# Colorado Elk Hunt?



## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

OK guys, anyone have any good advice on this? A buddy & me are going to try to get a hunt planned for this fall so I'm looking for some help. As of right now we are thinking of going with an outfitter for a drop camp style hunt. If we could find a decent priced fully guided hunt we would consider that too though. I would like a high country hunt in the first rifle season but don't know how realistic it is to get pulled for the draw on that. Our other choice is second week with over the counter tags.

I'm not looking to bag a monster, just more the opportunity to hunt an elk. I would consider it a successful trip if we were in the right area and had elk around us and had a good time, and an excellent hunt if one of us tagged one.

So, anyone have any words of wisdom? Or recommend any outfitters or areas?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Lots and lots of Elk in Co.....trophy quality is not there but it does have a high success rate and getting a tag on the first rifle hunt in a good area should not be a problem. Co is a good state to apply for the type of hunt you are looking at....

You might want to subscribe to the Huntin' Fool magazine....a bit pricey at $100 year for 12 issues, but it is worth every penny....especially for newbies. They will have the best areas to apply for with different criteria, they will list the odds for drawing tags in those areas, and they will have different outfitters for different areas that they recommend.

They cover all the Western Big Game states and give you valuable information on applying for different states and how to build draw points in those states to draw those hard to get tags.

You don't have to subscribe to the magazine every year to keep abreast.... the info can be used for couple years.

The year starts with the January issue..... https://www.huntinfool.com/

Regards and Good Hunting,

Mike


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

Gunnison Country Guide Service owned and operated by John Nelson in Gunnison. He ran drop camps 20 years ago and I assume that he still does.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

Be ready to drop some big bucks for a outfitted hunt. My Dad and some other men had leased this ranch southeast of Gunnison , ran cattle on it and some blm grass , we would go back each season to hunt elk and mule deer, throw in some trout fishing to when the ice was thin. Had great time up there , I never killed any big elk but I did some huge mule deer. Colorado is not the only state that has elk so check it out . They issued 60 tags here this year , there are some damn sure big bulls close to me , I seen a 7x8 on a friends ranch , it was a monster. Get online and do some studying on locations and see what they have , dont wait till its too late for things will go fast on most places.


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

panhandle9400 said:


> Be ready to drop some big bucks for a outfitted hunt. My Dad and some other men had leased this ranch southeast of Gunnison , ran cattle on it and some blm grass , we would go back each season to hunt elk and mule deer, throw in some trout fishing to when the ice was thin. Had great time up there , I never killed any big elk but I did some huge mule deer. Colorado is not the only state that has elk so check it out . They issued 60 tags here this year , there are some damn sure big bulls close to me , I seen a 7x8 on a friends ranch , it was a monster. Get online and do some studying on locations and see what they have , dont wait till its too late for things will go fast on most places.


Yeah, a fully guided hunt for a big bull is way out of my price range. I have no interest is dropping $10-30k on a trophy. I have looked into some of the other states, I think Colorado is the most out of state friendly.


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

Lostin55 said:


> Gunnison Country Guide Service owned and operated by John Nelson in Gunnison. He ran drop camps 20 years ago and I assume that he still does.


Thanks for the info. I checked them out and it looks like a nice setup. I may have to do a little more research on that area.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

Fowllife said:


> Yeah, a fully guided hunt for a big bull is way out of my price range. I have no interest is dropping $10-30k on a trophy. I have looked into some of the other states, I think Colorado is the most out of state friendly.


Northern New Mexico has some good hunting too. Lots of good folks up there. Hell apply for a elk tag here in Oklahoma too ?


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

Vol said:


> Lots and lots of Elk in Co.....trophy quality is not there but it does have a high success rate and getting a tag on the first rifle hunt in a good area should not be a problem. Co is a good state to apply for the type of hunt you are looking at....
> 
> You might want to subscribe to the Huntin' Fool magazine....a bit pricey at $100 year for 12 issues, but it is worth every penny....especially for newbies. They will have the best areas to apply for with different criteria, they will list the odds for drawing tags in those areas, and they will have different outfitters for different areas that they recommend.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the link Mike, it may be well worth the money to get some honest info on different outfitters & it would be great to see some success rates.

