Frequently Asked Questions
What is the physical address for my hunt? All hunters will be given directions and the physical address of their hunt location via letter (which also contains other pertinent hunt information). GPS or your phone will not get you to our home near Fort Laramie. Be sure to save the directions we send to you and use them to find our home. We are thankful that Google still hasn’t found us.
Do you allow smoking in camp? TRIPLE CREEK HUNTS IS A NON-SMOKING OPERATION. Please consider choosing another outfit if you need to smoke. We do not allow smoking in our home, vehicles or other buildings. In addition, we have ranchers who do not allow smoking on their rangelands due to fire danger.
What happens if I wound an animal? Triple Creek Hunts has a strict Wound Policy: If you draw blood on an animal, that is your animal. We will look for it until your hunt is over and often longer, hopefully with success. But for all intents and purposes, once you draw blood your hunt is over.
What is the best airport for me to fly in to? Denver International Airport (DIA). DIA is about 200 miles from either the Fort Laramie headquarters or our house in Elk Mountain. It takes about four hours to get a car and reach your hunt destination. The flights into Denver are cheap, numerous, and reliable. Rental cars are cheap and abundant. Any other small airports like Cheyenne or Laramie are not as reliable. Often, it takes longer to wait and fly into those airports than it does to drive up from Denver. It also costs significantly more to fly into smaller airports, even with the added cost of a rental car.
What rifle or cartridge should I bring? Bring the one you are most familiar and that is your best friend. I prefer a magnum, but use what you like the most. A 243 or 6 mm is fine for antelope but a little light for deer. If you plan to shoot a deer with a 243, please use a quality bullet of at least 95 grains. For elk, a 270 is the minimum cartridge. Again, use premium or quality bullets if you choose to hunt elk with a 270.
Where should I “zero” my scope: I prefer two inches high at 100 yards. That gives a 200 yard (or about) zero for the rifle and means you are “good to go” up to 300 yards. We try not to shoot farther than 300 yards because of the strong winds and field conditions in our hunt areas. We are on private ranches and can often sneak closer if we take our time.
What is the average shot distance? As a guess, I would say shots for deer run about 150-200 yards; for elk, a little farther than that. Antelope are about 200-250 yards. It is still “point and shoot” at those distances. For every shot I see go under an animal, I see 10 go over. People generally hold too high and miss over an animal.
Do I have to wear blaze orange? If so, how much? Wyoming law requires every big game rifle hunter to wear one article of clothing—generally a hat or vest—made of blaze orange. Blaze camo is legal in Wyoming.
What is customary for tipping guides and the cook? I get this question a lot. Tips are always at your discretion, just as they are when you dine in a restaurant. I did some research and came up with a good summary from a fellow outfitter in Montana. These were his responses:
Where do I stay and what do I need to bring? For fully outfitted hunts, we stay in houses and eat well. We sleep in beds and can take showers. You do not need a sleeping bag, a towel or bedding. We will furnish everything except your toiletries and personal items you would like for your stay.
For motel hunts we provide guide service, lunch while out hunting and field care of your trophy. You provide motel accommodations, breakfast, dinner, game processing and taxidermy.
Do you allow alcohol in camp? Yes. But we want you to understand this is a hunt and we hunt hard each day. You are welcome to have alcohol in moderation. We do not allow hunting and alcohol to be mixed. All alcohol should be consumed after the hunting day is over.
What is the terrain and elevation? In a nutshell, it varies. Elevations range from about 5,000 feet to over 8,000 feet. Terrain ranges from rolling plains to steep mountain foothills. We hunt the open plains and brush country. We hunt pine and juniper thickets. When we have a specific plan defined, we can discuss the terrain and elevation for your personal hunt.
How is the cellular phone service? Again, it varies. The service in Elk Mountain is good. The service at our home in Fort Laramie is not very good. It is nearly impossible to make calls from inside the house. On most of the ranches we hunt, you can get on top of a hill or ridge and get service. We also have limited data Wi-Fi but hunters are welcome to use the landline to check in with family.
What is the weather like? October is when we do most of our hunting. I have seen temperatures from 90 above to near zero in our October hunts. The monthly average is 58 degrees for the high, 30 degrees for the low. The biggest variable is the wind. It might blow as hard as 40 mph with gusts of 60+mph. You can hardly stand up in such high winds and it makes hunting and shooting difficult.
How should I practice shooting? My best advice is to use a light, low recoil weapon. There is nothing wrong with a 22 rimfire or a pellet gun. Just get used to shooting from various positions and pointing that barrel where you want it to go. And be sure to get used to looking through a scope. Practicing shooting off a bench rest is a waste of your time unless you are sighting in your rifle. We take most of our shots prone over a backpack the guides carry. Practice prone off a pack, or sitting, kneeling, etc. Shoot off of a fence post or a rock. Simulate field conditions. Practice finding your target, shooting quickly and accurately. I like to lay out clay pigeons and shoot them at varied distances from a variety of positions. And nothing beats shooting prairie dogs, squirrels and ground hogs. They are great practice.
What kind of physical shape do I need to be in for my hunt? You need to be in reasonable physical condition. You need to be able to walk, even if the pace is slow. These are free-range hunts for wild animals. Be honest with us about your ability. If you cannot walk or see, you may wish to choose another outfitter.
Do I need to worry about encounters with grizzly bears or wolves? No. We have no wolves or grizzly bears in our hunt areas.
Does Triple Creek Hunts offer doe hunts? No. At this time we do not offer doe hunts.
If my hunt ends early, will I be given a portion of my hunt cost back? No. If you happen to leave early, no refunds for your hunt cost will be given.
