MuleyMadness Hunting Forums

Myself and 3 other hunters are doing a drop camp in unit 20A in Idaho this fall. The hunt is during the rut and we can use any weapon. Aftre much research and alot of phone calls this is what I came up with for drop camps-Pros 1. The access to horses to pack in and out and pack out whatever game you get on the ground is worth the price of the drop camp alone. Knowing that if you shoot that bull 3 ridges over. you can have a horse pack it out makes it much easier to pull the trigger and saves lots of valuable hunting time. 2. You only pack in your personal gear and food and drinks. 3 Value. Our drop camp cost about 1/3 of a 1 on 1 guided hunt. Cons 1- You need to be disciplined. Getting up at 9 am to start hunting wont cut it. 2 Phyisical condition. I know this is old news but I received a severe wake up call 2 years ago on a drop camp in Colorado. Thought 20-30 min. a day on the stair master was good enough. Wrong. you better be able to run 2 miles in 20 minutes MINIMUM. 3 You must have an understanding of elk because there is no guide to do your thinking for you. Habitat, patterns, calls, etc. All in all the Drop Camp is a good thing for some hunters (us) but not all.-- John in Ca.

Drop camps, they don't put you in the area that there
guides hunt, because the elk are not in that area.

Thats a pretty wide brush--- we were quite successful on our last drop camp. 2 bulls and 2 bucks. Maybe there is game in those areas--- you just dont have a guide to show you where. Hunting from dawn to dusk is a must in a drop camp---------- John

This thread makes me glad I only have to drive a short distance out of town and be into the Elk
Good luck with the hunt John, looking forward to seeing some pics