Thorofare Elk hunt/hidden creek outfitters

[pwartist55]

Need some help. I went of an elk hunt with Hidden Creek Outfitters five years ago. I loved the area. The hunt was hard with no results. Saw only one bull.(second Week hunt)The hunt started bad when on the way in my guide was thrown off his horse,broke his face and had to be airlifted out. I ended up hunting with the rangler ,a great guy. Worked his butt off. i got stuck with a hunter(did not know him ) was someone who was sick before he got to Wy and was sick all during the trip. Honestly, he made life miserable. We really got about 2 days of hunting in because of this guy.Hidden Creek apologized but that was it. Bill Perry was nowhere. The rangler (Brett Mckinley) did everything he could to make the hunt a success. Would hunt with him anytime,anywhere. I am not sure about Hidden Creek.
i am thinking about doing it again but need help with Reviews on Hidden Creek Outfitters vs others in the area. Also I hear that hunting has not been good in the thorofare. Love the place though,like no other. Just wonder if I want to go back into it with Hidden creek outfitters as they kind of threw me under the bus.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Sounds like a repeat of my hunt with them in 2011. I would never go with them again. On my hunt (second season) there were only 2 hunters in Teton Camp. The other hunter was archery so we did not hunt together. I only saw one shooter bull about 4oo yards away running up a ridge with no possible shot. Saw wolves and grizzlies. Only saw about 12 to 15 elk the whole trip. My guide kept going to the same area every day....seemed to me a waste of time after a couple of days. The archery guy did not do anything either.

I have a friend who has hunted with Jeff Krueger of Wyoming Expeditions and had a great trip. They use the same trailhead (Deer Creek Pass) and hunt the same area, just not in as far. Their camp is about 8 or so miles shorter.

It is awsome country, but IMHO the wolves are really getting bad. I only saw one deer in 6 days hunting. I have done 25+ wilderness outfitted hunts and don't think I'll ever go back there. Lots of $$$$ for not much. I know you can't expect to be successful every trip, but just didn't see many animals. Just my experience.........

 

[robsev]

Check out Ishoowa Outfitters (they have a website). I haven't hunted with them but I've heard they're very good.

 

[elk_n_esox]

Wow... those are horrible stories! I'd definitely only book with an outfitter that has recent references that can be verified. Obviously it's hunting and not shooting, but if you don't even get to hunt with an actual experienced guide (obviously there was a terrible accident, but you're a paying customer and it wasn't YOUR fault), then I'd think you should have been given the opportunity for a free or drastically reduced hunt the following year. research research RESEARCH

 

[pwartist55]

Thanks for the help. Colorado Cowboy think we have a lot in common. I went on the hunt afer losing the site in my left eye. Had to switch to being a right hander. We must have seen the same Bull- a 7x 7.
the good news is last year i shot an 8x8 420 points. in Utah.
It is too bad Hiddencreek has got such negative reviews. They did nothing to help after the guides accident. Again, the rangler was a terrific guy and worked hard . Being stuck with a sick companion was not right. Never heard a word from Bill Perry. This is the first time I have shared the experience.
I was headed this year to a private ranch area 113 , However,their are no tags for Elk this year in 113. Need to find someone else. After shooting the 8x8 I am now a meat hunter for Elk. Any suggestions ? Age 65, really good shape so have a few rugged hunts left . Was thinking about a Caribou or Even a Bison. I loved the thorofare so much that wanted to go back but not with Hidden creek.

Wow... those are horrible stories! I'd definitely only book with an outfitter that has recent references that can be verified. Obviously it's hunting and not shooting, but if you don't even get to hunt with an actual experienced guide (obviously there was a terrible accident, but you're a paying customer and it wasn't YOUR fault), then I'd think you should have been given the opportunity for a free or drastically reduced hunt the following year. research research RESEARCH

 

[elk_n_esox]

I was headed this year to a private ranch area 113 , However,their are no tags for Elk this year in 113. Need to find someone else. After shooting the 8x8 I am now a meat hunter for Elk. Any suggestions ? Age 65, really good shape so have a few rugged hunts left .

