Ranch News

Our 2021 season is now in the record books and a record it was. In 2020 we turned away 48 clients. For 2021 we added 50% more upland bird walkup hunting areas and added 50% to our fleet of Polaris Rangers. We turned away 61 clients in 2021. That's a good measure of how strong demand is for outdoor shooting and hunting experiences.

I am often asked for the reasons we turn away clients. Let me count the ways. Here are a few direct quotes which lead to a turn down. Spoiler alert: dates matter.
• "We are not interested in the shooting sports but want to stay at your Lodge."
• "Do you have a spa?"
• "I am getting married in Jackson and want to bring my wedding party to shoot. Can we drink beer while we shoot?"
• "My group of eight want to come in September or October for three days to hunt upland birds." (September 10, 2021)
• "How do we sign up for the trophy elk hunts?" (Anytime in the current year.)
• "Sign us up for the trophy elk hunt." (Even if before the December 1 tag sale for the following year, we were more than 200% over-subscribed this year.)

So how do you get to shoot at Lazy Triple Creek Ranch and get invited back? The answer to the second part of that question is easy: Love the shooting sports and don't be unsafe or a jerk. The answer to the first part of that questions follows.

We keep Five Stand open year-round. Access is by Polaris Ranger until the snow gets too deep, then we use our snowcat.

A half day shooting clays in the snow is $390 per person. We supply loaner shotguns if needed, all ammunition, a guide/instructor, snacks, and lunch for groups of four or more. Minimum two. What's special about shooting black clays against a snow covered background is how much easier the targets are to see: Instantly better shooting. Cross country ski back down through untracked powder or on the snowcat track if you wish.

The Lodge is open again for overnight stays for your visiting friends and family. All Covid-19 risk reduction protocols remain in effect. $390 per room per night. Catering by our private chef is available. Five Stand is open and we will cut a cross country ski trail for anyone interested.

To hunt elk in Idaho as a nonresident you need a nonresident elk tag.  Idaho Fish and Game limited nonresident tags by area this year. In previous years, a nonresident could buy a tag for our hunt area until the cap on nonresident tags for the state was reached. That happened only twice in 20 years and not until July in those two years. Effectively, a nonresident could buy a tag for our area over the counter anytime all years but two and then you could buy before July. Idaho resident tags are still available but nonresident tags sold out in the first hour for our area.

We were oversubscribed for elk hunts in 2022 by 200%. On December 1 only 50% of those applying were successful in obtaining a tag. We are exploring ways to mitigate the new policy for 2023 hunts.

If you are interested in the 2023 hunt, and successful in obtaining a tag, you will arrive October 13, 2023 for two days of scouting before opening day on October 15.  Hunt until all tags have been filled or the season ends. That has taken two days since we started hunting the ranch except for one year when wolves and cougar were on the ranch. We will prepare our own meals just like a real backcountry hunt except we will be staying in the Lodge. $8,900 per person hunting. $390 per day for anyone joining but not hunting. $3,000 deposit to confirm your hunt. Apply before November 15, 2022.

Our clays courses: trap, skeet, five stand, our world class 14-station sporting clays course, and more will be open to guests from June 1 to August 31, 2022. Book now if you would like to come with a group, otherwise let us know one week ahead and we should be able to accommodate your request. We really do value the private, exclusive nature of this very special place over commercial success so we will continue to limit access.

Pricing for 2022 remains unchanged in spite of price increases on most everything notably the 250% increases in the costs of catering and ammunition. We can only hold prices unchanged with more volume particularly for Shotgun Saturdays. A half day of clays shooting including ammunition, a guide/instructor, and lunch remains $250. Every first and second Saturdays in June, July, and August. Other days $390 with an instructor.

We will change over from clays to upland bird walkup hunts with guides and dogs and European Style Driven Shooting on September 1, 2022.

We are trying to avoid price increases for 2022 here as well. Walkup hunts remain $690 per person per half day. A full day of European style driven shooting, lunch, and walkup hunting with guides and dogs remains $2,900. We supply loaner shotguns if needed, all ammunition, snacks, lunch for four or more, guides and dogs, cocktails and conversation on the deck for full day shooting events, and birds cleaned and vacuum packed for your departure.

Book soon if you would like to come with a group or would like to overnight in the Lodge as part of your shooting experience. We are booked by groups already from September 27 to October 22 with two additional groups trying to agree dates with their groups.

Book soon also if you would like to join our season opener: European style driven Shooting with Western Sensibilities on Saturday, September 3, 2022. We have room for eight guns. Full day of driven shooting, no walkups. $2,100 for a very full day of shooting.

No dates selected yet, but we will be offering long range shooting (to a mile and more) and pistol classes again in 2022. Come with a group of four to eight and you get to pick the dates. World class instructors will be available.

Jointly with the top fly-fishing lodge in the area, we will be offering Cast and Blast in 2022. Three days of fly fishing on the iconic rivers of Eastern Idaho combined with three days of shooting at Lazy Triple Creek Ranch. Let us know if you would like to fish and shoot in 2022.

That's the last rooster of the official 2021 season, one of the largest and most colorful we have seen. Most operations like ours offer cleanup shoots at the end of the season to clients. We prefer to give that opportunity to those who made the season possible, our staff, dog handlers, and our course these guys:

That's Emma and Pete with the Last Rooster, two of our hard-working upland bird hunting dogs who really enjoyed the season. That's also Steve, our Ranch Manager, who also had a very good year.

That's all, folks.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay shooting.

The Team at Lazy Triple Creek Ranch