Below is a description of each hunting area available with Colorado High Country Adventures. Whether you are interested in pursuing elk and mule deer in the high country of western Colorado, or whitetails, mule deer, trophy bull elk and antelope on the plains of Wyoming we can accommodate you. Our 500,000 acres of private land hunting in Wyoming is fantastic for big mule deer, whitetails, trophy elk and antelope, with classic western accommodations in beautiful knotty pine cabins. Unguided drop camps are available in Colorado. Please review our hunting locations and let us know what type of hunts you are interested in.
Colorado Wilderness Elk Hunting:
(AVAILABLE 2013-2014)
The White River valley east of Meeker and Buford is home to the Flat Tops Wilderness Area of Colorado and the largest elk herd in the United States. Here we offer guided and unguided hunts in the designated Flat Tops Wilderness and adjoining White River National Forest. Guided hunts are staged from the ranch with comfortable accommodations in modern cabins while drop camp hunting is from remote, pack-in tent camps reached via horse. The wilderness designation means no motorized vehicles of any kind are allowed in this beautiful, pristine area.
Including the ranch, the hunting area available includes aproximately 100 sq. miles of back country in the White River National Forest east to Trappers Lake and on both north and south sides of the White River. This vast country offers clients a very broad range of hunting opportunities ranging from 8,000 ft elevations to 11,000 ft high in the wilderness. Elk can be found throughout the area, and by having lots of excellent habitat to hunt we can find the herds and offer you an excellent opportunities to see and encounter elk.
Guided hunts are limited to six hunters per week with 2X1 the standard guide to hunter configuration and 1X1 hunts available. The guides have all worked up here for years and have an excellent knowledge of elk hunting and the country hunted. They professional, experienced back-country woodsmen and know how to handle horses. This part of Colorado has lots of elk and good trophy quality as the White River herd has improved in recent years. In 2012 we took some great bulls including a number of really good 6X6 bulls, and the hunting was good right through the late rifle hunts when the elk began their migration north and west to the lower high-country desert wintering areas.
This is a draw area for archery, however the odds are very good even for hunters with zero preference points. What makes this area excellent for elk archery hunts is that because we have lots of elk the opportunity to encounter animals exists every day of the hunt. We have many drainages to hunt, dark timber for when the weather is warm and we know where the elk wallow. In 2012 shot opportunity was well over 50% which is outstanding for archery elk.
Complete ready to hunt from drop camps or pack service using your own equipment are available and can be set for up to 10 hunters with a four person minimum. Hunters that are in good shape will have an advantage of course at high elevation. We will ride into each camp every other day to check on you for safety purposes, any needed supplies or to pack out animals. Unguided hunters need to be prepared to field ready their killed elk into game bags and to move the elk if necessary to a spot where we can get horse access. We'll do the rest from there.
Average costs: Guided 2X1 hunts are $3600 for 1st rifle (5 day hunt), archery and muzzleloader hunts (7 day hunts). The combo deer/elk hunts 2nd, 3rd and 4th season are $3200 for five days of hunting. Complete ready to hunt drop camps are $1750. All hunts are subject to taxes and change. Please know that this is a draw unit for archery hunting, however most hunters can successfully get tags with 0 points.
Colorado Private Ranch:
(AVAILABLE 2013)
The is a property that consists of 2,200 acres of private land, surrounded on three sides with very limited access to 7,000 acres of B.L.M. land and approximately 10,000 acres of U.S.F.S. It is located south of Pikes Peak and features a long narrow valley with excellent grass and timbered ridges rising up from the valley floor. There are some real good mule deer here along with elk.
Accommodations are in a beautiful and rustic, fully restored turn-of-the-century mining camp hotel with five bedrooms, parlor with player piano, large dining room, excellent wood fired heat, bath & shower on each floor, extra long beds and a front porch overlooking a trout stream and pond and occasionally, grazing elk. The hotel was brought (in pieces) by buckboard from a mining camp location several miles south of the Ranch around 1910. This is a 1st class operation with comforts not found in most outfits where you will sleep comfortably, have indoor facilities, enjoy good food and beverage and an occassional cigar.