Get yourself a crossbow and hunt elk in wyoming during the archery season. It's probably too much to ask to shoot a conventional bow backwards, but a crossbow!? If you're a WY resident then you have a ton of great opportunities. NON-res still good

 

[pwartist55]

The crossbow really intrigues me. If I could do it over would only be a bow hunter. Bought one for my son(Bow) and tried the switch to right handed. really difficult.
Funny thing thou about switching shooting a gun. I am a much better shot righthanded with one eye then i ever was left handed.
Have really made some good shots. I personally think two eyes can confuse you especially hitting a deer or a pig on the run.
Would love to try the crossbow. I live in California and here we can shoot a pig daily if we want.

 

[chriscsg]

PW I hunted with HC last year out of the HC camp. I was paired with another hunter who I didn't know and was woefully out of shape. The guy was almost literally crying towards the end of the ride in! I was in the second to last hunt but the weather was still really warm. The rut was past and no cold weather to get the elk moving. On top of that crybaby held us up from hunting harder. I learned my lesson about paying a little extra to get a guide to myself. However after my hunt I told Bill Perry I was disappointed that the guide didn't push us hard enough to get to more animals because of crybaby. Bill basically said he wanted to do whatever it takes to make it up to me and make me happy. So I'm going back to hunt with him in 2014. Bill is a standup guy and his guides, cook, wrangler, camp jack, etc. are top notch. Like others I wonder what affect the wolves are having but I'm looking forward to hunting with HC again next year.

 

[deer615]

Sorry to hear that your hunt wasn't what you had hoped. I guided back in the 90's and learned allot about the ourfitting business. There are some great, reputable people in the business but others that are crooks. The outfit I worked for fell under the crooked catagory. I never guided a return hunter and my clients kills double the kills of the other guys put together and I was a 19 year old Iowa boy. The biggest lesson that I learned was to ask for references that did not harvest an animal. Some can have a horible hunt but get lucky on an animal and their whole opinion of the hunt changes. Other outfitters have buddies listed on their reference list. Talking to someone who did not harvest an animal but feels that the outfitter performed and the land was quality (or the oposite), will give you an accurate opinion.

Good luck in your search!

 

[Augerhole]

In response to the opening statement by pwartist55, I was the other hunter who got sick and made his life miserable.

I contacted gerardia before I got to Wyoming and for anyone who suffered though the aliment, it is a debilitating, parasitic infection. How I made life miserable for pwartist55 is beyond me. I was forced to stay in camp three days and he got to hunt one on one with the guide during which time he missed a trophy bull and cow. When I recovered enough to hunt again, even though I was still weak, pwartist55 could not keep up with the guide and myself because of his bad knees. No one in camp appreciated him.

Unfortunately, what he says about the hunting for Hidden Creek Outfitters is true. I had hunted with Hidden Creek in 2003 and our ten member camp had 100% success rate. Then the wolves and bears moved into the area. The year I was sick the hunting was much worse with only three bulls shot in camp.

I went again in 2009 with a friend. The area is magnificent and so remote but the hunting was even worse. I saw five grizzles but only two elk (after shooting time) in the week of hunting. My friend saw a group of elk two miles away and nothing else the rest of the week. We were in prime rut time but I only heard one bugle the whole week. Bill Perry himself took me out one on one to his favorite honeyhole where he said he always shoots elk and we saw and heard nothing.

This is not Bill’s fault but the wolves and bears have tremendously hurt his business. Tough to pay thousands of dollars to see nothing. Better off going for a lot less in the summer just to enjoy the scenery.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

PW However after my hunt I told Bill Perry I was disappointed that the guide didn't push us hard enough to get to more animals because of crybaby. Bill basically said he wanted to do whatever it takes to make it up to me and make me happy. So I'm going back to hunt with him in 2014. Bill is a standup guy and his guides, cook, wrangler, camp jack, etc. are top notch.

I sure didn't have the same experience as you did. After I got home and thought about my hunt with him, I wrote him a long letter explaining my dissatisfaction with the hunt. I waited a couple of months and called him and left a message. I never heard a word out of him. It was like I didn't even exist. I am sure the elk hunting in the past was superb, but today I have my doubts. It is awsome country and was a real adventure. But for the money, I have found a number of other options that will get the job done for me.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

The biggest lesson that I learned was to ask for references that did not harvest an animal. Some Other outfitters have buddies listed on their reference list. Talking to someone who did not harvest an animal but feels that the outfitter performed and the land was quality (or the oposite), will give you an accurate opinion.

One problem with references is that outfitters seem to only put positive reviews on their website. I've asked for references in the past and got a list that had nothing but glowing things to say. You don't often hear about the negative side of it!

