 9 by the time this comes to fruition. Not really keen on G or the high country (I suffer from altitude sickness) so considering other units. I also dont want to fight resident hunters on public (did that this year in CO on a tag that took me a decade to draw) so I'm willing to pay the piper to get on managed/private land.
Any first hand suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

B

highfastflyer · Dec 7, 2021

You might want to look at the Powder River country as it’s not high elevation and mostly private. There are a handful of large outfitters with large ranches leased up, all private. This one is worth a look. https://www.rawhidecreekranch.com/mule-deer-photos

bodhi · Dec 13, 2021

SS! said:
Cheatgrass outfitters out of Colorado. They know Wyoming better than anyone!

Do you have any contact for these guys?

RookieWYhntr · Dec 13, 2021

Dang. $8300 for a mule deer hunt. And that is for 4 days.

mta5672 · Dec 13, 2021

Call 4 horse outfitters. One of the best managed properties in the state.

elks96 · Dec 14, 2021

Rough Country Outfitters.... My Pastor at Church works for them in the fall. He would not be part of a sketchy organization and I think they hunt some units that take 7-9 points.

Rough Country Outfitters, Wyoming big game hunts

After hundreds of successful hunts and many thousands of hours spent in the field, our knowledge of Wyoming's big game and the outfitting business is unsurpassed in the industry.

www.roughcountryoutfitters.com

bodhi · Dec 16, 2021

4 horse looks pretty sweet. They shoot some dandy’s but they are $7500. Pricey as well. Did you hunt with them?

mta5672 · Dec 16, 2021

I'm one of the guides.

lhrbull · Dec 17, 2021

big horn outfitters in buffalo outstanding origanazion

WVHUNTER · Dec 18, 2021

I think all of the Outfitters mentioned so far are probably reputable outfitters. Prices seem to be $6,000 to over $8,000. I looked at their photo pages ( and it's difficult to judge a deer by one photo) but some of the deer are 170 to 180 deer but some of them are 150 to 160. If I paid $8,000 for a mule deer hunt and the biggest deer I saw was a 150 I would be pretty disappointed to say it mildly.

I know you are asking where can you get a benefit for the points you have been buying for 9 years. But if you don't hunt Region G, I don't know where that is, if it exists at all. Most of these Central to Eastern private ranches take 0 to 2 points to draw.

You said you were concerned about altitude sickness in G but I've never heard of it being a problem there. Many of the outfitters camps are near the river road, about 6,000 ft, and they trailer horses to a new trail head each day. So you aren't at high elevation much of the day. But these hunts can be $6,000 to $8,000 also.

So why are these hunts so darned expensive? My guess is that the private ranch hunts are expensive because they are an easy draw. Since anyone can get a tag pretty easy there is a lot of demand for the hunts. The Region G hunts are expensive because that's where the big bucks are.

I will throw out the name of Triple Creek Hunts, he posts on MM as ICMDEER. Private ranches Southeast, WY.

Only other advise is to book early, Big Horn Outfitters Web site said they were booked through 2024. Triple Creek Hunts has a lot of repeat hunters and they are usually booked a year or two in advance.

bodhi · Dec 18, 2021

thanks for the insight. appreciate all the responses.

B

ICMDEER · Dec 23, 2021

Thanks for the referral WV. Our deer hunts are full till I die. I've had the same people coming for about 20 years. Started with dads, then sons and am now taking some of the grandsons. I doubt I will live long enough to take new deer hunters.

The prices are high because the leases are expensive , as are the license, insurance and other costs. And to maintain quality, you have to stay disciplined and not over harvest the resource.

I probably turned down 100 deer hunters last year. I always try help fellow hunters, but I am out of ideas. Quality mule deer are a scarce commodity and they are becoming even more difficult to find.

And from what I know, 9 points is no man's land. Not enough to draw the very best areas and too many to waste on the private ranch hunts here in eastern WY.

Sorry I am not better help and best of luck in your quest.

Merry Christmas to all.

WiscoKid · Dec 24, 2021

ICMDEER said:
Thanks for the referral WV. Our deer hunts are full till I die. I've had the same people coming for about 20 years. Started with dads, then sons and am now taking some of the grandsons. I doubt I will live long enough to take new deer hunters.

The prices are high because the leases are expensive , as are the license, insurance and other costs. And to maintain quality, you have to stay disciplined and not over harvest the resource.

