Hunted with RMR the first week of archery season (solo). Meet with Joe and 5 other hunters (I didn't know about) . Three of the other guys hunted the same areas as me, they were inexperienced but great guys. We were at least able to talk enough each day as not to hunt on top of each other. I wish Joe would have let all of us know ahead of time, the number hunters he had booked in this High Country Ranch area. This is a sheep ranch and they do tell you this up front, my surprise was there seemed to be poor communication between the outfitter and the Ranch. They had not pulled the sheep off the upper part of the ranch until we arrived. So the next two days hunting the upper areas above the sheep were not good. The vegetation was totally destroyed and the upper pounds and meadows smelled of strong foul sheep herds. I had mentioned this to Joe the second evening and asking for advice on what areas he would suggest. He basically got defensive and I get a text message stating the elk and sheep have lived together for 100 years on the mountain and the elk are still there. Now I don't disagree...But they aren't staying close to each and the meadows and water also are an issue after being grazed on all summer, plus three sheep dogs and a handler. Day three they move the sheep off the middle of the mountain to the lower meadows. One of hunters reports this pushed 12 or cows and a couple spikes off the ranch. Day 4 - I found a spot away from upper meadows another hunter had been hunting, and called in several cows. Day 5 called in a couple more cows and calf. Camping area was another after thought, you are placed at the bottom of the ranch in hot dusty open field with no shade. Sheep dogs also barking though out the night. Perhaps the weeks later in the season worked out better for others but the first week on this private ranch at least this year was not very professional or organized. To be honest Joe seemed like a great guy I have feeling that this isn't the normal way this ranch is handled. But all I have to judge is my experience this year. There are no guarantees in hunting but when someone is paying good money for a service on top of all the expenses that go into a hunt you expect better hunting conditions. I don't think I got the value expected as a five day hunt was really was pressed into two days.
Was the outfitter notified of problems? - YES
As the Outfitter of this hunt, I am very disappointed to see a review like this. We try very hard to provide as much detailed information about the hunt as we can. Our goal is not to up-sell our hunts, but to describe them accurately. We maintain over 90% client retention every year. Reviews like this are very rare for us.
At first, I was concerned that Shawn was not informed that there were to be 6 total hunters on the ranch. So, I looked back at our emails and found this in the ranch description provided to him: “It fills with 5 or 6 hunters.” If Shawn did not understand what this meant, I wish he would have asked. We are very upfront about what we offer. Each ranch has a set fill number that we will never exceed and we inform every hunter of this prior to booking the hunt. I am surprised he thought he would have 3500 acres all to himself on a hunt with a $2200 price tag (in 2019). After seeing a similar review that Shawn had written on another site, I decided to contact the other hunters that shared the ranch with him to see what happened? They all informed me that they were very happy with the hunt and they all booked additional hunts with us after this one. They also informed me that the only thing negative about the hunt was Shawn’s behavior and attitude. To any prospective clients that are reading this, please understand the following: We do not offer fancy hunts. We simply provide access to different private ranches. Sheep and cattle do graze on these agricultural properties and many of the owners' families have been doing this for over 100 years. Hunters should not expect cattle or sheep to be moved off of the property prior to their hunts. We want everyone to know this prior to booking a hunt with us. These non-guided hunts are not for everyone, but for hunters looking to get away from the crowds on public land, these hunts can be a great option. Please contact us and ask as many questions as you can think of! I would also like to point out that Shawn stated he had numerous encounters with elk on his hunt as did the other hunters on the ranch. Our camp area is not an afterthought. We chose this area because it minimizes night time interference with elk movement. The campsite is in rolling sage terrain near the ranch entrance. Shawn encountered elk most days, called some in and passed on some cows. This 3500 acre ranch is personally my favorite one of all the 60,000 acres we have to offer. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation also seems to see the value of the elk habitat here as they have continued to try to put this ranch into a conservation easement. If you have read this review and response to learn more about Rocky Mountain Ranches, please just call and talk to me personally. Joe Monchelli Owner/Outfitter (970) 439-1894
Weather is what it is and is part of hutnting. This week was hot and very dry but don't think that effected the hunt.
