Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Three Forks Ranch, CO - your experiences?

This is a thread specifically for those who have experience hunting or staying at Three Forks Ranch north of Steamboat Springs, CO. My hunting buddy and I drew cow elk tags for the ranch this year, and I have a lot of questions.

1. We will be dragging my trailer out and camping in the national forest. How far is it to the ranch from good camping spots?

2. The web site says a guide is required and will be provided free to Ranching for Wildlife lottery winners like my buddy and I. I assume one guide for the two of us or should we expect to have other hunters in the party?

3. The web site says Ranching for Wildlife hunters can use any legal weapon. The success rate on the ranch is high enough (96% for cows) and the season is long enough that I may very well want to start with a handgun, then try a .44 Mag carbine Dad gave me many years ago. Either one, of course, would mean getting in pretty close. Since they are paying the guide and using these guns might mean additional hunting days are required, are they going to frown on this and try to convince me to take something else, like my 7mm or .300 Mag?

4. I assume horses are available for rent? I�ve always wanted to try elk hunting from horse back.

5. What do they charge to pack an animal out?

6. If you have hunted there before, talk about your hunt � how many in the party, what were the guides like, what animals did you or your group harvest and how long did it take, etc?

7. I may pick up an over-the-counter bull tag. Have you hunted the nearby national forest and what was that like?

8. Anything else you can think of that people hunting the ranch for the first time should be aware of?

Many thanks!

CH

Coyote-Hunter,

Congrats on drawing 3 Forks. It was one my best hunting experiences. You will see lots of elk and I learned so much from the guides. They were top notch.

You will receive a letter from 3 Forks and you have to call in
and reserve the days you will hunt. They spread out pressure and only 1-2 people per guide.

It is more structured than public land since they only hunt in the morning and evening. I camped on the NF about 3 miles east of the ranch.

The ranch is more open country so I would suggest your 7mm or 300. The guides get you into opportunities pretty quickly.

You use your vehicle or theirs and they drive out and then hike to the hunting area. They didn't charge to pack out. They use the ATV-Rangers.

It is a great experience, but they have 100 cow tags to fill so they get you in an out pretty quickly. I was #99 last year! I would schedule 2-3 days to stay out there, but you will probably be done sooner.

You have the opportunity to learn from the same guides who guide the expensive private hunts. I peppered them with questions and they really liked teaching the elk game.

One thing they lamented was the poor marksmanship of most public hunters. They said they had lots of tracking jobs. To be honest, I missed my first opportunity, but connected on the next try.

I could be their PR guy and rave on and on. Please let me know if you have other questions or email me.

RTR

Coyote Hunter,

I was there last year, and helped my son, and a fellow in a wheelchair get their first elk.

Although they don't charge for the guides, I tipped them for the help.

You'll meet them at 6 am at the corral, and they'll take you to where they want you to go. No public driving on the ranch.

RTR is right. Our three elk last year were 268 yds, 242 yds and 150 yds. That's not 44 magnum territory. You're shooting at elk in the sage coming in and leaving their beds in the timber. Yhey don't bother bedded elk, and don't spook them when they're near the ranch boundaries.

The guides know their stuff.

Be prepared. If it snows, that road is miserable. Worse than miserable....one fellow dented the heck out of a 3 week old Dodge Ram truck in 2004 when it slid off the road into some trees.

A friend of mine hunted there last year. The guide was pretty emphatic about it not being a hunt, but a harvest. At 8 am on his first day his cow was down and in the truck. I think KCM270 is right about the distances in hunting up there. This guys shot was around 200 yards.

This hunt should be as close to 100% success without having high fences as you will find.

I hunted there in 2002 and 2004, and drew it again this year. You can camp on NF land with a drive of just several minutes to the corrals where you will meet with the guides. Usually seems to be 2 hunters per guide. In 2002 the info packet listed fees for gutting, skinning, packing etc. Two years ago the packet didn't mention anything about set fees. The guides told me they plan on hunters being there only one day. Both my hunts were over by 8:00, first day. With respect to range, first year 176 yards, second was 250. I stayed at a motel in Baggs, WY first time, in Steamboat Springs second time. The guides do a nice job, work hard and can be a wealth of info. I tip them, and appreciate the RFW program. Good luck, you'll have a good time.

We go up, and are generally in a good mood. The guides have taken us all around the ranch, and have treated us very well.

The cow hunts are not difficult, unless the snows hit. One good snowstorm and you'd think there were no elk ever on the ranch.

