Trespass Hunt Recommendataion

[magnum12]

Hey guy, this might be a little early but a group of us is planning a trip back to CO next season for 2nd or 3rd OTC elk and possibly deer if we can draw a tag. Does anyone have any recommendations around the Craig/Meeker area that we can look into for a trespass fee hunt? Also if anyone knows of any places to avoid that would be great to know as well.

If you want you can PM me the information so we are not blasting names all over the place.

 

[Cohntr62]

Go to the Craig Chamber of Commerce website and there will be quite a few listed. Meeker also has a few. This is my favorite way to hunt Colorado. Generally speaking, the low country ranches have excellent deer hunting, but are dependent on migratory elk. Places in the foothills with pinyon/juniper or oak brush usually hold both. I wouldn't be afraid of any of them, but you have to match the ranch with the type of hunt you want. You should be able to draw PLO deer licenses in most of the units in that area. The 2nd season is easier to draw than the 3rd, but the elk are more likely to be low for the 3rd. The ranch we've hunted recently doesn't advertise, only takes 1 group of hunters a year [us] and I'm not going to divulge it. We'll be there for 3rd season this fall.

 

[ColoradoRam]

I've heard nothing but good things about Rocky Mountain Ranches. They advertise on this site. I've used Colorado Mountain West Outfitting and I don't recommend them. Art and Betty Crane and they are out of Craig Colorado.

 

[magnum12]

RE: Trespass Hunt Recommendation

Thank you for the recommendation. Now in order for me to be eligible for PLO tag, does the land have to be 100% privately owned or can there be some land locked BLM land mixed into it?

 

[Cohntr62]

I agree, it seems that all the reports on Rocky Mountain Ranches are good, but they are one of the more expensive places. I have hunted at Monument Butte Ranch near Hamilton. It is one of the cheaper ones. You are mostly hunting landlocked BLM and the deer hunting is good, but probably not as good as the places north of Craig. You would really have to hit it right to get elk. I've driven by Y Lazy S ranch and saw lots of deer in their area. Craig Wild Bunch and a couple of ranches west of Meeker along Strawberry Creek have resident elk, plus good deer hunting.

 

[Cohntr62]

RE: Trespass Hunt Recommendation

>Thank you for the recommendation. Now
>in order for me to
>be eligible for PLO tag,
>does the land have to
>be 100% privately owned or
>can there be some land
>locked BLM land mixed into
>it?


I believe it is for private land only. Also, depending on the unit and season, the draw might be 100% for the general license, but you would have to go to the statistics page on the CPW website to get a handle on that. Drawing with no PPs in NW CO. has gotten much tougher in the last 3-4 years with reduced tag numbers mostly as a result of winter kill during the 07/08 winter.

 

[magnum12]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-19-13 AT 09:03AM (MST)[p]I did talk to a very nice lady from Y Lazy S ranch and she stated they normally do really well but was expensive, more than Rocky Mountain Ranches but the one nice thing is that they include lodging.

Do you have any contact info for Monument Butte Ranch? I tried searching the web and could not find anything.

 

[ColoradoRam]

Colorado Mountain West I would actually say to check out for deer. We hunted 4th season elk with them and there was not weather to push the elk down but we did see some really nice bucks on their land and the landlocked BLM they have, sorry thought the post was just about elk at first. Its a real crapshoot up there. You get lots of snow and you could be swimming in elk, no snow and its void of game. Best of luck.

 

[magnum12]

Thanks for the suggestion and will check them out as well. Do you know how many hunters they let on at once?

So if I get this right, the whole area around Craig that is down at the lower elevations need the snow to push the elk down and without it, it could be a tough hunt. Under normal conditions are the elk starting to move down by the 3rd season?

 

[ColoradoRam]

I don't know if they limit hunters or not. They have 8000 acres and probably block another 1500 or so BLM. Call them and get references if you can. I can PM details of our experience if interested. Yes you are correct, no snow no elk in the ranches we hunted. Some of the others mentioned may have resident elk?