Do you allow smoking in camp? TRIPLE CREEK HUNTS IS A NON-SMOKING OPERATION. Please consider choosing another outfit if you need to smoke. We do not allow smoking in our home, vehicles or other buildings. In addition, we have ranchers who do not allow smoking on their rangelands due to fire danger.
What happens if I wound an animal? Triple Creek Hunts has a strict Wound Policy: If you draw blood on an animal, that is your animal. We will look for it until your hunt is over and often longer, hopefully with success. But for all intents and purposes, once you draw blood your hunt is over.
What is the best airport for me to fly in to? Denver International Airport (DIA). DIA is about 200 miles from either the Fort Laramie headquarters or our house in Elk Mountain. It takes about four hours to get a car and reach your hunt destination. The flights into Denver are cheap, numerous, and reliable. Rental cars are cheap and abundant. Any other small airports like Cheyenne or Laramie are not as reliable. Often, it takes longer to wait and fly into those airports than it does to drive up from Denver. It also costs significantly more to fly into smaller airports, even with the added cost of a rental car.
What rifle or cartridge should I bring? Bring the one you are most familiar and that is your best friend. I prefer a magnum, but use what you like the most. A 243 or 6 mm is fine for antelope but a little light for deer. If you plan to shoot a deer with a 243, please use a quality bullet of at least 95 grains. For elk, a 270 is the minimum cartridge. Again, use premium or quality bullets if you choose to hunt elk with a 270.
Where should I “zero” my scope: I prefer two inches high at 100 yards. That gives a 200 yard (or about) zero for the rifle and means you are “good to go” up to 300 yards. We try not to shoot farther than 300 yards because of the strong winds and field conditions in our hunt areas. We are on private ranches and can often sneak closer if we take our time.
What is the average shot distance? As a guess, I would say shots for deer run about 150-200 yards; for elk, a little farther than that. Antelope are about 200-250 yards. It is still “point and shoot” at those distances. For every shot I see go under an animal, I see 10 go over. People generally hold too high and miss over an animal.
Do I have to wear blaze orange? If so, how much? Wyoming law requires every big game rifle hunter to wear one article of clothing—generally a hat or vest—made of blaze orange. Blaze camo is legal in Wyoming.
What is customary for tipping guides and the cook? I get this question a lot. Tips are always at your discretion, just as they are when you dine in a restaurant. I did some research and came up with a good summary from a fellow outfitter in Montana. These were his responses:
- How much should I tip my hunting guides: Gratuities are always appreciated for our hard working crew. A good rule of thumb is 10-15% of hunt cost, but tip how you feel. Cooks are usually tipped separately and usually average $50.00 - $200.00 per hunter, depending on the length of your stay.
Where do I stay and what do I need to bring? For fully outfitted hunts, we stay in houses and eat well. We sleep in beds and can take showers. You do not need a sleeping bag, a towel or bedding. We will furnish everything except your toiletries and personal items you would like for your stay.
For motel hunts we provide guide service, lunch while out hunting and field care of your trophy. You provide motel accommodations, breakfast, dinner, game processing and taxidermy.
Do you allow alcohol in camp? Yes. But we want you to understand this is a hunt and we hunt hard each day. You are welcome to have alcohol in moderation. We do not allow hunting and alcohol to be mixed. All alcohol should be consumed after the hunting day is over.
What is the terrain and elevation? In a nutshell, it varies. Elevations range from about 5,000 feet to over 8,000 feet. Terrain ranges from rolling plains to steep mountain foothills. We hunt the open plains and brush country. We hunt pine and juniper thickets. When we have a specific plan defined, we can discuss the terrain and elevation for your personal hunt.
How is the cellular phone service? Again, it varies. The service in Elk Mountain is good. The service at our home in Fort Laramie is not very good. It is nearly impossible to make calls from inside the house. On most of the ranches we hunt, you can get on top of a hill or ridge and get service. We also have limited data Wi-Fi but hunters are welcome to use the landline to check in with family.
What is the weather like? October is when we do most of our hunting. I have seen temperatures from 90 above to near zero in our October hunts. The monthly average is 58 degrees for the high, 30 degrees for the low. The biggest variable is the wind. It might blow as hard as 40 mph with gusts of 60+mph. You can hardly stand up in such high winds and it makes hunting and shooting difficult.
How should I practice shooting? My best advice is to use a light, low recoil weapon. There is nothing wrong with a 22 rimfire or a pellet gun. Just get used to shooting from various positions and pointing that barrel where you want it to go. And be sure to get used to looking through a scope. Practicing shooting off a bench rest is a waste of your time unless you are sighting in your rifle. We take most of our shots prone over a backpack the guides carry. Practice prone off a pack, or sitting, kneeling, etc. Shoot off of a fence post or a rock. Simulate field conditions. Practice finding your target, shooting quickly and accurately. I like to lay out clay pigeons and shoot them at varied distances from a variety of positions. And nothing beats shooting prairie dogs, squirrels and ground hogs. They are great practice.
What kind of physical shape do I need to be in for my hunt? You need to be in reasonable physical condition. You need to be able to walk, even if the pace is slow. These are free-range hunts for wild animals. Be honest with us about your ability. If you cannot walk or see, you may wish to choose another outfitter.
Do I need to worry about encounters with grizzly bears or wolves? No. We have no wolves or grizzly bears in our hunt areas.
Does Triple Creek Hunts offer doe hunts? No. At this time we do not offer doe hunts.
If my hunt ends early, will I be given a portion of my hunt cost back? No. If you happen to leave early, no refunds for your hunt cost will be given.