We hunt by foot or vehicle access depending on which part of the country we need to reach each day. We have a varied hunting area, some is secluded, rough and steep and other parts of the ranch are much more forgiving and accessible. Elk and deer may be encountered on all parts of the property. Success has historically been around 30% for archery and close to 50% for rifle, which is well above the Colorado average.
There is a year-round stream which provides a wonderful change from hunting as the trout are unpressured and sometimes not too wary so that you might even catch your dinner!
Average costs: Guided hunts only at $4795 rifle and $3945 archery. Prices do not include the cost of hunting licenses, tags or landowner tags and are subject to change.
South Colorado Private Land Elk:
(AVAILABLE 2013)
We have elk hunting available on over 100,000 acres of private land for bull and cow elk. These hunts are on large private ranches where we access the properties by 4WD and hunt by spot and stalk. These ranches are in an agricultural area (see picture below) and herds of elk move around the valley in search of the best alfalfa and crops and we hunt according to game movement. Licenses are available via land-owner vouchers with liberal hunting seasons starting in early July and running into December. The early hunts will enable you to hunt elk still in velvet.
We take only two hunters per week and you will stay in the ranch house and we will drive out to hunt each morning. If the hunt is unsuccessful we will leave the elk during the day and return later in the afternoon when they again get up and move to feed. These hunts are fair-chase, but come with the highest possible success rates often approaching 90-100% shot opportunity and kill. Many elk will be "average" Colorado bulls, but we do take some real trophies with scores well over 300 inches. Our trophy hunt held the first week of September is for bulls in the 340-380 inch range.
All hunters have the option of adding a cow elk to their hunt for an additional $500 plus the license costs.
2013 Costs: Fully guided, five day bull elk hunts are $4095 from July 7 to August 30 and $5150 from October 3 to December 1. The trophy hunt on August 30 to September 6 is $7500 per hunter.
Hunts do not include the cost of the necessary Colorado licenses. We will provide you with the landowner voucher needed to purchase the private land license. These hunts fill up each year, so if this type of hunt is of interest to you please call right away. Please note the limit of two hunters per week.
Colorado Ranch and Wilderness Hunt:
(AVAILABLE 2013-2014)
Here we hunt on a 5000 acre private ranch high in the mountains above the western Colorado towns of Hotchkiss and Paonia. This country is located on the east side of Grand Mesa. The ranch is somewhat easier to hunt with a trail system in place for access to prime locations and an elevation at approximately 9000-10,000 feet. The ranch is reached via 4WD vehicle and hunting is staged from modern, comfortable cabin accomodations. Even though the ranch is off-grid, we have generators and propane allowing for hot water showers, lights and flush toilets.
This is a small hunting concession where we'll host approximatly 4-6 hunters most weeks. Success here is high on good, mature bulls with a 300" class animal a possibility. The deer hunting is very good with lots of big mule deer bucks. Some landowner vouchers are available for deer each year so ask early in the year if you want a combo hunt. Elk summer on the ranch so finding animals is generally not much of a problem. We can also expand hunting opportunities to the adjacent National Forest with drop camps and guided hunts.
This ranch is a locally owned family business where the rancher runs sheep in the summer and helps guide hunters. There are many repeat clients and some long-time guides. Transportation to the ranch is available from Grand Junction if you fly-in.
Average costs: Guided, 2X1 elk hunts cost $3700 per hunter plus your license with 1X1 hunts available at $4500. These hunts are a great value, especially for private land in Western Colorado. Cow elk hunts are $1000 while combo deer and elk hunts are $5500.
Steve Bland
Colorado High Country Adventures
(802) 468-8869
"Serving big game hunters since 1994"