Please let us know if youd like to arrange transportation. you reserve. Essentially, this provides an archery elk hunting experience during the rut, but with a longer-range weapon. Colorado Elk Hunts in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area Budge's Wilderness Lodge HUNTING The White River is home to the largest elk herd in the world. I immediately caught glimpse of three very large Rocky Mountain Bighorns on the adjacent mountain. Not to be out-matched by the unparalleled fly-fishing, Elk Creek Ranch also offers an abundance of world-class big game hunting opportunities. If this is the route for you, pick your outfitter not the unit. Check out this great video on survival and fire making. the ranch is situated along the banks of the legendary White River near the base of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. Im sure you have your state chosen already but now you have to filter through lots of units. Elk can be found throughout the area, and by having lots of excellent This camp has a 16'x20' cook tent with wood heat and propane lights and cooking. No motorized transportation is allowed in wilderness areas. However, looking through the binoculars when he shot, the bull didnt seem to react as though he was hit. We proudly offer horseback riding, elk hunting, wilderness fishing and pack trips in what we feel is the most beautiful place on Earth! Archery Week 1: Sep 5-9 (arrive on the 3rd, depart on the 11th), Archery Week 2: Sep 12-16 (arrive on the 10th, depart on the 18th), Muzzleloader: Sep 9-13 (arrive on the 7th, depart on the 14th), Archery Week 3: Sep 19-23 (arrive on the 17th, depart on the 24th), Archery Week 4: Sep 26-30 (arrive on the 24th, depart Oct 1st), 1st Rifle Season: Oct 14-18 (arrive on the 12th, depart on the 19th), 2nd Rifle Season: Oct 28-Nov 1 (arrive on the 26th, depart Nov 2nd), Archery Week 1: Sep 5-9 (arrive on the 3rd, depart on the 10th), Archery Week 2: Sep 12-16 (arrive on the 10th, depart on the 17th), Muzzleloader: Sep 14-18 (arrive on the 12th, depart on the 19th), 1st Rifle Season: Oct 12-16 (arrive on the 10th, depart on the 17th), 2nd Rifle Season: Oct 26-30 (arrive on the 24th, depart on the 31st). Our hunts are typically guided with a ratio of 2 hunters per guide. Best advice anyone can give you is to have Plans A-Z. Weve all seen moose guides on TV taking a shoulder blade and raking a tree or brush but this is a great early season tactic! Elk, deer and moose find the area quite pleasant in the summer. Not sure if you're a resident but either way, this is a great resource. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Lots of area for those tags to spread out, but still a ton of tags. Gratuities for staff are customary and we typically recommend about 20% of the cost of your trip, based on your experience. There was a little bit of snow on the ground in spots which helped us see exactly where the elk were standing. I dont recommend shooting an animal past 60 yards with a bow because too much can happen during that split second your arrow is in the air. If you dont know what that looks like there are lots of articles on the internet that describe exactly that. hunt@flattopshunting.com. Getting to a glassing spot or running a ridge bugling is productive. LIMITED ARCHERY AND MUZZLELOADER HUNTS: Please contact us BEFORE the draw to reserve your spot. Hunters during this season usually experience mild weather - but of course there are never any guarantees when it comes to weather in the high country. When we got to the opening that Saeed and Bobby both shot at elk in we were amazed to see nothing but tracks. Just find an easy to access area that looks good and head out! River National Forest east to Trappers Lake and on both north and south sides of the White River. Colorado's 4-point antler restriction and the remoteness of the area allow for a decent possibility of running into a trophy bull during any season. I've DIY hunted otc archery in the flat tops wilderness and west elk wilderness. Our lodge and outfitting is proud to offer quality guided Big Game hunts and drop camps in the White River National Forest and Flat Tops Wilderness Area of northwest Colorado GMU 24. The hardest part of elk hunting is becoming familiar with an area. The more you train before the hunt the happier youll be and the more hunting youll get in! It may be day 4 and you havent seen or heard an elk. "Serving big game hunters since 1994". If you havent heard the bugling activity that you think you should be the easiest thing to do is blame it on the lack of elk. At dinner that night, I told the other guides and hunters about the herd of elk we had seen. . I recommend reading David Goggins book, Cant Hurt Me and maybe even bring it with you on your hunt if you need some motivation. The next six nights are in the wilderness camp. e.) Camaraderie, enjoying yourself, and fishing. Saeed pulled out a cigar in celebration and talk of how he is going to mount the bull begins to be tossed around. Do you want drainages or gps coordinates where the elk are? Most likely your plan will change, youll see or hear an elk somewhere else, throughout the day. I have seen herd situations where you have 50 plus cows, one massive old bull, and several smaller satellite bulls. Bring your sleeping bag and personal hunting gear, and well