C ROY:
I have hunted the West Elk Wilderness most years since 1979. There are several outfitters that have concessions there. Each is required to operate in a separate area so that hunting grounds do not overlap. I am familiar with the following:
Tenderfoot Outfitters (Gunnison) sets up a base camp on Castle Creek, in unit 54.
http://www.tenderfoot-outfitters.com/John Ferrier (Paonia) runs about fifty or sixty horses up the Coal Creek Road every year and sets up camp on a legacy ranch located on Little Johnson Creek, in unit 53. I don't know the name of his company.
Soap Mesa Outfitters operates on a private ranch and on US Forest Service land in the far southwest corner of unit 54.
http://www.southwestcoloradoelkhunting.com/Eagle Mountain Outfitters operates out of a legacy ranch located in Big Soap Park (unit 54) and they setup several drop camps in the vicinity.
http://www.eaglemountainoutfitters.com/There's a base camp located at Rock Springs on Coal Creek (the little one that runs into Blue Mesa Lake). I think it may be operated by Coal Creek Outfitters but I'm not sure about that and their web site doesn't mention anything about a camp in the West Elk Wilderness.
Rainbow Lake Lodge (Gunnison) outfits hunts in the vicinity of Rainbow Lake, in unit 54.
http://www.rainbowcoloradooutfitters.com/KC
