Elk feed grounds play a critical role in the health and sustainability of Wyoming’s wildlife. This became even more apparent after the brutal 2022-2023 winter, which saw record snowfall and harsh conditions. Without these feed grounds, the impact on elk, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope would have been devastating.
At SNS Outfitter & Guides, we firmly believe that Wyoming’s elk feed grounds must be protected and maintained for the future of both wildlife and hunting.
While you may have heard the news of what a hard winter some areas of Wyoming experienced this year, you likely have not heard, how well the antelope in central Wyoming faired. Bad news always travels more quickly after all, but we wanted to reassure our clients. The worst winter conditions occurred in southern and south western Wyoming, fortunately areas we do not hunt. Our trophy areas in central Wyoming have maintained the same antelope buck quotas we had in 2022 and we are looking at a great up coming season. So, if you haven’t finalized your plans for the 2023 hunting season and have Wyoming Antelope preference points, we have options for you!
Our primary antelope private land units open September 15 and run though most of October. We have a few camp openings and a good selection of dates for a town hunt option. It’s a great time to use those points and draw a license. Our trophy areas can be drawn using the special license option with a handful of points. In 2024 the cost of the special antelope license is going to double so why not beat the license fee increase and hunt in 2023?
With all of the moisture we received this winter, our rangeland conditions are going to be spectacular. Great range conditions will translate into healthy antelope and good horn growth. In fact, it’s stacking up to be the best conditions we have seen in possibly 10 years.
Our price for a camp trophy antelope hunt is $3,395.00 for a 3-day hunt. The camp is a very nice two story fishing lodge that we lease for 3 weeks during the antelope season. Our full time cook, Miss Sylvia and her husband, Arnold will take care of making sure you’re fed well! Arnold has a special recipe for his famous Texas dry rub pork ribs and Miss Sylvia makes some of the finest authentic Mexican dishes and her homemade salsa is to die for.
If a town hunt is your preferred option we can arrange that as well. Those hunts are $3,195.00 for a 3-day hunt from the Ramkota in Casper, Wyoming. Our town manager is the ever popular, Benny Tillerson, Wyoming Outfitter & Guides Association’s Guide of the Year in 2021. Benny will make sure all the details for your hunt are taken care of. Our crew of experienced antelope guides are very well versed in judging antelope horns, a critical skill set.
Call today ( 1-307-266-4229 ) or email at
SNS Outfitter & Guides is proud to congratulate our very own Randy George, who was honored as the Wyoming Outfitters & Guides Association (WYOGA) "Hunting Guide of the Year" for 2022.
Before the awards banquet, we sat down with Randy to learn about his journey into the guiding industry, what keeps him coming back, and one unforgettable hunt from his early years as a guide.
As they say, if you know, you know! That adrenaline rush mixed with joy, relief, and pride as you pull the trigger and watch everything unfold in front of you. The exhaustion and exhilaration—it’s a feeling SNS Outfitter & Guides knows well.
For 46 seasons, we've had the privilege of hosting top-tier hunting adventures in Wyoming & Montana. Time and time again, our clients leave with unforgettable memories of a hunt well conducted.
Have you ever considered a prairie dog shoot with friends or family? If you enjoy long-range shooting, challenging small targets, and spending quality time outdoors, then a prairie dog hunt is the perfect way to enjoy Wyoming’s wide-open spaces.
SNS Outfitter & Guides is excited to announce the return of our guided prairie dog shoots after several years of population recovery. Spots are limited, so now is the time to book your summer shoot!
The SNS office has been receiving calls and emails from concerned hunters who have heard rumors about changes to how the Wyoming Game & Fish Department (WGFD) manages non-resident hunting licenses.
To set the record straight, we sat down with SNS Outfitter Sy Gilliland, a member of the Wyoming Wildlife Task Force (WWTF) and a key voice in shaping Wyoming hunting legislation. Below, you’ll find insights directly from Sy about Wyoming’s preference points, license fees, and upcoming changes.
