J&J Guide Service - Montana Hunting Outfitter

First of all I would like to say this review only applies to the Two Bears Camp and is a true account of what took place on this particular hunt. First morning we were told to meet at there lodge in Hamilton Mt at 9 am for the first gun season when we arrived we were greeted by one of there wranglers who said we weren’t suppose to be there until 11. He was friendly and took us into the cabin and offered us drinks and breakfast. Then another group of hunters showed up saying there were supposed to be there at 9 am as well. Then another wrangler showed up confirming the 9 am meet up time. Now it is 10 am and the wranglers are trying to figure out where the guides are. About an hour later we find out that the guides have been duck hunting in Bozeman Mt and are having truck problems and would be coming into camp late. So we are told that we are going to be taken to the trail head where we would meet the camp cook and she would guide us to the camp which I really didn’t feel comfortable with but went along with it anyway. At the trailhead we meet the cook a very nice lady who did guide us to the camp. At camp we settled in and awaited the arrival of the guides who never showed up until around midnight when were sleeping. Next morning we woke up to meet the guides had breakfast and headed out with no plans no scouting or any idea if any elk were around. Guide was a nice guy said I was his first year guiding in the area. He had guided the archery season prior to the gun season in which we were hunting. The rest of the hunt was the same as the first day never saw an elk. Camp was fine food was good the guide tried hard but in the end we never saw anything. I just can’t help but feel like if they would have been better prepared by scouting we could have had a better result. I contacted Rick after the hunt and asked if he would refund a day of my hunt because the guides were late and I felt like that was fair but he disagreed. By day 4 we came out of the mountains and we left. The other group was offered motel rooms and allowed to hunt from the truck for the remainder of their hunt. We were not offered this opportunity. Beautiful place to hunt but in the end you could probably do just as well hunting from the roads by yourself. Hopefully this will save someone out there some of there hard earned money and avoid this camp. Thanks for reading.

The entire operation at J&J is top notch, from excellent hunting areas with trophy game to comfortable accommodations and great food to knowledgeable staff who know how to care for you at the lodge and in the field. I have enjoyed numerous quality J&J hunts over the years, taking elk, mule deer, whitetail and antelope. While the hunting is great, I have found that I have equally enjoyed developing lifelong friendships with great folks such as Rich and Sue, Leroy and Andy. In fact, I no longer consider myself a J&J client but part of the family!

Hunters, A buddy and I recently got back from our elk hunt with Two Bears (J&J outfitter) in Hamilton, Montana. What a rewarding hunt for not being successful! We were looking for a hunt that was going to be challenging, and not just killing an elk. And we sure got that! Mother Nature through a few curveballs in there. On day three of our hunt we got a foot and a half of snow in the mountains and couldn’t see more than 500 yards The guide did everything possible to try to get us on elk, but it was just so hard to see them. We did get opportunities and for the conditions that we hunted in that was dang good. We put a 5 hour sneak on two bulls on a bench only to get busted by a grouse 100 yards from them. The guides listen to our input and we’re very accommodating. Lodging and the food was great. This is a very physically demanding hunt we put on a little over 34 miles in the mountains and it was everything I expected. I would definitely recommend this outfitter for a real public land hunting experience. Kyle K.

J&J Guide Service out of Ekalaka MT run by Rich and Sue is AWESOME. Every aspect of your operation is first class; from the warm welcome, to the extremely knowledgeable guide (Leroy was wonderful to hunt with), and the accommodations. And of course there’s Sue. She is absolutely the best. Always looking after us and making sure we’re well taken care of. The game is everywhere and the guides know their business and can set up any hunter in position to harvest a trophy.

I had the pleasure and an appreciated opportunity to hunt with J & J Guide service in Ekalaka Montana hunting Marriam turkeys. Rich and Rick have a first-class operation, from their guiding abilities and amazing properties to hunt on, along with a great camp atmosphere, their great guides, comfortable sleeping quarters, and a cook (Kelly) that creates incredible meals that include a variety of the main course, sides, salads, and desserts that all could be mistaken for a NY high end restaurant. Breakfast to go, packed lunches for the field, snacks and drinks as needed were all part of the experience and the cook catered to a food allergy I had, making a separate dish from what others had to meet my requirements and provided the regular dishes for the rest of the hunters. The guides were incredibly knowledgeable about the properties, where game could be located, and took the time to approach each area with a mindset of a successful and enjoyable experience for me as a client (I felt like I was one of the gang the way I was treated along with other hunters in the camp). I harvested a nice Tom the second morning and could not be happier with the experience and the bird I harvested (he’s at the taxidermist for a full body mount), being a true bred Merriam, only found in this part of the country. I can not wait for the archery elk hunt this fall in their central Montana camp. The pictures they provided and is on their site of what has been harvested in the past few years and a few bulls that made it through the entire hunting season last year should provide an opportunity for a nice bull (Toad). Thanks, guys, for a great hunt, I’m looking forward to September and scream ‘in bulls.