take care of the rest. Pretty darn nice setup for . If the friendship is improved upon from the hunt youll have memories to last a lifetime even if you dont harvest an animal. My buddy and I are planning an elk hunting trip for not this fall but next 2016 season. Average Costs: Public Land Wilderness Hunts are $5000 guided and $2500 for drop camps. still in velvet. The Wilderness encompasses 235,000 acres. The second rifle season takes place at the end of October. We offer hunts during the first and second rifle seasons in Colorado. An Introduction to Elk Hunting. Add a couple chirps into the sequence and you are onto a great start. If a hunting trip is cancelled with more than 90-days notice prior to the arrival date, the non-refundable deposit may be credited toward other guests or dates within 12 months of the date of the original reservation, subject to availability. It's no wonder Carhart found the area so entrancing: behind Trappers Lake loom steep volcanic cliffs and beyond them a vast subalpine terrain yields to alpine tundra. Stock SUVs and Pickups can make the trip, just take it slow. So get on Google Earth and start looking for elk areas. Lol. As elk seem to be running in every direction and crisscrossing, there is a sense of chaos. Colorado Outfitters License #284, Lone Tom Outfitting 2022 - All rights reserved. This article is meant to provide you some tips and tricks for your first few hunts. Hunt Pricing. Colorado has lots of elk and good trophy quality as the White River herd has improved in recent years. We are thinking the OTC tag but not sure we will be making a trip this summer sometime to go put boots on the ground get a feel for the area and just get a bit more familiar with the place. supplies or to pack out animals. Here we offer guided and unguided hunts in the Flat Tops This way when the bull pops his head out looking for the cow he knows that she is behind a little rise or on the other side of the ridge. If you can get within 100 yards of them without making an elk sound the better! Horseback hunting will be our primary means of transportation, but 44 and hiking will be used to access some areas. With eggs, bacon, and an unhealthy amount of coffee in our system, Saeed and I hit the trail an hour before daylight to make the 6 mile ride to the top of the mountain. habitat to hunt we can find the herds and offer you an excellent opportunities to see and encounter elk. I am not sure where the Flat Top wilderness area is. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. But if you wont be happy unless you go home with an elk, a wilderness hunt may not be for you. Private land hunts The caller can also be walking around in circles breaking limbs, rolling rocks, etc. Lets get a few bulls under your belt before specifically targeting 300 plus bulls. Licenses for both of these seasons are very easy to obtain. they again get up and move to feed. good starting in September when resident herds are reached by horse and right through the late rifle hunts when Look no further than the Colorado Elk Hunting Unit Map. The Flat Tops are covered up in elk. The first night will be spent in one of our cabins at the main lodge. Honestly, it doesnt matter! It's not all about fitness either. These hunts are fair-chase, but come with the high success rates on shot opportunity and kill. Everything will be hung in our on-site meat shed until your departure. Flat tops (I'm assuming the area 11 code) has 5,000 bull tags and 2,500 cow tags for first rifle. For that reason, our Cancellation Policy is as follows: You may cancel your trip at any time, but all payments, deposits and fees paid to Budges are 100% non-refundable. Regardless of where you are at the elk will act the same..if it is warm during the day (40 degrees and greater) hunt the dark timber on the north facing slopes as far from the truck as you can get. They are breathable, durable and offer the absolute best performance for protecting meat in the field. The following morning we were up earlier than usual for our long ride. If you do not have a high-clearance vehicle or prefer not to drive to the lodge, we offer pick-up at the Eagle County Regional Airport for $600, round trip per vehicle. The words ELK-14 and SPOTTED FROM-14 (my way of keeping track of waypoints) bring back memories. Trophy elk hunting on ranches where a 300"+ bull is possible. Ive already been messing around middle of the day calling with a buddy thinking there isnt any elk around and then leave from that spot, just to look back and see an elk standing EXACTLY where I was when I made that call. What areas should I target for access? Otherwise, too many elk will get killed; thats how important/game-changing being in shape really is! Most of our bow hunting is done in a limited draw unit. He said he is confident with his shot and his 300 Winchester short magnum has never left him down. Again, put on your hunting attire and shoot. about us Activities Horseback rides Easy to "think" you are in the shape you need to be in for something like this. Currently, it takes nonresident hunters 4-5 preference points to draw the muzzleloader elk license Colorado residents can draw with 1-2 points. Words ELK-14 and SPOTTED FROM-14 ( my way of keeping track of waypoints ) bring back memories of... 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