Wyoming, like much of the West, is experiencing a tough winter with heavy snowfall. As one of the largest states in the country, our snowpack varies significantly from region to region. However, one thing is certain—this moisture is critical.
For years, Wyoming has battled a prolonged drought. Cattle ranchers have an old saying: “It takes a hard winter to break a drought.” Unlike other regions that receive steady summer rains, Wyoming relies on winter snowfall to replenish deep soil moisture, recharge creeks, and sustain wildlife.
In 1947, Havilah Babcock authored My Health is Better in November. Longtime SNS client and friend Terry Truhler can certainly relate. “I always feel better when I am hunting in Wyoming,” he says.
Terry, a retired outdoorsman from central Washington, now spends his days tying flies and tending to a handful of steers. But every year, he returns to Wyoming for his annual hunt with SNS Outfitter & Guides—a tradition spanning an incredible 26 years.
It’s booking season, and as usual, our phones are ringing nonstop. In recent years, we've seen a higher-than-ever demand for our hunts, with one request standing out—Mule Deer Hunts.
The Mule Deer is an iconic species, emblematic of Western big game hunting. Many hunters who grew up pursuing Whitetails dream of one day hunting Mule Deer in the wide-open country of the West. And when it comes to top destinations for Mule Deer, Wyoming is at the top of the list.
For decades, SNS Outfitter & Guides has been known as the West’s largest Pronghorn Antelope hunting operation. However, in recent years, our Wyoming elk hunting opportunities have been making waves, capturing the attention of hunters nationwide. Whether it’s our 46 years of professional hunting experience, the booming Wyoming elk population, or our recent acquisition of another elk hunting camp, SNS is on its way to becoming one of the top elk outfitters in the West.
With four different elk camps, we are excited to expand our offerings and provide diverse, high-quality Wyoming elk hunts. Each camp has unique features, and we’re here to help you find the perfect hunt for your next adventure.
The Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) is the only subspecies of elk found in Wyoming and is a staple of the state’s thriving wildlife population. Also known as Wapiti—a Native American term meaning “light-colored deer” or “white rump”—these majestic animals have made a remarkable comeback in recent decades.
Wyoming’s elk population is estimated at 113,000, the highest it has been in over 50 years. These impressive numbers reflect successful conservation efforts and the critical role of hunters in wildlife management. Today, elk can be found across most of the state, including regions where they were absent just 40 years ago.
On Monday, August 8th, the Grand Compromise (GC) came to a final debate and vote. The Grand Compromise was the attempt to consider possible changes or solutions to the ongoing battle surrounding attempts to change our current quota splits and draw odds for resident hunters. The Grand Compromise was made up of 6 distinctive propositions. It was my understanding or belief that the GC would be voted on as an all or nothing vote. When the GC was brought up on the agenda, it was decided by the chairman to take each proposition up separately starting with the less controversial items first.
It’s been over a year now that the Wyoming Wildlife Task Force has been meeting to discuss wildlife and licensing issues that affect all Wyoming hunters. It’s coming down to a couple very important issues that will affect your ability to hunt as a non resident in Wyoming.
A major reason for the formation of the task force was to study and come up with solutions in how Wyoming issues licenses to non residents. This issue has been boiled down to two paths that are being considered.
Starting in 2023 SNS will take over operations of this incredible elk camp. During the fall of 2022 our staff will be assisting Taylor Engum with camp set up and tear down, learning horse trails, and guiding elk hunters. After a full season, I am confident we will be ready to take over operations and will have developed the skill set required to run this wilderness backcountry pack in camp.
The East Fork camp is a great archery elk hunt and the previous outfitter, Todd Jones built a heck of a reputation out of this camp guiding archery elk hunters for 12 years. The archery season will run the entire month of September and we will be operating our first archery hunt September 8-12th. This first hunt will require enough points to draw a type 9 archery-only elk license. Starting September 15th we will take general license elk hunters for two 5-day hunts. Taylor currently runs all archery elk hunts on a one-guide-to-one-hunter basis and we will continue with that same ratio going forward.