I have 3 different groups of friends who have been out west after elk, one of them has been out twice. Two of them were DIY Colorado archery hunts with a very low succes rate. Another was a "guided" hunt with a bad guide where they basically hunted within 150 yds of a trail they could drive a gulf cart down that had a low but slightly better success rate. The last was a fairly high dollar fully guided hunt in New Mexico.

From talking to these different groups of guys I came to the conclusion that a first week gun season would be the best hunt for us. Well, as long I can find a good outfitter that will drop us in a good area.


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## FCF (Apr 23, 2010)

Gotta put a plug in for Kentucky! I am not an elk hunter but our Fish and Wildlife has done a superb job of getting decent elk herds in the eastern part of the state. Mostly in the coal mine regions. A civic group I am involved with got awarded a commissioner permit a couple years ago and what we were able to sell it for I thought was unreal but others in the group said it was not that high priced.


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

One thing about elk hunting in a wilderness setting, the result is usually on par with the effort put into it. You are doing well to check everyone out and find the area that you like.
There are a bunch of different outfitters who can drop you off somewhere for 5 days, but if they drop 2 other groups into the same area time and again, success goes down the tubes.
As far as being expensive, even for me to go it can get expensive, and I live in elk country. I have always laughed at the response to my out of state friends when they ask how much it costs to go hunting and I reply " about $70K". Then I explain the cost of the hayburners, tack, camp, truck, and trailer and they finally get it.
In all seriousness, you might be able to come up with a DIY hunt somewhere and forego the outfitter all together. You would have to research quite a bit I am sure but it could be done.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

FCF, I apply for the KY Elk tag lottery every year.....just not lucky enough I guess. KY has great Elk genes.

Regards, Mike


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

Lostin55 said:


> One thing about elk hunting in a wilderness setting, the result is usually on par with the effort put into it. You are doing well to check everyone out and find the area that you like.
> There are a bunch of different outfitters who can drop you off somewhere for 5 days, but if they drop 2 other groups into the same area time and again, success goes down the tubes.
> As far as being expensive, even for me to go it can get expensive, and I live in elk country. I have always laughed at the response to my out of state friends when they ask how much it costs to go hunting and I reply " about $70K". Then I explain the cost of the hayburners, tack, camp, truck, and trailer and they finally get it.
> In all seriousness, you might be able to come up with a DIY hunt somewhere and forego the outfitter all together. You would have to research quite a bit I am sure but it could be done.


Being dropped into an area with a bunch of other pressure is one of my main concerns. I really don't want to have to deal with always being in a sea of orange.

I was thinking a DIY hunt at first, but after I started to add up all of the stuff that I would need, and lack of knowledge of the area I started leaning more towards guided or drop camp. By the time I buy a good tent & all the gear to outfit it, then pay to have it packed up the mountain, and packed back down the mountain, and pay to have an elk packed down if I get one, I'm money ahead to just hire an outfitter. A good outfitter will also bring local knowledge of the area that would be a big help.

Don't get me wrong, If I ran across someone that had a nice little honey hole that was easy to get to I would try a DIY, but who would ever give up their honey hole?


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

panhandle9400 said:


> Northern New Mexico has some good hunting too. Lots of good folks up there. Hell apply for a elk tag here in Oklahoma too ?


I do appreciate the help Panhandle, but I really think I want to stick to Colorado for now. I know there are other areas that have good elk hunting, but I'm sure Colorado is were I will end up.

Without sounding too cheesy, the other part of this is just the experience. If I just wanted to shoot an elk I would drive to southern Ohio, drop the $3-4k @ Double D, shoot my elk, and drive home. It's been a dream of mine to do a true Rocky Mountain elk hunt for 15 years, my buddy's for longer then that.

