| Category | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting | What do you do with our meat? | Wilderness Connection brings your critter in from the woods, usually on the backs of mules. From there you have a decision to make. You can have it cut up locally and we’ll take it to a meat processor for you. This typically costs $300-$400 for an elk. From there you have some more decisions to make. If you flew out, I suggest taking the best 40 pounds, in a cooler or Rubbermaid tub and take it on the plane as additional luggage. Or we can stop at a UPS store to ship some of your luggage home, and you won’t have to pay the extra checked baggage fee. We’ll donate the remaining meat to locals in need. OR, you can donate the meat in its entirety and I’ll make sure it’s donated to a family in need. You will have to pay for the processing. The third option is to send the meat home with another hunter later in the season. I suggest paying for their gas. |
| Hunting | How much do I tip my guide? | It seems that every year, our hunters will take me aside and ask me about our tipping policy. This is an awkward question, because I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH TIPPING! I do have a few suggestions, however. At Wilderness Connection, we play “team ball” which means to the greatest degree possible, everybody on our staff is encouraged to help out. If you are fortunate enough to harvest a buck or a bull, it is quite possible that on or more of our other guides will assist in packing out your meat. Often your guide will call on the radio for help, which means that rather than making a two day project of it, your critter can be packed in that day. Guides share in servicing vehicles, putting on chains, saddling horses, picking up hunters for each other, as well as hauling carcasses to the butcher, etc, etc, etc… You will usually hunt with a number of different guides during the course of your hunt, but may not be aware of the effort expended by the guide you never hunted with – an effort on your behalf! For his reason I think that at least part of your tip (1/4 to ½) should go into a group tip. |
| Hunting | How much should I tip? | I don’t believe there is a hard and fast answer for this one, as it partially depends on the kind of service you feel you have received. Judging upon past tipping most hunters tip between $300 and $400. Assuming you are tipping $350, a reasonable approach might be to tip the guide you were with the most $100, $125 to the cook, and another $235 towards the “group” tip that I shared equally by the guides, packers, and camp tenders. Of course a successful elk hunt always produces more work, and it is common for a hunter to tip $200 to the guide that helped him successfully harvest an animal. |
| Hunting | What rifle should I bring? | Everyone has more than one rifle, and we still see a lot of .270s and ‘06s. But, my preference lately has been leaning toward a .300 caliber rifle. They shoot faster, and matched with right ammo, they have more knock-down power. |
| Hunting | Where should I zero my rifle? | I suggest all rifles be zeroed at 300 yards. Here’s my reasoning: An elk has an 18” kill-zone. If any rifle is zeroed at 300 yards, it is on an elk from the muzzle out to about 340 yards. I’d rather have a hunter shoot from a solid rest at an elk from 300 yards, rather than try to sneak on it and not have a solid rest. |
| Vacation Rentals | How do I reserve a cabin? | Please reserve online through my VRBO sites. The Aspen Cabin has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms (Aspen Cabin on VRBO ). The 1916 Schoolhouse has a king bed, 2 twin floor mats, and one bathroom (Schoolhouse on VRBO). The Creekside Cabin has a king bed, 2 twin floor mats, and one bathroom (Creekside on VRBO). |
| Vacation Rentals | Do your cabins have wifi? | No, we’re in a high mountain basin, and internet only comes from satellites. Internet is very expensive here and is cost prohibitive to install it on every cabin. |
| Vacation Rentals | Do your cabins have phones? | Yes they do. Every cabin is outfitted with a phone for emergency purposes. They do not have long-distance service, but you can give the phone numbers to your family at home so they can call if they need to. In addition, long distance calls can be made using a calling card. Verizon phone coverage is usually available when you drive down the road to the Yellowstone River. Cellular coverage in Yellowstone National Park is spotty. |
| Vacation Rentals | Can we hike on the ranch? | Yes, you can, just step out the door. Stacy or Rob can show you property boundaries and where you are able to hike. The provided bear-spray is highly recommended for any hiking, either on the ranch or in Yellowstone. |
| Vacation Rentals | Do your cabins have a washer/dryer? | No, they do not, but there is a laundromat in Gardiner (12 miles) which is on your way to Yellowstone. |
| Vacation Rentals | Do you offer horseback riding year round? | No, all of the activities on the ranch are seasonal, and dates vary. Typically horseback riding, rafting, and zip lining are offered from Memorial Day through Labor Day, but we are sometimes able to offer an extended season into the Fall if we have enough help to do so. Please contact us for more info. |