The Wyoming Wildlife Task Force [WWTF] has been busy working on wildlife and licensing issues for the last year. SNS outfitter Sy is the outfitter representative on the task force. Several subjects have been discussed and either rejected or approved and moved on to the legislature or commission or continue to take public comment.
One topic that has drawn a lot of attention is an outfitter draw. The task force is currently working on gathering comment on this subject. The outfitter draw is expected to be voted on at the August 8th & 9th meeting.
We are excited to announce that SNS Outfitter & Guides has acquired a new elk hunting opportunity. In addition to our private land elk hunt and our Greys River elk hunt conducted out of the Box Y Lodge, we will now offer a wilderness elk hunting experience in the Shoshone National Forest.
In the past, this camp was owned and operated by Todd Jones for 12 years, and for the last 8 years, it has been owned and operated by Taylor and Hillary Engum of East Fork Outfitters. We are currently booking archery and rifle elk hunts for the 2023 season from this camp.
Interest in western hunting continues to be very high. Because of this interest, its very important do some long range planning for your future hunts. Wyoming Mule Deer and Pronghorn Antelope hunts continue to be highly sought after each year. When you start the planning process, it is key to learn about the different licensing systems each western state uses to issue non-resident hunting licenses.
The sale of preference points has become very popular with western states as a way of distributing hunting licenses. This includes both Montana and Wyoming. Because the demand and competition to draw western licenses has increased, preference points have become a method of insuring that a hunter will eventually draw a coveted tag. The key is to buy points consistently and not miss any years. Skipping years of purchasing preference points can result in forfeiting what you have accumulated. To ensure you don’t miss out, SNS Outfitter offers a service to buy points for our clients. That way when you’re ready to go hunting with us, you will have enough points to draw your licenses. We provide information about preference points in our brochure and on our website. If you prefer to talk to us to learn more about preference points, please do not hesitate to give us a call.
As we enter 2022, we are all feeling the effects of inflation in our lives. These increases are noted at gas stations, grocery stores and most certainly have their impact on small businesses like SNS Outfitter & Guides.
Knowing how to deal with inflation as a small business owner is difficult to say the least. It is nearly impossible to predict the cost of items essential to run this business. What we do know, however, is that this current trend in inflation is affecting every aspect of our business. The prices that affect every one of our hunts are gasoline, groceries, camp supplies, employee wages, payroll taxes and ranch lease fees. Fixed overhead costs include; insurance, storage fees, postage, advertising, office equipment and rent. Camp repair and maintenance have seen considerable increases in building material costs. Horse lease fees, their feed, shoeing, trucking, tack, and equipment repair are all climbing as well. As you can see, the list is long and has a direct affect on our hunt prices.
At times, western hunting styles have brought up a few questions. Most hunters are very familiar with using blinds or shooting houses set up over travel corridors or more commonly over food plots. This type of hunting style is mostly a waiting game. When your quarry presents a good shot, the hunt is over. Out west, however, most hunts are conducted using a whole different hunting style. Its called, “Spot and Stalk”.
Hunting pronghorn antelope in Wyoming often requires covering vast amounts of terrain. Traversing across the prairie in a pick up truck on two track roads is something most hunters have never experienced. The key to hunting trophy antelope is to try and locate as many animals as you can in a long day. We spot herds of pronghorn off in the distance and “glass" them using binoculars and spotting scopes. Once a likely trophy buck is located, a stalk follows and this is when the fun really begins!
Interest in western hunting has seen a steady increase in demand. Competition for licenses and openings with reputable hunting outfitters is at an all time high. After months of planning and in some cases years of gathering preference points, you have successfully drawn that coveted license. You beat the odds now it’s the final countdown. It’s time to check your gear, shoot your gun and get your legs and lungs in shape.
One of the very best things about a western hunt is having an excuse to buy new hunting gear. Look over the equipment list you received from the SNS office and make sure you have the gear listed. This is a tried and true list, refined over the years and is specific to your hunt.
See past blog posts on the SNS Blog.