"This past fall I had the opportunity to go to New Mexico with Wilderness Pro Outfitters for my first SUCCESSFUL elk hunt! I had been elk hunting one other time on a DIY public land hunt in Utah but came out with tag soup on that one! I was super excited about this hunt because it was going to be meaningful in many ways!
1. I wanted to learn more about elk hunting
2. My mom was going on the hunt with me
3. I was looking forward to seeing Derek Martin again after seven years
Derek had worked with my dad many years ago on lining up a few hunts for us to go on. One of those was my mountain lion hunt in December 2015. That was one of the last hunts I went on with my dad before he passed away in January 2016. The mountain lion hunt will always hold a special place in my heart!
Long story short, Derek and I reconnected this past year and lined up an elk hunt for me during muzzleloader season! We had such a great time hanging around at camp and catching up on lost time! I loved the hunting cabin vibe when we were all at camp: the campfires, the group meals, the storytelling, and the comradery! The guides were so much fun to be around and were patient with my 1 million questions about elk as I was learning the ropes! They even put up with my mom….and if you know my mom, You know! (Haha, JK she did great, love you, Mom!) The area we were able to hunt was incredible. There was definitely no lack of opportunity on shooting an elk there! You can tell the guides put in a ton of effort beforehand to give the hunter the best opportunity. I even ended up staying a week longer to help out, scout, and continue to learn from the next group of hunters that came in!
Overall, I give this operation an A++ rating! They are very accommodating, the lodging is exactly the hunting camp vibes I like (this ain’t no Ritz Carlton), and the people are awesome! If you get the chance to go with them, I recommend the guides Dalton Martin (aka Angry Elf) & Dusty Brixner!
Oh, AND I KILLED MY FIRST ELK! Memories were made that will last a lifetime. I will be back!"
- Kendall Jones
