USA: Has Anyone Hunted With Ridgerunner Outfitters In Idaho?

[sgt_zim]

Anybody have any experience with RidgeRunner Outfitters? https://ridgerunneroutfittersllc.com.

They seem a little low on their price - 2500 for 5 days, spot-n-stalk or over bait

 

[chonk34]

Their price seems a little low compared to other Idaho bear outfits, but one thing I noted on their price list page is that the $2500 pricing is per hunter for a 2x1 hunt. Lower down on the list is the option to hunt on a 1x1 basis for $700 more. Adding the $700 brings the pricing more in line with prices I've seen for other Idaho 1x1 bear hunts.

 

[sgt_zim]

I totally missed that. Ok, not so worried about it now.

I'm bringing my navy helo pilot son as a present for graduating from USNA and US Navy flight school

 

[chonk34]

Their website could use some cleaning up. That information isn't available on their bear-specific pages. I haven't hunted with them, but it looks like they've got access to a nice piece of land and a fair number of success photos/videos dating back to 2011 on their Facebook page.

I work with a couple of Army helicopter pilots. From what I hear it's quite an accomplishment to get through flight school. The aviators are a bit too pretty for me, but I'm just a dirty tanker.

 

[outwestidaho]

Never heard any complaints on them. They bring us a few bears a year for taxidermy. Not one of the clients has had a complaint . Least one they would tell me anyway.

 

[sgt_zim]

TYVM. left them a VM and sent an email, and talking to former clients of theirs via facebook.

hope to send the deposit this week assuming everything checks out.

 

[sgt_zim]

All right, my son and I are booked for 30 May 2022 after talking to the referrals. One of the referrals was so happy with this outfit that he's already got a hunt booked for the same week we'll be there.

 

[sgt_zim]

Their website could use some cleaning up. That information isn't available on their bear-specific pages. I haven't hunted with them, but it looks like they've got access to a nice piece of land and a fair number of success photos/videos dating back to 2011 on their Facebook page.

I work with a couple of Army helicopter pilots. From what I hear it's quite an accomplishment to get through flight school. The aviators are a bit too pretty for me, but I'm just a dirty tanker.

airplanes will pretty much fly themselves straight and level, helos pretty much have to be piloted from the moment the engines are spun up until they are spun down.

as far as I can tell, the whole of his training was nothing but procedures on how to deal with in flight emergencies. They do have to learn how to actually fly them straight and level, hover, etc, but once they learn that, it's just hours of repetition and a daily preflight briefing before goin up the the TH-57, then another after action. According to his IP, it's like a college final exam every working day until they graduate training.

TH-57 presents its own challenges - the transmission is anemic relative to how much torque the engine can generate. IOW, it's not difficult to overboost the tranny. That would be bad.

 

[Carson]

How did this hunt go? I'm looking for me and my son 2023. @sgt_zim

 

[sgt_zim]

How did this hunt go? I'm looking for me and my son 2023. @sgt_zim

We go in October, will post a full report when I get back.

My son is on the USS Truman until Sept, so we couldn't go in may as originally planned

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I totally missed that. Ok, not so worried about it now.

I'm bringing my navy helo pilot son as a present for graduating from USNA and US Navy flight school

@sgt_zim
I have a few mates in the navy that prefer to be on board a,ship or in a submarine. There reason is both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft can fall out of the sky. They have never heard of a ship or sub falling out of the ocean so they reckon it is safer. I have just found out thru another member that my son is also a navy pilot.
Bob

 

[sgt_zim]

lots of pig boat and surface ship sailors are resting in Davy Jones' Locker as well.

 

[stk]

Looking forward to the hunt report

 

[sgt_zim]

looking forward to the hunt. between my son and me, hopefully there are 2 bears on the ground by the end of the hunt.

 

[sgt_zim]

just booked flights through AA. Anybody know if there's anything special about checking guns/ammo with them? I checked their website, doesn't seem to be anything odd. Any reason to be at check-in more than 2 hours before the flight?

My son is flying Norfolk to Dallas, where I'll meet him, then we're across the aisle from each other on the way to Missoula.

 

[shootist~]

just booked flights through AA. Anybody know if there's anything special about checking guns/ammo with them? I checked their website, doesn't seem to be anything odd. Any reason to be at check-in more than 2 hours before the flight?

My son is flying Norfolk to Dallas, where I'll meet him, then we're across the aisle from each other on the way to Missoula.

Nothing special with checking guns with AA at ABQ on the connecting flight to Qatar /DFW last summer. AA pretty much had their stuff together on both ends. IIRC it took about 30 min. (I needed my luggage but not my rifle checked through to JNB causing some minor confusion.)

It's never a bad idea to give them a call ahead of time (I did), but it's Texas. You'll be fine.

 

[sgt_zim]

Talked to the outfitter this weekend just to make sure my rifle choice was a good one. I asked if he expected the shooting distances to be nearer or further than 200 yards.

He said "no, more like 15 - 30 yards."

Glad I have a 1-5 on my 9.3

 

[Carson]

Hey @sgt_zim , did you ever write a report on this hunt? I'm thinking about 2024 now as 2023 got away from me. Feel free to PM me. Thanks!