What Would This DREAM HUNT Cost??

[Nala]

Hey all,

My all time DREAM BOW HUNT is to go on a guided Elk hunt on Horseback.  Because of a permanent back condition I can't walk very far and hill are especially troublesome.  I don't know if I would ever be able to do an Elk hunt, but if I did I would want to do one on horseback.  My dream hunt involves going to the base camp in the picturesque west on a horse and then each morning mounting up and going after the elk.  Of course it would last about 10 days or so and would end with me putting an arrow in an elk, any Elk.  I wouldn't care if it was a cow or Bull.

What would something like that cost?  Are there outfitters that have horseback hunts like this?  I know they have horses to TAKE you to camp and haul you out, but I don't think I have ever read about one where you ride a horse each day to the Elk.

Anyone know?

Thanks for the info.

Nalajr

[Michigan Mark]

Before you consider cost, Can your back condition handle the horse ride in? Do not want to burst dreams but you would not want to be laid up when you get there. Lots of luck and healing to you.

[wooddamon1]

I've always hunted DIY,but I'm sure there is a wide range in costs among outfitters.One way to go may be a drop camp with rented horses left with you and a buddy or two for a few hundred bucks each.I'm sure others with more knowledge will jump in here with accurate info...good luck!

[Elk whisperer]

for me 10 days 6500

[PAPA BEAR]

riding a horse is very hard on your back,not a hunt i would do if my back gave me that much trouble.you most likely would end up lying in camp most of the trip if your back is that bad.i dont know how hard it would be just to find an outfitter that would take you in on horseback knowing of your condition.just a thought.

[Greg Dearth]

I know of an outfitter that could give you such a hunt. I have hunted his drop camps twice, but he does have guided horse back hunts. You may want to give Larry a call at Winterhawk Outfitters. He operates in Colorado. His # is 970-487-3011.

[overbo]

Elk whisperer,Is that in the Gila w/ a bull tag?

[Shawn Leonard]

Nala, the cost would be too great on your poor back!! Maybe an easy ride in and than easy around on foot wood be a better way to go. I have a bud that does a hunt every year in colorado and including driving from NY to get there 6 guys, 2 vehicles, no horses unless they shoot an Elk way back in(they than pay a local guy to help pack out)license, food,fuel the whole sha-bang they do for under $1500 for 10 ten days. With gas prices what they are, 5 years ago around $11-1200. Shawn

[Steve Clandinin]

Nala,I did a horseback hunt.....ONCE,My first time and last time.Unless your doing it constantly look out!.Last year my son Quaded me to base camp in EASY country and we foot hunted right from the tent,far easier ,TRUST US !LOL

[tjfish]

I don't know what it would cost, but I saw a hunt that Jim Zumbo hosted and he had an injured soldier that couldn't get around very well. They had a mule for him and a guide that took him out everyday up the mountain for the hunt. Might be something to look into on his website. Hope it helps.
Tim

[Bjorn]

So far I have spent the cost of a hunt on riding lessons alone! LOL!
And I am having a blast!

[Nala]

Hey,

That's what I am talking about with the mules.

Here is my condition.  I have Ankylosing Spondylitis.  It is a disease the usually occurse in men in their late 20's and gets progressively worse over the years.  There is no known cause or what to stop it, you can try like heck to slow it down though.  This disease works its way through your spinal column and hip and the bones will gradually FUSE together.  Some people are lucky and get it in their hips and they can have those replaces.  I wasn't so lucky.  My disease has progressed through my entire spine and now ALL but 1 vertebra is fused solid to the one on either side of it.

In High School I was about 6'2" tall, at my last months doctors visit I was measured out at 5'9".  That's quite a loss in 20 years.  Eventually I will be like those little old men that you see hobbling down the street with a hump in their upper back.  Some cases get so bad that the person who has it has to look through his legs and walk backwards to get where he wants to go.

