Ryan and Faylene Merritt welcome you to Star Valley Wyoming as owners and operators of Smokey Canyon Outfitters.
Classic Archery Elk Hunting
Usually you will be hunting the “run and gun” style where you will be covering country and calling to bulls, but they also use ambush style hunting as the country can be fairly open. Because of pre-scouting they can often set up on predictable movement of the elk. If the rut turns off or it gets hot, they also use tree stands over wallows to increase your odds.
Access into the hunting area for this Idaho archery elk hunting Outfitter is by horseback. It is a full on pack-in hunt where you and your party go in deep and stay in for the duration.
A typical hunt day starts around 4 am with breakfast while guides catch and saddle horses. With a short 45 min to 1 hour horse ride, you will arrive in the hunting area just before daylight to start putting out some bugles to locate the bull we want to go after. They utilize horses as much as possible but will have some hiking to do along the way.
This terrain has some difficult areas, but is relatively mild by Rocky Mountain Standards. The better shape you are in the better the more you will enjoy archery elk hunting.
You will take your lunches with you so we can spend all day on the mountain chasing elk. If temps get to warm and you can’t get elk to respond, they have some great water holes with tree stands to hunt through the heat of the day. If a hunter would rather, you can also get a nap under a tree and wait for the bulls to fire up again.
After the evening hunt, return back to camp to a great home cooked meal and enjoy some stories around the camp fire.
- Opportunity rates for our hunters on this hunt are at close to 90%, which is amazing.
- Average bulls will be in the 260-330 in range with bulls north of 300 harvested
- Over the counter tags
- This is a “run and gun” calling, spot and stalk hunt
- 5 day 2×1 hunt (1×1 available for an additional fee)
- You should consider combining your elk hunt with mule deer. The mule deer hunting in this area can be very good as well. We suggest you purchase a mule deer tag, just in case. This can be a combo elk/mule deer hunt.
4 Reviews on “Smokey Canyon Outfitters”
I came to realize I wouldn’t change anything about this trip, other than bringing home the big 5 by 5; The wolves had driven most of the elk to other areas, so I never felt the guides had let us down. I suffered more mentally and physically than I ever have, yet found that I could accomplish much more than I ever thought possible. I rode a horse where many could not, traveled terrain some would find impossible, and most importantly made several great friendships. I learned that I could overcome great obstacles and continue on, and that discovery, that confidence in yourself is priceless. Though I could have easily taken that nice elk and muley with a gun, I felt no disappointment for my choice of weapon. It seems I don’t want to just take an elk, I want to take an elk with my bow. Maybe next time.
Had a awesome hunt, both had chances at elk. The horse riding was a little too much every day. The weather was also a little too warm.
The guides are committed to making it enjoyable elk hunt.
A long tough week that was very challenging yet very rewarding. I could not have scripted the trio any better. The Outfitter is very organized and knowledgeable. I highly recommend them for any type of hunt they offer.