I probably turned down 100 deer hunters last year. I always try help fellow hunters, but I am out of ideas. Quality mule deer are a scarce commodity and they are becoming even more difficult to find.

And from what I know, 9 points is no man's land. Not enough to draw the very best areas and too many to waste on the private ranch hunts here in eastern WY.

Sorry I am not better help and best of luck in your quest.

Merry Christmas to all.

Maybe the most thoughtful response I have seen on this site in quite a while. Merry Christmas to you as well. My other question...if 9 is no man's land, and a guy wants to harvest a 170-180"+ buck with either a bow or a rifle and isn't afraid of a gnarly 10 day hunt...does it make sense to hold out for region G or is a guy better off hunting H two times for what it takes to draw G. And does paying a guy like Founder to do some scouting make the most sense? I find myself in this scenario, so any and all opinions are welcome

ICMDEER · Dec 24, 2021

G and H are hard to understand unless you have been there and personally hunted them. It is big, rugged country. Hard to hunt and hard to kill a big buck there. The steep, rugged nature will take the heart out of many hunters. Many people that go there are physically spent by the second or third day. It's just not something you can prepare for unless you have lived it.

I would not recommend it as an archery area for hardly anyone.

Couple the tough terrain with an abundance of hunters, many of whom are skilled and prepared, and you have a recipe that usually results in a low percentage of success for inexperienced hunters. Heck, big bucks are hard to come by for the best hunters.

Scouting as beneficial. But even if you know a big buck is in the neighborhood, he will still be hard to locate and kill when the season arrives. The presence of the rush of people when the season opens usually pushes the bucks into cover and makes them more nocturnal.

I still think it is the hunt of a lifetime because of the country and the majesty of the experience. If you go into it with the mindset of seeing great country and having a tremendous adventure, you'll have a great time. If your goal is to kill a buck with a certain score, odds are you'll be disappointed.

Togwotee · Dec 27, 2021

If you're going to spend 8k on a deer hunt I wouldn't do it in WY.

WVHUNTER · Jan 4, 2022

If you're going to spend $8k on a mule deer hunt where would you spend it?

Cahunter805 · Jan 4, 2022

WVHUNTER said:
If you're going to spend $8k on a mule deer hunt where would you spend it?

Mexico or Colorado

upmuley · Jan 4, 2022

$8k won't get it done in Mexico. The good outfitters start at $10K. Alberta the same. I think $8000 for a 4 day Wyoming deer hunt is crazy but people are paying it.

mta5672 · Jan 4, 2022

upmuley said:
$8k won't get it done in Mexico. The good outfitters start at $10K. Alberta the same. I think $8000 for a 4 day Wyoming deer hunt is crazy but people are paying it.

And killing big deer. I think most of these private land hunts are more of a gentlemans hunt. Meaning, back at a comfy lodge every night, really good meals 3x a day, etc. That is the reason for some of the added cost. I cant speak for all of them, but where we hunt you could shoot a 180+ buck at any moment and a real shot at a 200in buck. We kill them almost every year.

jm77 · Jan 4, 2022

mta5672 said:
I cant speak for all of them, but where we hunt you could shoot a 180+ buck at any moment and a real shot at a 200in buck. We kill them almost every year.

You guys do a great job managing mule deer, kill some big deer and I have seen your photo galleries. Tell us how many bucks your hunters kill and how many of those are over 180, 190 or 200?

mta5672 · Jan 4, 2022

I dont know exact numbers, and Im not aware of anybody even keeping track officially. MY phone is full of deer north of 170 and 3 bucks north of 200, all within the last 6 years. Lat year was an exception, hot and dry made for tough hunting. I think only 2 bucks were killed that were 180 or better.

bodhi · Jan 5, 2022

There's a price to pay for getting on private land now. after what i experienced on public land in CO, I'll pay to play. But 8k is a lot for a deer hunt. Unfortunately, there's no shortage of rich guys willing to pay it and the price just keeps going up and up. if I'm paying 8k, I'll pay a little more and go to the plains of CO though.

ICMDEER · Jan 5, 2022

Careful with the Eastern Plains of CO. There are many folks who return unsuccessful from those hunts. It is by no means a slam dunk. I went this year and it was one of the worst hunts of my life. Never saw a decent buck and never even saw a single deer where I had permission to hunt. And I bought a voucher with several thousand acres of access included.