So there it is.  I have never told anyone online my medical condition before.  That's the reason I can't walk very far and hills would be very tough on me.  It just seemed like riding a horse each day would be the best and most painless way to be able to hunt.  I don't think I could do a traditional walking hunt, I really don't.  The medications I take each day to even keep me functioning also do lots of damage to my body.  I have taken so many medicines in the past 10 years when it really started getting bad that they have all built up and are destroying my teeth.  I need so much dental work now that I have no idea how I am ever going to pay for it.  This disease has taken my molars on the bottom right rear, the top left and now my eye tooth is cracked in half as well as the tooth to the right of my big tooth in front.  And by the way, I need a couple of root canals.  I have no way of even hoping to be able to pay for that restorative work.  I don't know if I'll be able to or not.  I'll probably end up sitting here and waiting for them to all crack off at the gum as the previous ones did and then they'll fall out.

To illustrate how severe my neck and spine is, when I want to see the moon or the stars I have to bring a mirror outside to look at their reflection.  I can't look up, my neck vertebrae are fused as is my whole spine.  That's what inhibits my walking great distances.  My doctor tells me that they call spines like mine, BAMBOO, because my vertebrae fused together look like a stick of Bamboo.

I guess I said too much.  When I think about it, seriously evaluate the possibility of going on an Elk hunt I really don't think I'd ever be able to pull something like that off no matter what provisions were made for me.  Even if I could do the hunt, I would have to spend them money trying to salvage what teeth I have left to be able to eat like a normal person again after over a year of having to make sure everything I eat is sorta soft and mushy when it comes to the plate.

Oh well, GOD gave me a brain and an imagination and that's what I am going to use on my Elk Hunts.  I can just dream it.  I'll hunt vicariously through you fellers.

Sorry to spring all this on you all, but I wanted you to know what you were dealing with in recommending hunts for me.

Thank you kindly for your time and help.  I appreciate it greatly.  It means a lot to me.

Nalajr

[Gatekeeper]

$5000 for a week of hunting plus transportation, tags, guide tip etc, but a guide with horses doesn’t mean you will be hunting from horseback. It only means you will use the horse to get you from the trailhead to deeper parts in the forest and from camp to higher elevations faster. At some point you have to get off the horse and start moving into the thick cover and rough country to look for and chase elk.

I’m not trying to discourage you, but the horse is only a means of limited transportation. They are only worth a darn on groomed trails and even then they are a pain in the butt.

Good luck with your quest!  

[Greg Dearth]

Nala jr, Don't ever stop dreaming, that may or may not be all you have to hope for but never ever give up on your dreams, it will keep you going from day to day. I know of another guided private ranch hunt that you may be able to enjoy. This is a 10,000 acre ranch that is loaded full of Elk. The owner only has guided hunts. A few years ago myself and 3 friends hunted this ranch. In 5 days of hunting we each had two shots and brought home 3 bulls. He has several roads through out his ranch. This would let you get into the Elk each day with out having to walk much at all. Three of us are going again this September, my one buddy has back trouble too and we are hoping to get him an Elk. I know this is not a hours back hunt but it might be another option to think about. Send me a private message and I will give you more info. if you would like. Remember don't ever give up on your dreams....Greg

[twitchstick]

Nala I have a friend in same condition as you but he turned to drugs instead of dreaming like you. That being said I think you could find an outfitter that could accomodated you. It maybe tough and you might be doing it a little slower than most. You may want to contact some of the charity hunting programs for outfitters that specalize in or have worked with the challange hunters. Some of the horse therapy programs my have ideas of special saddles and stuff that my make riding easier on you. I think if you can still pull your bow back and can stay in the saddle a mile at a time it could be done. Elk hunting does not need to be as physical as some claim. A horse trip into wallow I think could be done easier than you think. Price wise I think it could range from $3000 to $12,000 depending on who,what,when and where. Good luck on your dream hunt.

[Elk whisperer]

6500 + tag .ridding a horse is not bad on your back, getting on and off might be. had a back injury and was more comfortable on a horse

[Missouri Sherpa]

