Can anyone help me with finding a property owner in Colorado to hunt rifle season for elk in 06?

Whispering pine outfitters, in Craig. I just came back from a cow hunt there and I must have seen 1000 head. They have a Ranching for Wildlife lease.. I think they are around $5000.00 for a bull. Nice lodge and great food, horseback or pickup, depending on where they elk are..almost 100% this fall, they are 100% on cows.

What is the average score for an Elk in CO?

$5,000 for a elk hunt is getting spendy...I can shoot 7 plains game animals in Africa for that...

Why do you think you need to be on private property? Almost 50% of the state of Colorado is public ground. You can get a subscription to the Dept of Wildlife's magazine "Colorado Outdoors" and the Mar issue will give you the preference point and success info. They also have a hunt recap section on their web page. They also produce some very good informational videos for peple just starting out elk hunting.

Additionally you can call the big game biologists, their #'s are available fom the DOW as well. The regional biologists are very hepful in showing people where the herds can be found. You can buy a general bull elk tag over the counter and go elk hunting. Colorado has the largest elk herds in the world and there isn't any shrtage of them.

Do some running and climbing to get in shape and go get an elk on your own. You really don't need to go the guide/outfitter and private property route if you are in decent shape and willing to actually hunt vice riding around in a pickup. Plus you will have the pride in knowing you did it all on your own.

Mac

I took a nice 5x5 on public land north of Craig several years ago. An outfitter had his camp near ours and rode by on horses with his clients in tow as we were finishing boneing out the meat. Client said they hadn't seen anything in two days of hunting. Outfitter didn't ride by anymore after that. Bottom line is you don't need an outfitter if you are willing to do your homework. Won't cost anywhere near 5K either.

JBD,
Was it a rifle hunt? How many preference points did it take? I've got a fair number,and thinking of a muzzleloader hunt there.Thanks,Dave

in utah 5k for a decent bull is way cheap, I would say decent bull hunting on private ground around here will run you 10k or more

The bulls down there are not huge, if they were they would also be $10,000. But there are a lot of them and if a guy can hit at 150 yds he should get an elk, it is also a relatively easy hunt. I think it is a bargain.

This was my 2004 public land Bull in Colorado, turned out to be 355 B&C. In the area I hunted it took a long time to draw the tag but I found out that landowners and outfitters sell hunts (guided) or just tags to hunt their land as well as public land. There are several ranches in the area that have hunts on their ranches at affordable prices but don't expect bulls like this one around every corner. Ranches that can produce big bulls will charge a premium so you get what you pay for. Look at the websites for these two ranches I think their hunts are $2400-2800. Colpark Outfitters and Broken Spoke Ranch.

Bull was taken with a 30/06, 180 grain Accubond handload at 180 yards hit high in the shoulder, dropped at the shot.

Thats a huge bull Snellstrom. I have never hunted Outside of Missouri and wouldn't care a bit to hunt public land it's what I have hunted my hole life. $2400-$2800 + tag does get expensive. Public do-it yourself will probably be the way I have to go. I have heard of trespass hunts that charge around $750-$1000 to hunt (do-it yourself) on there land but no good contacts yet. Any bull will do me just fine.

Ted, it is possible to hunt Colorado and get a big bull but it is one of 4 ways that will get you there.

1. Hunt public land and get so lucky you stumble into a big one ( as likely as hitting the lottery in a general season area)

2. Accumulate preference points and draw a good limited area like I did.

3. Pay a trespass fee and hunt private land or buy a landowner tag for a limited area and hunt public land, this is a short cut to hunt the same area it took me years to draw a tag in.

4. Pay for an outfitted or ranch hunt.

You may look for trespass fee hunts and landowner tags but they are hard to find, available but tough to locate. One way, Garth Carters hunt service has a pretty good network to hook you up.
For starters if you are short on cash and long on ambition apply in the drawing in several western states and if you don't get lucky and draw a tag then buy an over the counter general season bull tag and give it a go on public land.


Good luck and let me know if I can help.

Thank you Snellstrom I will use all your advice.

I asked the same question a few years back about a Wy. elk hunt.

I recieved a lot of responses to how easy it was to do it from people that lived there.

They just kept saying hay do this, do that come out and hunt.

Well when one lives a thousand plus miles away works a full time job it isn't easy.

I didn't not recive any offers that would really help like locations, of hunt areas zones to apply in maps ect.

A lot of people said don't spend the money on a outfitter it should not cost that much hell I do for a hell of a lot less.

I have talked to people who make the yearly trip for CO. elk they score once every 4 years or so.

What thorn needs is a invite to come hunt. Or someone to really help with areas maps ect.

Or someone to recommend a good outfitter.

I went the outfitter route and shot a elk.

If I could have had a invite I would went that route. Or if some one would of gave me a good area what maps to buy ect I could have went that route also.

Hell I have been hunting,trapping, camping, backpacking for more years then a lot on the board have been alive.

But just to pick a state and say well Iam going elk hunting and expect to kill a elk the first trip is asking a lot.

I reccomended an out fitter, that I have used, and a specific area.I don't think 5 grand for a fully guided and outfitted trip is a bad price. I live in Wy. and could have told him hunt the Big Horns like I do, buy a general tag, and hunt area 36 or 37..He may have shot an elk, but the odds are greatly against him..If I lived 1000 miles away I would definatly go the outfitter route, maybe he can find a cheaper trip, if so do it. but either way if you want to kill an elk hire an outfitter

thanks p dog thats a great point of view. I do fully guided smallmouth bass trips on the Current River in southern Missouri I supply everything inc. breakfast,lunch,boat,gas,and eguipment if you dont want to bring yours. Also gigging yellow, red, and hog suckers (fish) in the winter from a boat at night under lights everything included. I would love more clients like elkman who thinks $5000. is no money I can buy 9 head of angus calfs for that.If $5000. is what its gonna take I'll stick to killing Whitetails in Missouri and tell my local dept. of Conservation to raise out of state tags more to match what state the person lives in. Missouri is one of the cheapest out of state deer hunts $145.$170. for anydeer I may be wrong I am a resident and $7. thats right!!!!! $7. for as many doe tags as you care to buy all over the counter No bullshit draw!!!!!!

Ted if you go with a outfitter a bull is going to run you around 5000. I you are willing to go on a cow hunt 1500 plus travel seems about right.

I though a hunt traded forum would be great it has be suggested a few times but never flew.

You have the wrong idea about me $5000 is a huge amount of money, I shot a cow when I hunted Colorado, at a discount price, I 'm friends with the owners parents. I know enough about other guided hunts and 5 grand is a good price for a bull hunt, mostly out of my price range. But if I lived a thousnad miles from where I wanted to hunt and had no connections in the area an outfitter is the best way to get started and more than likely going to be the most productive. I hunt public land here in wyoming with friends that have done it for years and it is still tough, I can't imagine coming in from out of the area and trying to kill an elk on a 5 day hunt, it happens but not frequently, at least in the areas I hunt..If you feel comfortable with doing a public land hunt, in unfamiliar country and understand the odds killing an elk it can be a lot cheaper way to go.

Thanks elkman I understand. It gets frustrateing wanting to hunt other game away from home and the more you check into it the more you learn that it might be out of range for me in this stage of life. Problem is as everything else the price just keeps going up.Thanks again

Rocky Mountain Ranches does trespass fee hunts in Colorado.

Rocky Mountain Ranches