High Mountain Outfitters

Submitted by: John Oltrogge

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Review Submitted: Dec 21, 2011

Hunt Date: Dec 21, 2011

Species Hunted: Elk

Days Hunted: 5

Hunt Type: Guided

Primary Terrain: Mountain

Method: Rifle

Price Range: 3000-3999

High Mountain Outfitters Elk Hunt

Hard working outfitter/guide put two of us on to elk on public land for a very reasonable fee. We had to provide our own food and lodging, but Pete Trujillo did everything else and I plan to go with him again if I can get drawn. His enthusisam and hard work made the trip fun in spite of blizzard conditions. Always on time to pick us up and stayed late; no shortcuts. Highly recommend him for anyone wanting an honest hunt for an honest price.

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note: The following reviews predate the numeric rating system and are not included in this outfitter's overall rating.

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outfitter review submitted by: Rob Fletcher on Jan 16 2007

Species Hunted: Elk

Game Quality: ?

Accommodation Quality: good

Camp Condition: good

Food Quality: good

Guide Experience: good

Other Personal Experience: good

Overall Impression: poor

Recommend: nope

Reviewer Comments: 9 hunters hunted 5 days. 1 hunter killed a 5x6, the other 8 never fired a shot.

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outfitter review submitted by: Jimmy Wedworth on Dec 6 2005

Species Hunted: ELK

Game Quality: POOR TO NONE

Accommodation Quality: GOOD

Camp Condition: GOOD

Food Quality: GOOD

Guide Experience: STONED ON DRUGS

Other Personal Experience: EXPERIENCED AT TRESPASSING

Overall Impression: JOKE

Recommend: TO MY WORST ENEMY

Reviewer Comments: tHIS PERSON SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED ANYTHING MORE THAN A JOKE , hE TOLD ME AFTER MY BUDDY HUNTED FOR 4 DAYS WITH OUT SEEING AN ELK , THAT A MAN COULD HUNT IN THAT AREA FOR TEN YEARS AND NEVER SEE AN ELK. I say bs if you have been in the business for 20 years, you should be able to at least locate an elk either sex, in 4 days of a 5 day hunt if you wouldn't smoke dope all day. Beware of this Person!!!!!!!!!

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outfitter review submitted by: Mark Bernegger on Mar 3 2002

Species Hunted: Elk

Game Quality: 1 cow, 2 calf

Accommodation Quality: poor

Camp Condition: poor

Food Quality: dog food

Guide Experience: bums

Other Personal Experience: none

Overall Impression: use your money for kindling

Recommend: not even to Bin Laden

Reviewer Comments: I was reading reviews from other "clients" My two brothers and father "hunted" with this clown over 8 years ago. I could go on and on but he should be investigated and shut down by the state of New Mexico.

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outfitter review submitted by: Rick Rhoads on Apr 4 2001

Species Hunted: Mule Deer

Game Quality: Poor

Accommodation Quality: Good

Camp Condition: Terrible

Food Quality: No Food for two days

Guide Experience: No Experience

Other Personal Experience: None

Overall Impression: Terrible

Recommend: Definitly not!

Reviewer Comments: We hunted in Colorado on a New Mexico tag. Also hunted on FEDERAL land. The guide wanted us to "shoot up" the canyons to run the deer out. They had no guiding experience at all. The guides did not want to hunt in the rain. We came back to camp 2 nights in a row and had no food other than cookies and coffee. We were 2 steps away from walking off a cliff in the dark after the guide assured us he knew where he was(he got lost). The other party got run off private land from the rancher they were trespassing on. The equipment was broke down. The last day of the hunt we hunted ourselves without the guides they weren't around, later we found out they were hunting and killed a spike buck. I called the NM Fish & Game Dept. when I arrived home and they told me he was known to poach as well. I have hunted the west and had absoultly wonderful experiences & guides. This by far was the worst operation I have ever seen. His wife was quick to take your money at the start of the hunt. Please don't wast your money with this bum. He has magazine articles and advertises.

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outfitter review submitted by: Scott Calpino on Mar 30 2001

Species Hunted: Mule Deer

Game Quality: Poor

Accommodation Quality: Fair

Camp Condition: Poor

Food Quality: Poor & Quantity Poor

Guide Experience: Poor

Other Personal Experience: Poor

Overall Impression: Poor

Recommend: Never

Reviewer Comments: I've been on 7 western hunts and I've never experienced anything like this one. I'm sorry that I was convinced to spend my hard earned money on this trip. The outfitter refused to refund anything or to offer a replacement hunt, citing "sour grapes" that only 1 deer was harvested out of 13+ hunters in camp. Read on and you make the call!! Day 1: Walk several miles, see small 3 point buck w/ 6 doe - guide gets upset that we won't shoot because he says this is a trophy. Buck is shielded by doe and guide says shoot anyway, don't worry if you hit a doe. We continue to walk non-stop the rest of the day. Near dusk, we ask the guide about heading back to the truck. We're told not to worry, he knows the land very well. Several minutes later, in total darkness, the guide walked us to the edge of a cliff, where we grabbed on to anything close by, to keep from falling to our death. We learned the next day that the cliff was 50+ feet down, and we found the rocks that slid from under our feet at the bottom of the canyon. An hour later, after near tragedy, we arrived back at the truck. The truck won't start, we have no food, no water, no lights, no emergency equipment, no phone, no radio, and no one back at camp knows where we are. 1/2 hr later the truck finally starts and we travel 1 1/2hrs back to camp, only to find a piece of meat 2" square and 2 cookies for supper!! Day 2: walk all day, see nothing. Day 3: Drive around for 3-4 hours in a truck w/ 3 other hunters, trying to find some place to hunt. The drive included such places as federal land where hunting is prohibited and in to the neighboring state of Colorado!! We saw nothing. Day 4: Rain - The guide says it's not worth going out, besides, "He doesn't want to get muddy". All the guides head in to town to do laundry. They return several hours later w/ clean laundry and a bloody little 3 point they shot while they were gone. After threatening the guide, he offers to take us out. We hunt hard, finding only several doe. We return to camp again, finding almost no food for supper and the food for lunches was already almost gone on day 3. We ask to talk to the outfitter and we're told he'll be in camp the next day. He's not there when we leave camp for day 5. We hunt on our own (unguided) all day and are picked up at dark. Happy that this "experience" is over, we are dropped off at the lodge to find 1 small bucket of Colonel Sanders chicken to feed everyone and all of the guides gear gone. We discuss our hunt w/ others at camp, to find out that 2 of the other hunters paid big bucks for a "trophy hunt" and were escorted off the property they were hunting at gun point, being told they would be shot if they returned. Another hunter, experiencing his 1st western hunt, was sent out on his own, told to climb to the top of a hill, and return to the road @ dark. It's a shame . . . he didn't know any better!! After several letters and phone calls to the outfitter (his wife transacted all the business) we were told that we got a hunt, and we should have voiced our displeasure when we were there. That's very difficult to do when the outfitter never shows face!!! You decide if you want to put your money down!!!

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