Plus, I need to have this all planned & booked in the next month or 2. It's hard to get that done when tags are draw only.


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

FCF said:


> Gotta put a plug in for Kentucky! I am not an elk hunter but our Fish and Wildlife has done a superb job of getting decent elk herds in the eastern part of the state. Mostly in the coal mine regions. A civic group I am involved with got awarded a commissioner permit a couple years ago and what we were able to sell it for I thought was unreal but others in the group said it was not that high priced.


I have thought about this, not really for this hunt but in the future. Do they allow you to put in for a group draw? While it is only a few hours away, solo hunting would be hard. It would be nice to get at least 2 tags.


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## FCF (Apr 23, 2010)

Unfortunately I don't know about the group draw. Can try and find out if others don't answer.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Fowllife said:


> I have thought about this, not really for this hunt but in the future. Do they allow you to put in for a group draw? While it is only a few hours away, solo hunting would be hard. It would be nice to get at least 2 tags.


Fowllife, I have been applying and building Bonus Points for AZ Elk for about 16 years....I have already Elk hunted there in 2001...this time my son and I have enough points to get drawn together in a top unit in AZ for archery Elk. This will probably be my last back country archery Elk hunt as the years are catching up to my legs....I may have another muzzleloader Elk hunt left in me as they are not quite as demanding. I am going with a top outfitter that I have been corresponding with for the last 14 years....a good man and most important a heck of a outfitter who knows the country and the Elk. The draw is in April....this is a pure trophy bull area.....my goal is to harvest a Elk with my bow over 350 inches.....if the Good Lord is willing, I will do it. I especially enjoy these hunts with my son(s) as we are building memories for both of us....and maybe he will tell stories to his son(s) one day about our hunts together. I guess what I am saying is that you need to do things like these hunts as they will stay in your heart and mind forever....it is just really special out in the Western back country. I wish you the very best and if I can help you in anyway send me a PM.

Best Regards, Mike


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

About the costs associated with getting a camp together, If you have camping gear you are most of the way there. Don't think that you have to have the cabelas picture book camp to hunt elk. You don't.

I was thinking back on my progression through the years as an elk hunter. I have gone in with, and sometimes still do, a summer tent with no stove, a sleeping bag, dehydrated food, a couple of knives, a bone saw, rifle and ammo, personables, and little else.

Horses can be rented and dropped off/ picked up at a trailhead. Of course if you have some knowledge of horses and packing would be helpful. Other than that, there is always a broke local willing to take a ride and pack one out for a couple hundred dollars. I know I did it several times for people. The average ranch hand is making 2000/ month and a couple hundred dollars goes a long way, especially if he is in the area already.

The point that I am trying to make is to think outside of the box, and don't get discouraged. You can come up with a plan that will work for you.

There is value in the use of an outfitter, area knowledge being the biggest. There is also value in not having to plan every little detail including meals, of course a drop camp kind of leaves you to your own devices. I spent quite a few years guiding hunters so I have seen all kinds. On the other hand, There is a little pride that comes with pulling off your own hunt, your way. No matter which you chose you will have a blast, and be forewarned, elk hunting is addictive.


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

I was just thinking about the best elk hunter I ever had as a guide. I guided for about ten years.

This guy was from California, the Stockton area if I remember right. The year was 1996. An elk hunt one on one was right at $6000. This guy shows up for the hunt, recently retired. He is in great shape for his age, and can't hit paper at the range.

Over the 8 day hunt I came to learn that he was a career shop teacher at his local high school. His wife didn't work and they raised a family. Money was tight. He, however, had a dream. That dream was a real backcountry wilderness elk hunt.

