Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Looking for an Outfitter for 2022

This year was the last straw for my local area. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of elk a few miles from my house and almost none are huntable. I can look at them any morning I want, but I can't hunt them. They are living the good life on the irrigated pastures. Maybe because of two years of "exceptional drought", the normal hunting pressure, and heavy snow falls just before first rifle and again just before second, virtually all of them moved off the mountain down to greener pastures. Normally there are enough stragglers left on the mountain to give a hunter a sporting chance, but not this year! It dried out after second season and I spotted a few bulls that moved back up the mountain but I had a cow tag for third season. I finally found a few cows on the last day of season in the junipers. I got close and pushed them but never saw them. I don't know if the rest of Colorado was like this but it was bad here.

Next year I want to go somewhere that there are huntable elk. I am getting old, will turn 72 in 4 weeks, and need help getting one out anyway so I am looking for an outfitter in an area that has huntable elk. I don't care where it is as long as I can get a license and there are huntable elk. I have 6 points here in Colorado. Not enough to draw a premium tag but maybe in a decent area. Any suggestions for good outfitters to contact?

We don't need an outfitter. We need a rainmaker who can sideline by making snow.

This is the situation in CO. There are very few elk on public land during the hunting seasons. Those that are on public land have very poor access.

An outfitter is an option, but so is simply paying a trespass fee. That's much cheaper. I don't need to sleep in someone's tent or for them to cook for me. I just need legal access to where the elk are.

How about a cow elk hunt in Wyoming? They are a random draw and plenty of ranches sell hunts for cows, not cheap though.
Some can be late season on winter range and some are early season before rifle for bull elk.
Tags available for NF lands as well you could hunt DIY.

Look up all the Ranching for Wildlife ranches in the Colorado Big Game brochure. The RFW program is for residents only,but those ranches can also sell hunts to residents and non residents. Quite a few will sell a few late cow hunts for a reduced price.I have heard $1000-$2000.

Don't believe that BS about no elk in public land. I am 78, and until two years ago, I killed elk about 98% of the time on public land,OTC tags My health gave out and now it is only sitting at a stand close to camp and that is not very successful. I am too old to build points and OTC tags have become very crowded with hunters.The elk are there,,only not where a lot of hunters will venture to and I can't go there now

I already burned two tags this year. I figured that's all Colorado will give me. I will look at it for next year.

There sure are still elk on public land. I went and looked at some last Friday just for entertainment. The road runs along the edge of a canyon and there is a turnout right at the best place to spot elk below. It's a popular place during elk season. Sure enough, I didn't even have the spotting scope set up yet and I saw the sun reflecting off tan hides 2000 yards below. Good bull crop! One herd had two 5 point bulls, two raghorns, 4 spikes and some cows and calves. Later I spotted another 5 point further down the canyon. The wife and I backpacked down there last year. Opening morning we were in the middle of a herd of elk. I was face to face with a bull at 30 yards in the oak brush. He was faster than I was. I didn't get a shot. Also saw two bulls with some cows chasing each other around above us. I started up a ridge to get on them and the wind switched and killed that stalk. Didn't get one in there but we saw elk and had fun. It hurt bad going down there last year and there was no way we were going to do it this year. You either walk or ride horseback to get in there. You descend 1200 vertical feet and walk several miles to get to where the elk hang out. Can't do it anymore. I am going to see if I can get a drop camp in there next year for one season.

Maybe because of the snow leading up to season, there were very few elk left on public land this year. Way less than I have seen before. I want to go somewhere else for my other tag next year. That's why I am looking for outfitters. A trespass fee could work too.

Most of the good outfitters will most likely be booked solid for 2022. They could get a cancellation, so it might be worth getting on a wait list if that is what you want.

That said, I'm sorry but I will have to disagree with your assertion that there are no elk on public lands. Because of no snow during the third season, I moved to the higher locations of GMU 24. On Friday while scouting, I saw eight. Then on Saturday I saw the tails of six more. Then on Sunday, I saw another 26. One of which is in my freezer. I told two friends where I was hunting (since it was not a normal place for me to hunt) and both of them got one. The elk are on public lands. You just have to go where they are. The ones I saw and got were in a horrible place and I did need to get an outfitter to use mules to get them out. At 73 it took me several hours just to get myself out. Thank goodness for InReach, so I could contact this outfitter and they would agree to come where I was. But the elk were there and I see elk every year. All on public land.

Good luck in your search and hopefully your next hunt will allow you to see more elk.

Congratulations on a successful hunt.