Dream Hunt

kick them up

kick them up

Active member
I got called into the bosses office this week and was told since she has a schedule conflict that she wont be able to do a hunt and asked if I wanted to take her place.
So it looks like I am going on a 10 day horseback Elk and Muley hunt in the Hell's Canyon region of Idaho with HGO outfitters in mid October.:eek::cheers:

I haven't gotten to Elk hunt in 20 years and I could never afford it with 3 boys in school and a farm payment. It gets better too as it is a work trip and I will be getting paid so the wife isn't as mad:cool:

The outfitter also does wild bird hunt and if I tag out early I may get to do some bird hunting as well.

Now I just have to get in Elk shape:eek: Good thing my new Choc Lab pup comes home next week. She will be my workout buddy!

Kick'em Up!
 
Awesome perk!

Hunting with customers is different than hunting with friends, but it's still much better than regular work. Especially that kind of hunt.
 
matto said:
Awesome perk!

Hunting with customers is different than hunting with friends, but it's still much better than regular work. Especially that kind of hunt.
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Actually hunting with co workers not clients. Apparently we bought the camp for the week.:D

Thanks I hope to post some great pics soon of both the hunt and my new pup!
 
with a little help, you might get to do some "team building"............
that's where you shoot the buck or bull and the other guys field dress it and drag it out for ya! :thumbsup:
 
Kismet said:
1. congratulations.

2. bring leg muscles.

3.Break in your boots before you leave.

4. bring leg muscles.

:thumbsup:
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Doing cardio every other day and then the dreaded stairs at the high school on the off days. Got a set of Danners and breaking them now. I am pretty active and being formerly from CO it isn't the hills that get me it will be the altitude. Going a couple days early to acclimate.
 
I do not know exactly where you will hunt, but in a state with perhaps the toughest, steepest elk country in the world, Hell's Canyon is notorious for being some of the hardest to hunt. Try to be ready, but if you are hunting the breaks of the Snake, you will not be. There are some premium hunts on private land above Hell's Canyon that are pretty easy, but these are VERY exclusive and expensive (probably $10,000 per hunter) and utilize hard to get Landowner permits. "10 day" hunts usually mean a maximum of 7 days actually hunting big game and the chances of doing any bird hunting are pretty slim.
Good outfitters will try to accommodate what the clients want. Many corporate type hunts are mainly focused on a comfortable camp with good accommodations, lots of great food, and a modest amount of serious hunting. However if you politely convey to the outfitter that you are a serious hunter and want to spend your time hunting, not having a good time in camp, he will try to give you what you want if he can. Depending on how many people are in camp and how much help he has in camp, he may or may not be able to do so.
If you are hunting the Canyon, the horseback riding can be pretty intimidating. Have you done much riding?
 
marsingbob said:
I do not know exactly where you will hunt, but in a state with perhaps the toughest, steepest elk country in the world, Hell's Canyon is notorious for being some of the hardest to hunt. Try to be ready, but if you are hunting the breaks of the Snake, you will not be. There are some premium hunts on private land above Hell's Canyon that are pretty easy, but these are VERY exclusive and expensive (probably $10,000 per hunter) and utilize hard to get Landowner permits. "10 day" hunts usually mean a maximum of 7 days actually hunting big game and the chances of doing any bird hunting are pretty slim.
Good outfitters will try to accommodate what the clients want. Many corporate type hunts are mainly focused on a comfortable camp with good accommodations, lots of great food, and a modest amount of serious hunting. However if you politely convey to the outfitter that you are a serious hunter and want to spend your time hunting, not having a good time in camp, he will try to give you what you want if he can. Depending on how many people are in camp and how much help he has in camp, he may or may not be able to do so.
If you are hunting the Canyon, the horseback riding can be pretty intimidating. Have you done much riding?
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No on the riding but I have set up some instruction and saddle time prior. I also have 20 years of tree saddle time which should help I would think. That said, you are spot on that we are hunting for 7 days but we are getting there a couple days prior to help acclimate and staying a couple after as well. We have use the outfitter before and they cater to the hunter so we will hunt as much as possible. I am training 3 days a week on cardio and 3 day on stairs climbing at the football stadium. My biggest question right know is what boots for this hunt??? Need to get on this now to get them broken in well before the hunt. It is pretty intimidating but I am well up for the task.
 