For over twenty years, every night when he got home he put his pocket change in a jar. That was the amount his wife and he decided he could afford to save. In the end, after all of those years, he had saved enough for the hunt and the airfare and associated costs for his big hunt. That man I will never forget. From the time that I helped him on his horse to ride the 8 hours into camp, until we shook hands at the conclusion of the hunt and he drove away, he had a smile on his face that wouldn't quit. We stopped several times a day and just looked at the scenery. He wanted to know everything about the area, flora and fauna etc. He took it all in, every minute of it.

We were lucky that week, it snowed a couple of feet up high and he was able to take a nice bull, in the 340 class, not that he cared about the size. He made a perfect heart shot from about 120 yards, in the meadow not 1/2 mile from camp. I would have bet the ranch that he would have missed, but his aim was true. I still have a picture at home that is of him and that bullet creased heart.

He cried for a while after the elk was down, and what struck me the most was the awe that he had, and the respect that he had for the area and the animal. To say that those traits are rare would be an understatement. He was hands down, the best hunter that I ever had the pleasure to encounter. He wasn't the youngest, most fit, biggest tipper, best rider, or the wealthiest, but he was the best.


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

I appreciate the kind words and well wishes gentelmen. It's amazing to me how something that sounds so simple can turn out to be so complex. For an eastern flatlander, heading out west for a backcountry hunt can be somewhat overwelming. I feel like a newby on here thats asking about making hay for the first time, yeah I know the basics, but there is so much more too it.

I did find a good resource the other night that highlighted some of the best GMU's for elk hunting. I think if I cross reference that with thetype of terrain I would like to hunt & availible guides in the area I wll have a good start. I had my mind set on hunting the north west corner, but it looks like the guide that Lost recommended in the central portion hay also be a very good option.

We ave talked about DIY vs Drop camp vd guided quite a bit. For the first time out there we really want the knowedge of a local guide. I have talked to several guys that spend their entire hunt wondering through the woods with no luck.

Most of the drop camps I have looked at are in the $1500-2k range. Pack in a day early, supple all camping gear, pack out down game, pack back out of camp, and the real kicker for my wife is checking on camp every couple days. My wife can be somewhat high strung at time and for some reason thing I'm going to fall off a mountain & die, so for this reason alone she says she is behind me 100% as long as I use a guide. Hey, if that is her only stipulation I'm fine with that. Plus, most of the pack services are about $250 a trip, so after 3 trips I'm at $750, then you add the camp setup, and you are paying $500ish for local knowedge and some peace of mind.

After our semi guided bear hunt in Canada last year I can see how the right guide would make all the difference in a guided hunt. Our guide was real layed back and let us make the call on things, but it made me see how a guide can really change a hunt from something you want into something you dont. Even with reading reviews and such you really never know how you are going to mesh with a person until you meet them.

Mike, I wish you the best of luck on your hunt. Memorys will last generations.


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

Well, If you went with John N in Gunnison, I could tell you where to go from the drop camp and how to hunt it. I guided for John just after I got started in the business, as a matter of fact he gave me my first guiding job. He is a colorful character and a lot of folks have had a great time in his camp. If you do a drop camp with him, be in shape. That stretch of real estate can be pretty demanding physically. There are elk there though, and usually a lot of them. You won't find any huge bulls, but the trophy isn't necessarily in the size of the horns anyway.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Definitely hire a guide if this is your maiden voyage out West....alot to learn and the odds of you connecting with good Elk are a whole lot better....the object is to take a Elk and a proficient guide can maximize those odds.

I have gone solo many times on Western hunts and have had great success......but when you draw a special tag that takes years of applying to get, it pays to hire a guide to take the burdens off of the hunter so that the hunter can focus on being a hunter.....and less on the domestic chores. The hunting part is definitely the fun part.....when you get a big bull down then the work begins.....even if you are just a 1/2 mile from camp. I love horses....they are your very best friends on a Western hunt....once I finish my hunt, I am done with horses. 

Now, if I could just draw my sheep tags in Wyoming, Montana, and Arizona....

The hardest critter I have ever hunted is a Shiras Moose....been twice and unsuccessful both times on big bulls.

Happy Trails, Mike


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