The Hunt: Part II

December 30th, 2011
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Mark Cardall

T Cross Owner and Manager

 

Question: What makes elk hunting at the T Cross a different experience than your typical hunt in Wyoming?

Mark: Our location is key. Most ranches aren’t located in an area where you can go elk hunting out the back door. You’d typically have to load the horses and travel; but we set out from the corrals. At the T Cross, our hunters enjoy the luxury of staying in a cabin.

 

Question: What is the daily schedule for an elk hunter?

Mark: Around 4:30 a.m. you enjoy a cup of coffee while we saddle up the horses.  We serve you a hot breakfast at 5, then head out about thirty minutes later. Once on our horses we make our way to the location we think the elk will be. After finding the elk, we set and watch on the hillsides and parks.

Mid-morning we may stay on the mountain for lunch or retreat back to the ranch. This is another convenience of the T Cross–you can enjoy the comforts of sitting down to a hot lunch, get warmed up/dried off before riding out again.

After lunch we head out for the evening hunt. Once dusk sets in, we head back to the ranch for a nice dinner and relax.

 

Question: How successful are hunters that choose the T Cross for their hunt?

Mark: We are always able to find the elk–even with the wolf population bringing the numbers down. On rifle hunts we get 100 percent. For bow hunting we usually get about 50 percent.

 

Question: How many hunters get to experience the T Cross in the fall?

Mark: We only take 2-4 hunters per season. I have to know them personally; usually they are previous guests that we’ve invited back for the hunt.

Question: How big are the elk your hunters usually score?

Mark: Our elk range from 320-330 inch bulls, which is pretty typical for Wyoming. We are a traditional hunting experience–on horseback. You witness an elk bugle echo through a valley. You ride through scenery that takes your breath away. You get to see Wyoming wildlife: mountain sheep, moose, grizzlies, wolves. It’s the complete ecosystem.

 

Question: What advice do you have for hunters?

Mark: Hunters are responsible for bringing all personal equipment. We provide everything horse related. Be sure to dress for hot to cold–the temperatures vary from 0 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The ranch sets at 8,000 ft. and we only go up from there. Hunting is demanding, get in shape before you arrive.

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Equitrekking: The World Meets the T Cross

November 19th, 2011
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Hello friends! Our favorite travel TV series, Equitrekking (the Emmy Award-winning PBS series hosted by Darley Newman) will begin broadcasting on the UK’s Horse & Country TV January 2, 2012.

Darley Newman and T Cross Manager Mark Cardall ride the T Cross range with wrangler Gregg Rigby.

This means you can watch as Darley travels the world riding horses with local people to get an in-depth, eco-friendly look at a destination’s natural surroundings, culture and history. Make sure you add it to your weekly schedule because the T Cross Ranch is always featured when Darley and her crew visit Wyoming.

APT Worldwide, a leading provider of quality programming in the international market, has secured international distribution deals for Equitrekking on networks in over 65 countries including France, Italy, Russia, Japan, and Turkey. So, share the news with your friends across the globe and invite them to experience your favorite frontier at the T Cross.

Click here to learn more about Equitrekking, to view the Episode Guide, and wander through the Production Gallery. See what Equitrekking has to say about the T Cross by clicking here.

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A Camera’s View

October 27th, 2011

As the pavement ends, and you begin your dusty trek to the T Cross Ranch, several surprises await you. First, you realize that 15 miles and 15 minutes are not synonymous anymore. Unlike the freeway-speed drive you’ve enjoyed past the Grand Tetons and beautiful Wyoming scenery, the snail-paced slow down up Horse Creek is the first taste of your true “vacation.” Many guests don’t realize that those 15 miles may take up to 45 minutes to arrive at the T Cross gate.

And second, each mile you pass introduces such fantastic scenery you begin to wonder why in the world you packed the camera in the trunk. Trust me, you’ll want that camera in the passenger seat!

Does this sound familiar?