Nala,

I have a sense of what you want to do and a good understanding of your condition. I am a Physician and also own an outfitting business in Wyoming.  I am overweight, in marginal condition, have a bad back that looks like and 80 year old man's on radiograph and I still find a way to hunt elk. Nothing is impossible. I can understand the desire to hunt, the desire to be in the elk's domain miles from anywhere.  That keeps me going year after year.  You need to do a little self assessment to determine if you can even do this.  There should be some riding arena or horse boarding place in your community where you can get some time in on a horse.  I figure you would need to be able to ride a couple of hours a day to hunt where I hunt, an hours ride from camp and an hours ride back.  Our base camp is a little over an hour ride from the the trailhead.  The terrain where we hunt is not so steep you can't ride it and if you can get on a horse we can get you to some elk hunting.  A lot of the people we take hunting are good for about 3 days.  After three days of 10-20 miles in the saddle they end up hunting closer to camp. Try getting in 2 hours of riding a day for three days.  If you are still able to saddle up for the 4th day you can probably withstand the rigors of an elk hunt in our camp.  I killed my bull from the meadow next to camp this year, recovered the animal less than a quartermile from camp.  I take a bull elk about every other year hunting with a longbow. If you have been around Tradgang for a while you may remember some of the hunts I have posted here over the years.  I can put you in spitting distance of some elk if your body is up to it.  You may or may not get an arrow into him but you will remember the event for as long as you live.
We have three different areas where we have had forest fires over the past decade and the grass is belly deep to a tall horse.  The elk hammer these burns at night and then head for the dark timber to bed for the day.  We work on ambushing them in this transition area in the mornings and evenings.  We will sit wallows in proximity to the bedding areas during the day.  These areas are anywhere from a half mile to several miles from camp.  You could walk to the closest area just below camp.  We use both mules and horses.  I prefer the ride of a good mule but have to ride everything at some time or another.

I am a sponsor here.  Check out our website    www.mulecreekoutfitting.com    If you are still interested give me a pm or email to visit.  Our elk hunts are $3600.00 for a 7 day hunt.  That means a day to pack in, a day to pack out and 5 full days of hunting.  We could add a few days if you need them.  You will need to get a preference point to draw a tag in Wyoming.  Get going and find out if you can withstand the riding component, get a preference point if you can and then do it.  Good luck.

[Bowmania]

In '98 my brother and another hunting buddy when to Alberta Canada for a horseback elk hunt.  It involved riding out every AM on the horses.  I'd call it a heavy duty horseback hunt.  Saddle sores are not fun.  I'd advise some practice riding to avoid them.  We paid the outfitter 3600 each.  Was well worth it aside from some bear trouble.  The country was beautiful and we saw a lot of game.

Bowmania

[Nala]

Thank you all very much for your insights and help, I appreciate it.

The reason I insisted on riding horses all the time during the hunt is because that is the type of hunt I have always dreamed about going on.  You know...getting into camp after a long drive and sit down for rest and a meal to talk about the upcoming adventure we are all about to have and get to bed early.  Then the next day starts with all of us mounting up on our horses to get after the elk.  That is just part of this dream fantasy hunt I have in my mind and have thought of for a number of years.  Kinda like a kid dreaming one day he can throw a ball with Pete Rose.

I have no idea how much pain riding a horse for hours a day for several days a week would cause.  I defer to you all for that one.

I will keep the fantasy/dream alive until I know it is unfeasible or my body won't take it.  Then I'll do what the guide tells me.  I just don't think I would ever be able to scramble up and over those high and rolling mountains that elk like to hang out in.

That MuleCreek Outfitting does look pretty darn good and affordable too.  Being a Doctor he knows what I am talking about and would be suffering through on one of his hunts.

Well it would more than likely be in 2012 cause I have lotsa medical procedures that I have to get taken care of before I think about doing something like that.  I don't even know where I'm going to get the money to save what teeth I have left.  None of the dentists around here are willing to help and now I am seriously thinking going to Mexico to get the work done.  If anyone has done or has looking into it, or better yet, KNOWS about it, I would love to hear from you.  My options are getting pretty darn thin at this point and I don't have long to make a decision.  I have been praying each night that the LORD guides me to the places he wants me to be and helps me find the doors he has set for me, but I never seem to find them.  If I could just find a Godly dentist that understands what I am going through and what I need and would be willing to help me to keep me from letting the Beaners Fix my teeth, it would be such a blessing and it would answer LOTSA prayers from me and my family.  You have no idea what something like that would mean.

So I get that taken care of and I'm raring to go for Elk with the Doc.

Thank you kindly everyone for your help and suggestions.  It's really helping me a lot.

Nalajr