Hunt ID: CO-5012
About the Outfitter:
These hunts are extremely popular and successful. Therefore, many of the hunters leave a deposit when they leave the prior year to be guaranteed the dates for the following year. The only way to get in this preferred hunting is to hunt 1 year with them, then you are on the preferred list for any of the hunts.
All rifle elk hunts can be booked up a year in advance due to the high demand for these hunts!
Arrival to base camp at 10 a.m. on the day before your hunt begins and pack out around 12 p.m. on the day after your hunt ends.
30 years of hunting and guiding on this mountain has provided us with a working knowledge in how to be successful and use an elk’s weaknesses to our advantage. The biggest bucks and bulls are always the last to migrate and, in many cases, do not go all the way down as far as the cows. The Mule deer rut is in November.
The bulls will tend to be in bachelor herds after the September rut as much as possible but movement and hunting pressure at times will put them with the cows. Even though this is national forest the public pressure is far down below us, so we seldom see anyone that is not with our group. If the elk or deer do get buy us on their downward migration it is common for the public hunter unknowingly push them right back up to us.
Although elk are our prime target you will see some mule deer. Early in the season we are one that has a timberline Mule Deer hunt for the high impact hunt lovers. These bucks will stay at timberline all summer and if they can in the fall.
You can have horses, but you will need to have fence panels, there are currently no facilities to support the horses. You can bring your own horses.
For the bugling elk hunter hunting early seasons as archery, Muzzleloader and first rifle this is where the bulls will work with you and you can work on them. You are up where there are normally no hunters for miles.
This is where the outfitter was born and grew up on ranches, running cattle and breaking horses, which are superior born and bred stronger mountain horses we train ourselves. The stock is hand raised and very sound and mountain smart. Having a good horse for clients to ride is a 100% necessity in the outfitting business our rule is safety first then fun.
Location:
Southern Colorado GMU080 and GMU081 San Juan Wilderness and Rio Grande National Forest.
Hunt Type(s):
DIY horse or ATV/UTV/4x4 drop camps.
Species & Recommended Seasons:
Elk and mule deer archery through 3rd rifle.
Licenses:
Elk licenses over the counter except for archery, muzzleloader, 1st and 4th Rifle seasons. No or low preference points needed to draw a license. 2nd and 3rd rifle are over the counter for bull elk. Deer licenses are draw only and take 1 to 6 preference points depending on the season.
License and Voucher Watchdog will get you the licenses you need.
License and Season Information
Lay of the Land:
Apart from the low altitude foothills drop camp all these hunts take place around 9,500' to 12,000' elevation and 1/2 to 5 miles per day. It is important that you are in good physical condition to fully partake in these hunts.
The base camp is at 9,500' elevation that has a lodge where the meals and showers and bathrooms are found. The base camp lodge is surrounded by 4 dry cabins, then ¼ mile away or so are two separate deluxe cabins with full kitchens and water facilities that are labeled deluxe cabins.
For those doing drop camps with ATV/UTV/4x4’s or horses they are spread out across the best part of thousands of acres of mountain property, at different altitudes spotlighting on hunting honey holes near their location. The high altitude camps are guided out of or you are housed at the main camp in the cabin or main lodge.
Hunting begins right from camp. The terrain can be steep and rugged with areas of open meadows and plateaus.
Party Size:
2 minimum to 6 max for each drop camps.
Mode of Travel:
ATV/UTV’s & Pickups will be used during the hunt as needed or by foot. BYO horses if you can.
Animal Quality:
Right across the line for the designated quality unit GMU076 taking elk up to 340” and mule deer 170-220”.
Success Rate:
With 25 years of outfitting preceded by 20 years of hunting has taught this outfitter where to find game. High success on mule deer and elk. DIY success rate is not tracked.
Hunt Difficulty:
It is recommended that you be in good physical condition for this hunt even though the mountain horses do most of the walking not you. Hunting can be from 1/2 to 5 miles from base camp.
Pricing:
2024 Archery September Hunt Dates: All Guided or Semi-Guided hunts are 6 night/5 days: Bookings are Monday-Friday during the month of September to avoid the weekend warrior hunting pressure.
Archery/Muzzleloader Dates:
Sept. 1-8th
Sept. 8th-15th
Sept. 15th-22nd
Sept. 22nd-29th
Rifle Dates:
Oct. 12th-16th
Oct. 26th-30th (1- 4-wheel Drop Camp Available) Additional pro-rated days may be purchased upon approval of the dates
Nov. 9th-13th (1- 4-wheel Drop Camp Available) Additional pro-rated days may be purchased upon approval of the dates
Any Season (DIY) Drop Camp $2,000/hunter 7 night/6 day hunts (Minimum 2 hunters per camp) wall or teepee style tent.
2 Drop Camp options below: hunt days are Monday - Friday each full week of September) Sunday in/Sunday out unless additional hunt days are purchased.
~ Horseback pack-in/out drop camp (Pack-in the day prior to the first hunt day booked and pack-out on the following morning after the last hunt day scheduled (Limit of 100lbs per hunter for gear and food) If bringing lots of gear then they need to book a 4-wheel drop camp
~ 4-wheel accessible Drop Camp (client brings their own ATV or UTV) $25.25 permit/vehicle are required which can be purchased with their elk tag.
Provided in Basic Camp Set-up: wall or teepee style tent, cots, pads, table, chairs, 2 burner stove with propane supplied, lantern, pots, pans, dishes, dishpan, basic cookware, utensils, cooking and food prep utensils, water containers, latrene, shovel and axe. We will provide your initial 10 gal of drinking water and firewood.
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Clients will need to provide your own water filtration system, sleeping bags, pillows, food, food storage containers, paper and plastic goods, coolers and anything not listed as provided in basic camp set-up. If you need special equipment that requires electricity such as: CPAP machine, etc… you will need to bring a portable generator and your own fuel.
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No guide or transportation is provided. We advise on areas to hunt and the client will take themselves out to hunt each day. Clients may choose to bring ATV/UTV for use in semi-guided or DIY 4 wheeler accessible drop camps. Most of our areas are accessible by SUV or 4 wheel drive vehicles to the trailheads, but an ATV/UTV can be useful on limited trails. If choosing to use ATV/UTV, a permit is required which can be acquired online on the Parks & Wildlife website.
- Clients are responsible to have all required licenses and tags for the species that you are hunting.
- Clients are responsible for knowing the rules and regulations of their state laws for transportation of game.
- Clients are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from basecamp and transportation of game to home
What’s Included:
- See above on all hunt types.
What’s Not Included:
- Hunting Licenses
- Transportation to Colorado
- DIY hunt field prep of game and packing to camp.
- Game processing
- Taxidermy
Use the Outfitter Request Form or call us using the phone number at the top of the page to check on availability, ask questions or book it.
Disclaimer: All prices are per person unless otherwise noted. No additional fees for booking, the price is the price except for NM adds sales tax. Unless otherwise noted price is per person, no licenses/tags included, game processing and taxidermy costs extra. There is no guarantee in hunting. Availability and prices subject to change by the outfitter or landowner and they have the last word. If there is a discrepancy between our posted price and what they say it is then we do our best to negotiate for you but offer no guarantee. We do our best to audit them making sure what they say they offer they actually do by visiting them or going on hunts we pay for. No refunds for early tag out. No guarantee on filling hunting licenses.