 

[magnum12]

Please if you wouldn't mind sending me the info via PM

 

[Cohntr62]

>LAST EDITED ON Jul-19-13
>AT 09:03?AM (MST)
>
>I did talk to a very
>nice lady from Y Lazy
>S ranch and she stated
>they normally do really well
>but was expensive, more than
>Rocky Mountain Ranches but the
>one nice thing is that
>they include lodging.
>
>Do you have any contact info
>for Monument Butte Ranch? I
>tried searching the web and
>could not find anything.


If they don't have a website anymore, maybe he is out of business.

 

[Cohntr62]

>Thanks for the suggestion and will
>check them out as well.
>Do you know how many
>hunters they let on at
>once?
>
>So if I get this right,
>the whole area around Craig
>that is down at the
>lower elevations need the snow
>to push the elk down
>and without it, it could
>be a tough hunt. Under
>normal conditions are the elk
>starting to move down by
>the 3rd season?

You're right that the lower elevations probably don't have elk in the 2nd season. The 3rd, you've got a chance, but it's iffy. Like I said before, there are places in the foothills with the proper vegetation that have resident elk and deer. We hunt one. I've never hunted there, but Craig Wild Bunch seems to fit the bill. And yeah, I've talked to Aleka at Y Lazy S and she is real nice. As was said before, Rocky Mountain Ranches has areas with both, but you pay for it.

 

[magnum12]

That is what I was concerned with about the 2nd season and not seeing any elk and if this or the next season follow like it did last year, you will not see any on the 3rd either. Not knowing, how much snow does it normally take to get the elk moving?

I did check out Rocky Mountain Ranches and it seems like the perfect fit but I doubt the group would go for the price tag, let alone my wife. haha

 

[Cohntr62]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-20-13 AT 01:25PM (MST)[p]You could always forget the private ranch idea and hunt public land. There are plenty of places with both elk and deer, but success rates will average lower than private. I could recommend a couple places if you like.

 

[magnum12]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-20-13 AT 05:17PM (MST)[p]Cohntr62 - That would be great! Shoot them over in a PM. I have no objection to hunting public land but just not sure where to start.

Fortunately I do have most of the maps for the NW area of CO so I can get an idea of what's public and what is private.

 

[Cohntr62]

>LAST EDITED ON Jul-20-13
>AT 05:17?PM (MST)
>
>Cohntr62 - That would be great!
>Shoot them over in a
>PM. I have no objection
>to hunting public land but
>just not sure where to
>start.
>
>Fortunately I do have most of
>the maps for the NW
>area of CO so I
>can get an idea of
>what's public and what is
>private.


Magnum12, I sent a PM. I've never sent one before and wasn't sure how to do it. Did you get it?

 

[magnum12]

Yes I did! I did send a reply back but not sure if you got it or not.

Thanks again!

 

[Cohntr62]

>Yes I did! I did send
>a reply back but not
>sure if you got it
>or not.
>
>Thanks again!


No, I didn't. No big deal, probably my fault.

 

[magnum12]

I resent it to you.

Thanks again!

 

[Cohntr62]

>I resent it to you.
>
>Thanks again!


OK. I PMed you back and replied to your questions.

 

[corvettedad123]

>LAST EDITED ON Jul-19-13
>AT 09:03?AM (MST)
>
>I did talk to a very
>nice lady from Y Lazy
>S ranch and she stated
>they normally do really well
>but was expensive, more than
>Rocky Mountain Ranches but the
>one nice thing is that
>they include lodging.
>
>Do you have any contact info
>for Monument Butte Ranch? I
>tried searching the web and
>could not find anything.


If they don't have a website anymore, maybe he is out of business.

We hunted with her and all did well. She absolutely ripped us off $500.00 , said we didn't clean our cabin . Totally wrong and will never go back...!!!!

 

[brutus54]

10 years ago. ?

 

[tracker12]

We hunted with her and all did well. She absolutely ripped us off $500.00 , said we didn't clean our cabin . Totally wrong and will never go back...!!!!

First post and a negative comment.