There are places on the internet that review outfitters and give what is reported to them....good & bad. One is www.nexthunt.com , it is a pay site (about 30-35 dollars). I subscribed to it. The only problem is that a lot of the outfitters that I tried to get info on were not on their site. Places like this Forum help a lot.

 

[Triple BB]

Whenever I've booked a guided hunt, I ask for references. I also advise I want references from at least three people who didn't fill their tags. If they won't provide that info, hang up and move on...

 

[Rick Richard]

I sure did not have the same experience as the negative comments mentioned. In fact, I hunted twice with Bill Perry last year one on a bow hunt and then a later season rifle hunt. I am also hunting with him again next month (October 2014) on another rifle hunt and have an archery hunt booked for September 2015.

We had a great bow hunt last September which you can read about in the August 2014 edition of Primitive Archery magazine. The article was written by my hunting partner Mike Yancey.

During the rifle hunt, 6 of us took bulls. Four were 6x6, one 7x7 and one 5x5 meaning all hunters tagged out. I saw at leat 150 elk the first day. I did not see any the next days since I tagged out on the first day.

Guides are great and work their butts off to make you successful. Also, the food will be better than most 5 star restaurants.

As you can tell, I am well pleased with Bills' operation and so are most of his clients since most of his clients are repeat customers.

I would definately recommend Hidden Creek Outfitters for a quality hunt!!!!

 

[RamblinRoady05]

I sure didn't have the same experience as you did. After I got home and thought about my hunt with him, I wrote him a long letter explaining my dissatisfaction with the hunt. I waited a couple of months and called him and left a message. I never heard a word out of him. It was like I didn't even exist. I am sure the elk hunting in the past was superb, but today I have my doubts. It is awsome country and was a real adventure. But for the money, I have found a number of other options that will get the job done for me.

Found this thread while doing some research on other guides in the Thorofare and couldn't help but add my own experience with Hidden Creek and Bill Perry. I've been hunting in Wyoming for 30 years with several outfitters and I normally don't take to writing on forums, but last year's experience (2013) left a sour taste. I had the same experience as Colorado Cowboy…exactly. Let me add that I was successful too, so no sour grapes here. So why am I voicing dissatisfaction? The way I measure an outfitter is 1) the country they hunt, 2) the relationship they build with their clients and 3) how they (including the crew) handle adversity or difficult situations. Hidden Creek gets 1 out of 3 - country. Some of the most beautiful, unspoiled land in the USA with a lot of animals, of all sorts. Put Bill on any other plot of land and I doubt he could stay in business. IMHO, he's taking what he has for granted…kind of like he takes his clients for granted. He never bothered to show up at the trailhead to meet/greet us in the beginning. When the hunt was over and we were unpacking horses at the corral, he never bothered to get out of his truck and meet any of his hunters/clients. If I didn't make the effort, I wouldn't know what the man looked like. Not even a "thank you". I even tried to call him a couple of months afterwards to voice constructive feedback and just like Colorado Cowboy…not a peep. I'm not looking for a touchy feely experience, but I do value relationships in business and hunting. On the last point about adversity, the hunting camp lacked leadership, which manifested itself in several unpleasant experiences that clients should not have to witness. And finally, when hunters want to hunt harder than their guide, then something is terribly wrong. I was looking for an experience that would keep me coming back year after year and Bill didn't give a sh!t after he collected my $6K. It's too bad, he could have had much more.

Colorado Cowboy, I'd be interested to learn what other options you found. I'm aware of a few other outfits who guide in the Thorofare, do you have experience with any of them?

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

The only other experience I have to offer in Thorofare is a friend who has been with Jeff Kruger twice and has good experiences both times. I will be 73 next month and don't really think I'll do another hunt that requires this long of a ride into camp. I was 70 when I went and did well. Country unbelievable, but the hunting sucked. The guide just kept pounding the same area for the whole week despite my griping about not seeing any elk.

I have done between 25 & 30 wilderness hunts similar to this one and have loved every minute of them. I was scheduled for one here in Colorado this fall, but had to reschedule to next year because of unsuccessful ankle surgery this spring. I will be having a total ankle replacement the first week in Nov, so next year will be one here in Colorado for M/L elk near Gunnison.

 

[CoWes]

Cowboy, who will you hunt with in Colorado?