Coyote Hunter,

I hunted a cow elk there about five years ago. It's kind of a factory hunt. They drive you to the elk and you shoot one. You won't be hunting from horseback. When I hunted ranch rules stated that you must use a 30 caliber of larger rifle with 3006 being the minimum. That may have changed. I enjoyed the opportunity but it wasn't really like the hunt I wanted and have not gone back. If what you really want to do is fill a freezer with a cow elk then you are in for a treat. The guide was great. He did say to try and schedule your hunt earlier rather than later because a big storm will drive them off of the ranch.

Beanman

To my knowledge, they did away with the caliber restrictions. When I hunted there two years ago I used a 270 Win, as did the other hunter assigned to the guide I went with. Also, the guide mentioned having guided someone the week prior that was shooting a 243.

The web site says:

"*Any legal weapon of choice may be used, including bow, rifle, or muzzleloader."

But that may be for the people buying the $8,750 licenses rather than the $46 lottery licenses. When I talked to the ranch the other day, though, they did not mention any restrictions.

Out of curiosity, what is the real trophy potential on that ranch? I have watched a bunch of hunting shows filmed there, and every single bull ever taken off than ranch was a dink.

I'm not at all slamming the ranch, as I would guess that the hunts filmed are promo hunts and they aren't going to give away their best bulls.

Considering I will be hunting cows, my chances for B&C antlers are pretty low!

The www.threeforksranch.com web site has pics of animals taken over several years.

Go here...
http://www.threeforksranch.com/hunting-info.htm

and click on the 200 Trophy Hunters Room on the left side.

CAS, 3 Forks is better known for having a lot of elk, vs big bulls, although there are some.

The elk that live in that drainage don't really have the genetic potential for monster bulls, plus the amount of hunting pressure on the public land surrounding the ranch (both sides of the border wy and co) don't do alot for monster bull potential.

The photo of the live bull on the elk hunting page is the best bull I saw on there. Nothing that was killed compares.

That outfit has mastered the art of enhancing the trophy through photography.

Thanks for the link.

I took two of my sons two years ago when they had just turned 13. We all three had cow tags and Al, who is the ranch manager and head guide took us out. Both boys had cows down by 9:30AM and I went off on my own while Al was getting the ATV (Ranger) to haul out the two cows.

Bulls were bugling late that year and we could hear one bugling in the timber above us and moving north to south, so I hiked up the mountain above the timber to intercept him as I suspected he'd have at least a few cows with him and sure enough 5 minutes later he showed up 30 yards directly below me. A buddy of mine that came along for the ride was bugling below us and the Bull just stopped and bugled back and never knew I was there. Just a couple of minutes later four cows joined him and I took the one that presented the best shot - your 44 Mag would have worked in that scenario but as the others have pointed out, expect a 100-300 yard shot and expect to be off the ranch by noon.

The folks at the ranch are the first to tell you that it is not a trophy area but we easily saw 200 head of elk in our only morning there.

It was a great hunt to introduce two of my boys and it's a great meat hunt but not what I consider representative of true Elk hunting - but it was sure fun.

Have a good time.

Talked to the ranch today and scheduled the hunt. We'll start Nov 4, same day 3rd rifle opens. I plan to pick up an over-the-counter bull tag and hunt Unit 5 with it after the Three Forks hunt. Got my muzzleloading deer tag and am hopeful for an antelope tag. It's shaping up to be a VERY good year - the Denver Rescue Mission will be getting a lot of meat if all goes well, my freezer isn't big enough!

There are 350+ class bulls there, as a friend of mine got one in 2004. The herd quality is improving, but it's not where they want it, either.

That's the reason bull tags for the winter range seasons in the area are now limited.

Coyote Hunter,

Are you sure that your Thre Forks cow tag is an additional tag? I think (not sure) that it has to be an additional before you can buy an OTC bull Tag. Worth Checking out.

BeanMan

BeanMan -

The Three forks tag is a limited antlerless tag obtained by drawing - a 'List B' tag. OTC bull are unlimited 'List A' tags. Good question, though - I double checked just to be sure.

Coyote Hunter, I think you're wrong.

Your RFW tag isn't a limited antlerless tag for unit 5. It's a limited antlerless tag for Three Forks.

I think if you get a general tag, you're at risk of having two list A licenses.

Better make absolutely certain. You don't want to have a technical violation like that ruin your year.