heaven's gate outfitters - day tours

This was my first experience with a professional outfitter for a true wilderness elk/mule deer hunt. The country covered by this outfitter is as rugged and tough as it gets. I booked an 8 day trip from Oct. 28- Nov. 4 where we rode 16 miles on horseback to base camp at +/- 7700 ft. elevation. The horses were well trained, easy to ride and sure-footed. My guide was excellent and only one day did we fail to find anything that presented an opportunity. And the guides will customize your trip to your physical abilities; I encouraged mine to push me to my limits. I had trained for months to build up my legs and cardio but nothing could prepare me for the elevation except being there and adapting to it. On our third day we covered 24 miles . . . I was exhausted but it was worth it for the bachelor group of elk we chased. I ate like a pig and still lost weight. The camp cook was great, gifted with hospitality and there was plenty of good food. I found all the guides were loaded with good stories to tell. The entire outfit was professional and well run. One word to hunters: This is hunting not on your terms but on terms dictated by true wilderness. Be prepared for rain, snow, wild temperature swings and for the quarry to be smarter than you can imagine.

I booked this outfitter based on an outdoor life magazine article last season recommending this outfitter.This was my 5th elk hunt of my hunting career. HGOID provides a true back country experience hunting for Elk. I booked my trip in early October. There are three maybe four backcountry camps one of which you will be assigned prior to departure from the trail head. While the back country is beautiful and it is as rugged as you can get in the lower 48 I found everything to be satisfactory except for the amount of Elk in the area. During my week stay I probably saw most Elk from a distance and 5-6 Bulls total and a few cows during a 7 day stay. The hunting effort while done in some very beautiful surroundings was not worth the effort. Only one member of the five individual hunters that shared my tent produced an elk ( a 5 point ). It may differ from week to week but I seriously doubt it offers more than a fleeting chance at a bull. Also, it seemed the group of guides had a repertoire of maybe 4 spots in the vast Payette National forest. Hunting pressure felt evident by the outfitter's own guides. The guys were nice enough they just didn't seem to have much of a variety, for example we spent the entire day at one spot 3 days of the 7 I hunted. I would not go here looking for a monster but if getting back to mother nature in a big way is what your looking for this place won't disappoint. The food was good and the accommodations adequate.

I started my trip to Riggins with a full day horseback ride and had a great time.This was a true Idaho back country horseback riding experience with small groups, professional guides who know far more about the back country than just horseback riding, and first class outfitting. This was the "real thing" and not some canned tourist trail.The scenery was dynamic, groups were small, and stories plentiful. I'd do it again.A few tips:* Allow twice as long as you think you might need to get to the trail head. * Sunscreen

We went for a half-day ride and had a great time. Our guide was knowledgeable about the area and had lots of stories. The horses were sweet and my husband had no problem at all (it was his first time on a horse). The scenery was incredible, and choosing to go in the morning was perfect, as the weather was nice, and the wildlife was out a little bit more. Just a few tips to be aware of: our trailhead was hard to get to, on a single track dirt and gravel road with wandering cows. You might need to get yourself plenty of time to get to the trailhead. And as a short person (5'2 if I try), there were some issues with the stirrups fittings properly. It might be something to mention when making an appointment to make sure the stirrups can be made short enough. Overall we had a great time and would do it again!