How the elk draw works, and how to apply before April 7
Units, hunt codes and preference points, explained in five minutes (sample).
Licensed outfitter for Units 214, 215, 312 and 316 (sample)
Guided elk, deer and bird hunts in the Halvorsen Range
Five-day hunts from a horse camp at 8,900 feet, one guide for every two hunters at most, and help with your license from the draw to the trailhead.
Unit 214
High basins
8,600–10,800 ft
Elk, archery and rifle
Unit 215
Dark timber
7,800–9,900 ft
Elk and mule deer
Unit 312
Sage flats
6,200–7,000 ft
Pronghorn and mule deer
Unit 316
River bottoms
5,400–6,100 ft
Pheasant, grouse and quail
Units, boundaries and elevations (sample). Orange triangle: base camp at 8,900 ft. Square: Cedar Fork trailhead.
Guided hunts
Every hunt runs in one unit we know well, with the same guides each season. Prices include guiding, camp, meals and horses; licenses are paid to the state.
Unit 214
Elk, archery
Six days from base camp, one guide per hunter, during the rut.
Sep 1–26
Draw license, apply by April 7
from $6,200
Unit 215
Elk, rifle
Five days in dark timber, one guide for two hunters.
Blaze orange required
Oct 17–Nov 8
Draw license, apply by April 7
from $5,400
Unit 215
Mule deer, rifle
Five days glassing open ridges and timber edges.
Blaze orange required
Nov 1–14
Draw license, apply by April 7
from $3,900
Unit 312
Pronghorn, rifle
Three days on the sage flats, by truck and on foot.
Blaze orange required
Oct 3–9
Draw license, apply by April 7
from $2,400
Unit 316
Upland birds with dogs
Day hunts behind our pointers, up to three hunters.
Blaze orange required
Oct 10–Jan 15
Over the counter
$450 a day
Seasons and dates (sample); the state sets them each spring. Example prices.
A day on the hunt
Days start in the dark and end in the cook tent. Your guide sets the pace; you can always ask to slow down.
4:30
Coffee and breakfast
Hot breakfast in the cook tent; lunches are packed the night before.
5:15
Ride or walk out
On horseback to the ridge, or on foot from camp, with head torches.
6:20
First light
Sit and glass the far slopes with binoculars and a spotting scope.
11:30
Midday rest
Lunch on the hill, a nap in the sun, or back to camp in bad weather.
15:30
Evening hunt
Slow still-hunting through timber or a sit above a meadow.
19:30
Back at camp
Supper, the plan for tomorrow, and an early night.
Times for a September hunt (sample).
Licenses and the draw
Most hunts here need a license from the state draw. It sounds complicated; we walk every hunter through it, one step at a time.
1
Hunter education card
Required for anyone born after 1 January 1975 (sample rule). Online course plus a field day.
2
Apply in the draw
Apply online for your hunt’s unit by April 7. Upland bird licenses are sold over the counter.
3
Results in June
Send us a photo of your license. If you are not drawn, your deposit is refunded in full.
4
We confirm your hunt
Unit, dates, camp and the gear list arrive by email by mid July.
Key dates
Draw opens
March 1
Draw closes
April 7
Draw results
Mid June
Leftover licenses
From July 1
Upland licenses
Any time
Dates (sample). Check the state wildlife agency for the current year.
Safety on every hunt
Blaze orange required on every rifle and bird hunt
A hat and a vest with at least 400 square inches of orange, front and back (sample rule). We lend both if you forget.
- One guide for every two hunters at most; one to one on archery hunts
- A range check at camp on day one, before anyone hunts
- Every guide carries a radio, a satellite messenger and a first-aid kit
- Firearms unloaded on horseback and in camp, always
- We call off a day for lightning, heavy snow or high wind
Base camp at 8,900 feet
A two-and-a-half-hour ride from the trailhead, on a bench above Cedar Fork creek (sample). Wall tents, a cook who starts the stove before you wake, and fourteen horses that know the trails.
Sleeping
Cots, wood stoves, dry storage
Wall tents, two hunters each
Meals
Tell us about allergies in advance
Three a day
Washing
Hot shower tent
Phone signal
Guides carry satellite messengers
None
Questions before you book
Anything else: call the camp office, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 16:00 (sample).
What is included in the price?
Guiding, camp, meals, horses and pack-out from the field. Not included: licenses, travel to Springfield, meat processing and a tip for your guide.
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough to walk three or four miles on steep ground at altitude. Start walking hills with a pack two months before your hunt; we can pick easier ground if you tell us.
Can a partner come who is not hunting?
Yes. Non-hunting guests stay at camp at a lower rate (Example prices) and can ride out with a guide on most days.
What if I do not draw a license?
Your deposit is refunded in full, or moved to the same hunt next season if you prefer.
Can you promise I will get an animal?
No honest outfitter can. We promise good ground, experienced guides and a safe, well-run camp; the rest is weather and luck.
Field notes
Getting fit for a mountain hunt
Eight weeks of hill walking with a pack makes the first morning much easier (sample advice).
Evenings at camp
Supper, the plan for tomorrow and an early night: the last hour of a hunt day (sample).
Ask about next season
Tell us the hunt, the size of your party and the weeks that suit you. We reply within two working days with open dates and the license steps for your unit (sample).