Drop camp vs DIY

[zadvorney]

OK, I'll bite. Any recommendations on outfitters in Colorado for this season. I have 10 elk points and have been out six seasons with no elk in the fridge. Five of the six were during archery. I have a good friend that would like to go with me but is not quite as gung-ho as me. A drop camp sounds like a ton of fun. Horse ride, tents and way back in to boot. Just like some have mentioned, choosing a good outfitter is the start that will end well.

 

[windymtnman]

The comment about a drop camp location that is used non-stop throughout the entire range of hunting seasons, is a good, valid point in my opinion. In Colorado, a drop camp might be in use from Labor Day weekend, right through the last rifle season in November. While it may also be true for a fully Outfitted camp, a guided operation is more likely to want to take you to an area they believe might hold some Elk. They want you to succeed, as their repeat business and overall reputation is involved. Not necessarily so for a drop camp. The Outfitter may not even know what all went on in this camp? While it's true that in some locales, an area that hasn't had Elk in it all Fall, could be loaded with them a week later. It's also true that when you arrive in drop camp, you have no idea if there's an Elk within 5 miles of you. I guess I've seen more failures than successes with these camps. Of course it also depends on the skills of the hunters, but the greatest skills in the world can't help when there's just NO Elk around.

 

[hank4elk]

I have had 3 great drop camps.
One was a private parcel surrounded by public I could drive to and hunt out of. Cabin,fuel,hot showers,radio provided.$1200. Next to a wilderness.....and there was a summercamp with cabins nearby too.So it had seen some activity.
I had 100 elk with bugling bulls the 1st evening I got there,and they bedded for the night before the opening of my hunt. Sleep was not an option.lol
Most outfitters I know would rather work with you than screw you. You become the backdoor defense for their camps sometimes.Your success helps them too.
And I get the pack out back up if successful.