One 2011 guest Tedd Kidd shared his photographic journey at the T Cross on his Flikr profile. View this guest’s favorite moments and scenes in the majestic Wyoming wilderness. Thank you, Tedd for sharing your adventure!

 

 

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The Hunt: Part I

October 17th, 2011
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Danny Bartlett, Illinois

Hunter

 

T Cross: When did you first decide to come for an elk hunt at the T Cross?

Danny: I stayed at the T Cross as a guest three years ago at a neighbor’s recommendation. I met Mark Cardall and heard all about the elk hunting up here. I’ve hunted all my life–mostly deer and turkeys. I thought the T Cross would be a great place to have a hunt.

T Cross: Tell us about your experience hunting here.

Danny: This was my first time elk hunting. The country here is beautiful; the mountains are especially great. I remember the first time I heard an elk bugle–it was an amazing feeling. Being able to spend time with my guide, Mark, and wrangler, Clancey, was also very rewarding.

 

T Cross: Was your hunting trip successful?

Danny: Absolutely. My elk was 6 points and weighed between 800-900 pounds. I had the meat processed in town and look forward to enjoying it this year.

 

T Cross: Would you recommend the T Cross hunting experience to others?

Danny: Definitely, by all means.

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A Fisherman’s Travels: Andy Roth shares his T Cross experience

October 5th, 2011

“This year  I am traveling to T-Cross Ranch. T-Cross is a Dude Ranch that has been in business in Wyoming since 1918 and is built on the old Western tradition of providing a quality horse experience along with the adventure of discovery that is the West. I am here to ride horses and find the trout that exist in the rivers running through this 340 acre property and the adjacent public land. To combine the two is about as good as it gets.

 

T-Cross ranch sits in a beautiful little rugged bowl just to the North of the town of Dubois, Wy. Surrounded by picturesque rock formations and lodgepole pine forest the views and terrain are stunning.

 

Riding horses in this country, just to ride, or to ride to fish is an experience you will never forget. For the novice or the experienced horse rider the folks at the T-cross were nothing but solid and professionals.

 

The wranglers, the food, the fishing, the hosts and the accommodations were top notch. Wednesday’s ride was epic. We climbed mountains, perched on the edge of canyons, swam through rivers and were in the saddle for 8 hours. No fishing this day, but there was no need, the stimulation was out of this world. I cannot express how overwhelmed I was as I took myself back to the excitement that first travelers must have felt as they forded these rivers and rode this country to chase their dreams. Fly fishing is my passion, but this overall package is special and I was assured if more than 50 people see this country in a year that would be a stretch. T-Cross offers different length rides every day and you make the choice how long you wish to stay in the saddle.

 

The fishing was very, very good. The Creek that runs through the ranch provided exceptional fishing for Rainbows and brook trout. Brown trout existed in the wider slower down stream sections of the river but were not my target. The Rainbow fishing got better each day as the waters continued to recede and the fish moved from the slow water back channels to the main river.

 

Two 21″ ‘Bows were the highlights of my trip, leaping and fighting with incredible strength in very fast water. A challenge to any fly angler. The water was in the 40′s and the fish were feisty as all get out. A 5 minute walk put you on this prime rainbow water behind the ranch. Upstream from the ranch the water turns to high quality, high gradient pocket water. This water was raging throughout my trip and although a few brookies were caught here, I am told the big boy brookies live here . From the mounts on the wall at the ranch and the discussions with the owner…I believe. The fish pictures are few. I had forgotten how slippery, strong, and misbehaving these high mountain fish were. My concern was to get them back in the water rather than ground pound them trying to get a photo. Even with a net they were difficult to hang onto for pictures.

 

Nymphing was the most effective method because of the high water, but I am told that during a normal year, the hopper and the large dry are king. The cutthroat trout in this area exist in a high lake whose valley we could not enter this year because of heavy snows. I am told that Cutt’s of over 20″ are not uncommon.

 

We are booked for next year already.”

Thank you Andy Roth for sharing your story with us. See more photos and read the first half of Roth’s story here. The second half of the adventure can be found here.

 

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