I bought a pair of Meindl boots for my elk hunt, best money I ever spent on boots. They are the most comfortable boots I own. I wear them pheasant hunting and they are stillcomfortable.They are made for the up and downhill hikes so that you don't squish your toes.
 
You probably want boots with fairly stiff soles and heel counters. The country will probably include a lot of sidehill walking on steep slopes. Most of the Hell's Canyon area is not particularly high and some good elk areas can be pretty low. Maybe as high as 7000 feet and as low as 4000 feet. It can be fairly cold (perhaps into the teens at night) or quite warm, depending on the elevation you are hunting. The Meindle or similar boots would work as would about any similar and less expensive boots intended for mountain use. The same boots would also work for Chukar hunting.

One thing that is tough is to get your feet in condition. Sidehilling and steep up and down slopes are harder on your feet that your leg muscles. Steep hills are not what Kansas is known for, but I would try to find something that is steep and walk up, down, and sidehill. Stairs will not do this. Other than being intimidated by steep country I have seen more hunters out of commission by foot problems than anything else.

A lot will depend on the approach your outfitter uses. Some will take you out of camp by horseback each morning, some will expect you to hunt at least part time from camp. The latter approach will require a lot of walking to be successful. Water is not plentiful in much of Hell's Canyon and camps tend to be near the top of the ridges. Elk tend to be on the breaks, often 2 or 3000 feet from the top. Without horses it can be difficult to hunt down to the elk and then back to camp.

This outfitter has what he says is a very large outfitting area and he may tend to hunt the flatter ground on top of the Canyon. If so, the hunting will be easier, particularly if he has private ground without public access.
 
Well, I got back a week ago and I had a lot of catching up to do. My hunt was a back country hunt 10 miles into Hell's Canyon ID via horseback and mules. We stayed in a wall tent and basically got up before light everyday and rode off to different drainages to glass for Elk and muley's. It snowed the evening before out hunt about 2 inches at 5500 ft. The views were spectacular from the ridge tops. It was slow hunting as the temps climbed to the mid fifties on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as I didn't see and elk and just a few Muley does. On Thursday evening about 30 minutes before sunset I saw 3 cows and calf's at 800 yards. There was no Bull in tow that we could see. The Cows and calf's were making their way towards our position slowly. They next stepped out from behind ac lump of trees at 235 yards in the open. Knowing that there had to be a bull somewhere I got myself ready and then in a blink of an eye he stepped out from behind the trees. I settled in and took the shot with my CZ-USA Sonoran .300 Winchester. The shot was good and the bull when down. He was not a monster but a very respectable 5x5 with crazy J hook eye guards. He how is at the taxidermist getting the Euro treatment and I flew home with 4 cooler at 49.5 lbs of elk for my family!

Now I am off to chase Whitetails & Turkeys with my bow out in West KS until the Rooster opener. Then for the 26th year we will walk the fields of Kansas with my CZ Reaper (new model) and my newest dog Josie the Choc lab pup and my Britt Rufus. This my mom britt Ellie will not be attending as she and Ryanne will be staying home with the wife. That's the hardest part.

Be Safe and get out there and Kick'em Up!!!
 
Awesome hunt Kick Them Up. Congratulations.

Good luck on your Western Kansas hunt.
 
Did you see any upland birds? My old college roommate used to like near Hells Canyon in Idaho. When I went to visit hime I saw California Quail , Heard Chuckars and found a Ruffed Grouse feather. Seemed to be a bird area.
 
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