Best of the West Outfitters

"Had a great hunt with Kacy and the crew of Best of the West Outfitters. 7 elk hunters in camp and everyone was successful., even with the first 2 days of snow and rain. Got to share this with my son, grandson and a good friend."

"The thing I learned from this trip about bucket list items is that most people wait too long. That was almost the case with me. We woke the first morning of the hunt to a fresh snow of 8-10". The morning hunt was interesting as it continued to snow most of the morning, cutting visibility. We didn't see much of elk the first morning but saw at least 50 mule deer, including four bucks, two worth another look. The rest of the day was uneventful, other than the mule rides in steep terrain with lots of snow. The second morning we ran into different groups of elk on the way to our intended hunting area. For one reason or another we were unable to get on them so continued on to our predetermined designation. We turned off the common trail which leads to several different hunting areas, some short (30-60 min) rides, other areas 3-4 hours away. We then followed a seldom used trail marked only by the blaze markings on trees recently put there by our guide, Isaac Jones. We continued to climb until we reached about 9200 ft where we dismounted and tied the mules up. We then proceeded up another 600-700 feet in deep, fresh snow to our vantage point. This is when I questioned my sanity for doing this trip. That 600-700 ft up to close to 10,000 feet just about killed my 71 yr old body. I am so glad I kept going, with Isaac's encouragement, as the view was spectacular. I have been to Jackson Hole three previous times and on none of those trips was I able to view the Tetons due to weather but there they were, off in the distance (about 60 miles or so), clear as day. Isaac left my hunting partner and I so he could gain additional altitude. He left us at a good vantage point where we were set up for a long sit. We were positioned to overlook one meadow with another off to our left. There was a line of trees that came down on our left blocking another meadow on the other side. Isaac's additional altitude allowed him to see a bull elk with his herd of cows. After the bull put his cows to bed, Isaac was able to entice him in our direction with his mouth call. From our vantage point we could not see what was going on. My partner had stated that if it wasn't so cold he could take a nap. The next thing I know is I hear him snoring. Due to the snoring I did not hear Isaac's calling (perhaps my continued heavy breathing and pounding heart had something to do with it as well). The next thing I know is there is this bull coming thru the valley in our direction. I shook my partner awake and came him first opportunity which he declined. I checked the bull in the scope and at first thought he was a 5-pointer but he had good front tine length so I chose to take the shot. I actually thought the rack was smaller than what I had hoped for. When I got up to him I realized his antlers looked small from the distance (about 120-150 yds) because his body was huge. His T-2 on the right side is over 18" long. The first shot from the Browning X-Bolt .300 PRC topped with a Vortex Razor 3x16x40 took out his heart and he dropped on the spot. When I booked the hunt with Best of West Outfitters I believed it would be the ultimate western big game hunt: horse/mule back ride into the wilderness, staying in a base camp with wall tents. It was that and so much more. Isaac was an excellent guide; the camp cook, Lana, kept us fueled; the mules were mules; Kacy and Tori worked very hard to ensure their hunters are taken care of. The first two group of hunters in our camp were 100% and the group before us had 9 out of 10 score with the 10th having had an opportunity. There were 6 hunters in our group, the last in this camp for elk season. All 6 hunters scored with 4 of the 6 taking 6x6s, 3 of these were within 10 pts of each based on SCI scoring; and a 5x5. I'm already talking to them about coming back as I have the points for a mule deer. Who knows, I may live long enough, to actually hunt moose with them too."

"Thank you Kacy and Tori for a great wilderness adventure. The camp jacks, wranglers and cook were top-notch. Also, the horses and mules were a joy to ride and half the fun. Of course having a nice bull elk in my freezer is the best. Cheers, Pete"

"We just did the drive in hunt and had a great week. The equipment, people, and food were all top notch."

"Thank you for a great hunt Best of the West Outfitters! Kacy and his dad were very hospitable and fun. They easily located two different bands of sheep within hours. I was able to pick one and Kacy was able to calm my nerves before my shot. It was the hunt of a lifetime, so rewarding. They made every effort to make the camp comfortable and safe. I feel like we got everything expected and more from this guided hunt. I would even like to go back again and be one of the camp hands. Thanks again, Tom Clark"