I went two years ago and saw a couple of studs, but it was an archery hunt and I did not get the job done. I've been to the Eastern plains of CO 5 times and still don't have a giant on the wall as a result. I've killed two bucks and they are good, but not great.

30Hart · Jan 5, 2022

ICMDEER said:
Careful with the Eastern Plains of CO. There are many folks who return unsuccessful from those hunts. It is by no means a slam dunk. I went this year and it was one of the worst hunts of my life. Never saw a decent buck and never even saw a single deer where I had permission to hunt. And I bought a voucher with several thousand acres of access included.

I went two years ago and saw a couple of studs, but it was an archery hunt and I did not get the job done. I've been to the Eastern plains of CO 5 times and still don't have a giant on the wall as a result. I've killed two bucks and they are good, but not great.

Very good advice. I've heard it's the wild west out there and extremely expensive for the top end bucks with the outfitters that have the acreage. I looked at it hard, but I'm passing...just too pricey and too much risk for the price. No bargains on the Eastern plains of colorado for quality deer.

upmuley · Jan 6, 2022

mta5672 said:
And killing big deer. I think most of these private land hunts are more of a gentlemans hunt. Meaning, back at a comfy lodge every night, really good meals 3x a day, etc. That is the reason for some of the added cost. I cant speak for all of them, but where we hunt you could shoot a 180+ buck at any moment and a real shot at a 200in buck. We kill them almost every year.

With that kind of quality it sounds like a good deal. I assumed these were gentleman's hunts but more for 150-170 quality bucks. I stand corrected sir

.

WVHUNTER · Jan 12, 2022

Some good comments on the $8,000 deer hunts.
So some of the options are:

Colorado Eastern plains, $8k and up if you draw the tag. LO tags probably $2k. Maybe not that successful on the lower end of price range.

Alberta, $8k and up. Some of the $8k outfitters seem to do pretty well.

Mexico, $8k and up. Apparently some of those do pretty well.

Wyoming Region G, they still kill big bucks in G.

Utah CWMU, I don’t think you can get on those for $8k.

Colorado mountain units. Maybe, if you find the right place. But if you need a LO tag it’s going to put a lot of those hunts over $8k. I have hunted Unit 40 and there were some 180 bucks killed but not everyone killed one that big. PLO tag and hunt less than $8k but hard to get in with an outfitter because repeat hunters keep them booked up.

Of course we are talking about hunts it doesn’t take 20 years to draw the tag.

WVHUNTER · Jan 12, 2022

If you went on an $8k trophy mule deer hunt what would your expectations be?

Mikes Outfitting that advertises on this site had 15 hunters and 10 of them killed +180 deer with 2 going over 200. I think that’s an $8,500 hunt.

I think that’s a reasonable expectation. It’s still hunting, it isn’t guaranteed.

30Hart · Jan 12, 2022

WVHUNTER said:
If you went on an $8k trophy mule deer hunt what would your expectations be?

Mikes Outfitting that advertises on this site had 15 hunters and 10 of them killed +180 deer with 2 going over 200. I think that’s an $8,500 hunt.

I think that’s a reasonable expectation. It’s still hunting, it isn’t guaranteed.

If you look at his website that was an above average year. Maybe only 4 in a regular year are 180+. His bucks look really good and I'm sure worth every penny but you can't realistically go into this type of hunt and be one and done...it happens but the better strategy is you have to commit to multiple years with an outfitter. May take 1, 2 or 3 years but you'll get it done. Same for Mexico its no slam dunk anywhere in North America of mule deer over 180 for a non draw tag.

WVHUNTER · Jan 12, 2022

I agree with you 30Hart, none of these hunts are guaranteed even with the high price.

Comanche Wilderness Outfitters, Eastern plains, says they kill 24 180 plus bucks per year. But they are booked four years out and cost a lot more than $8,000 and probably have some bad years.

At this point in my life I don’t think I want to spend $30k for a mule deer.

I know a guy that likes to bow hunt elk. He kept going back to New Mexico buying landowner tags. Took him four years to kill one, I think he had $50k in that one elk.

Ivo · Jan 23, 2022

mta5672 said:
I'm one of the guides.

I was referred by Rod Pacheski and spoke to Fonzy today about booking a mule deer hunt with your outfit. You guys are booked out for 2022 season. But iam going to book for 23 season. I can't wait to hunt with you guys I looked at the pictures. Youguys have some really nice animals on your ranches. ?