Wyoming and Montana's diverse terrain provides scenic beauty but can test one's physical abilities. Horses and 4x4 vehicles are used to cover the country, but walking is involved on all hunts. The hunter who has prepared him or herself physically has the edge on harvesting a trophy. To make your evenings a time to relax and relay the stories of the day's events, we suggest you prepare yourself physically for the hunt. Any exercise program you undertake will help considerably during your hunt. Most of you will be coming from a lower elevation and getting acclimated to our elevation takes about 3 days, so if you are able to arrive early and see the sights this can also help. Horse hunters (Hunt 3, 7 and 8) are advised to ride at least a couple of times before the beginning of the trip. Hunt 7 and Hunt 8 Mule Deer hunters are advised to undertake a conditioning program well ahead of their hunt.

One of the most important factors to a successful hunt is your ability to shoot. Start preparing for your hunt well in advance by sighting in your rifle carefully. Make sure you practice from sitting, prone and offhand shooting positions. Shoot 100 to 200 rounds of ammo at distances of 50 to 350 yards, although most shots are about 200 yards with the exception of Hunt 7 and Hunt 8. On hunts that take place on the Greys River (Hunt 7 and Hunt 8) most shots are 300 yards or more. We recommend a flat shooting rifle with a 6x scope or better. Calibers need to be .243 or larger, bolt action, sighted dead on at 200 yards. We encourage the use of shooting sticks. Bi-pods can't be used on horseback hunts, as they will not fit in rifle scabbards. Your ability with a rifle is totally up to you. Lots of practice and good equipment tip the scale in your favor during your hunt. There are no shooting benches out in the field so get plenty of practice.

After you have harvested your animal, your guide will field-dress it for you. Local taxidermy work and meat processing services are available, but the costs will be your responsibility. If you wish, your animal’s meat can be donated to a local food bank, but you will still be responsible for the meat processing costs. Meat-cutting fees vary depending on the processor, and if you want to have your meat shipped home via FedEx, you will need to make arrangements directly with the meat cutters when you drop off your animal.

If you want to take your trophy home to a local taxidermist, that is also possible. However, if you are planning to take the head home by commercial airliner, you will need to take special care and check with the airline beforehand to find out their regulations. Note that airlines have recently made it difficult to take heads home as baggage. Alternatively, you can leave the heads to be caped, boxed, and shipped by local taxidermists, but the charge for this service will be your responsibility.We strongly advise you to check your home state's laws regarding the transportation of meat and heads back from Wyoming in relation to chronic wasting disease.

To find out more about the meat processor we use in the Casper area and the taxidermist we recommend you can check them out here.

We strongly recommend you consider purchasing a trip insurance policy on your hunt. Should you be unable to make your trip due to an unforeseen problem you will not lose all of your investment. Trip insurance also protects you from damage or loss to your equipment and provides medical benefits and emergency evacuation coverage during your hunt. Once you book your trip we will provide you with a flyer detailing the type of insurance offered. Information can also be obtained at https://www.ripcordrescuetravelinsurance.com/?snsoutfitters or call Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance at (415) 481- 0600.