Looking for hunting outfitter recs

If you are looking for a Once In a Lifetime Elk hunt, then probably the top of the line is Rob Arnaud. (Arnaud Outfitters, Montana Hunting Company). He manages all of Ted Turner's ranches, and a few other large, well maintained places.

I paid $8500 to take my father on an elk bowhunt to a 34,000 acre ranch that took less than 12 elk a year. We saw literally hundreds of elk and 30-50 bulls a day. You will kill an elk. If you want them to bugle one up so you can shoot it with your bow at 15 steps, they will do it for you. And if you want to kill one with a rifle, out of the truck, wearing your pajamas, then that's no problem either.

My suggestion would be to pick whatever is the cheapest hunt he has. It just means the bulls will be smaller. But the service and experience will be first class.

Also, there's usually a waiting list of at least a year or two, sometimes three or four. Some of his better ranches, spots don't open up because the same people book every year.

To get in on short notice (less than two years) you might have to hunt a new ranch that he has recently acquired and doesn't yet have a backlog.

Changing the subject to whitetails:

For high percentage shot at a 160" whitetail, you want to go to Kansas. Look in the Dodge City area of western Kansas. I won't name names on this one, but there are two or three big, good outfitters out there.

Kansas has an early muzzleloader season. (last two weeks of Sept). The bucks are still in bachelor groups and going to alfalfa fields every afternoon.

A few pieces of advice:

1) purchase or borrow an "ulitmate muzzleloader" that is good out to 300 yds. Be sure the guide knows you have this weapon

2) Go the second week of the season. The first week, lots of hunters will see bucks passing their stands out of muzzleloader range. This is big, wide open country. This is by design. The outfitter will "tour" some hunters the first week: put them on stands where they will see huge bucks. But they will be out of conventional muzzleloader range. These hunters are actually scouting for hunters later in the season who will do the real killing. That's just the ugly truth.

3) The hunt is about $4500. Pay that $4500 in advance, in full, as soon as you book. He will remember that. Then, when you arrive, discreetly hand the outfitter an envelope with $1000 cash. It makes a difference. He will most likely build you a ground blind set to intercept a deer spotted from a stand during the first week.

Good luck!