Elk hunting is the main attraction in the Flat Tops Wilderness and White River National Forest but contact us to discuss bear, moose or mule deer hunts. At the edge of the Famous Flat Tops Wilderness Area, nestled deep in the heart of the White River National Forest of Colorado you'll find your hunting passion for deer and elk. In the Flat Tops Wilderness Area we are limited to … My family had booked a drop in hunt for the Flat Tops Wilderness during first rifle season. © I'm in favor of sticking with first season because I figure the weather will probably be better and the elk won't have been pressured for a month straight. Our private cabin consists of over 70 acres surrounded on three sides by the Routt National Forest on prime National Forest Land. Anything lower, and you are spinning your wheels looking for wapiti. Please let us know if you are interested in purchasing one. Our comfortable drop camps are fully furnished with everything you’ll need and will also include your … This camp is located on the South Fork of the White River National Forest within the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, covering 235,000 acres. Game trails for elk and deer abound on the property and almost on a daily basis elk and deer can be spotted traversing our property from the Flat Tops Wilderness to the meadows just east of our property. As a young boy, I consumed books and articles with tales of wilderness hunts and dreamed of hunting in truly wild and remote places. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Wild Skies’ Flat Tops cabin is located in Game Management Unit (GMU)12 in Colorado’s Routt National Forest on the northern end of the Flat Tops Wilderness where the Routt National Forest abuts the White River National Forest and just 2.5 miles from GMU 231 (OTC archery elk) . The Flat Tops Wilderness – Home to an Elk Herd of 39,000 Our secluded hunting cabin is surrounded on three sides by the Routt National Forest, approximately 2 miles from the Flat Tops Wilderness. In 2012 Wild Skies completed building its flagship property in NW Colorado’s GMU12 on the northern end of the Flat Tops just 4 miles from the Flat Tops Wilderness which is the first area in the United States designated a wilderness. No motorized transportation is allowed in wilderness areas. We offer full service guided trophy elk hunts at our Fowler Peak Camp. Our cabins sits at an elevation of 8400 feet with ½ mile of private river frontage running through the property and huge alpine meadow areas surround the property. Welcome to Colorado and the famous big game rich Flatops mountains. Vacation Cabins Surrounded by high country glacial lakes, miles of scenic wilderness trails and abundant wildlife Ripple Creek Lodge would like to invite you to experience the history, breath taking beauty and remote wilderness of northwest Colorado. Cliff is a registered outfitter in the State of Colorado, guiding and outfitting over 80 hunters a year for elk, bighorns and mule deer in the White River National Forest and Flat Tops Wilderness Area of the Rocky Mountains. ... Elk Camp, What Elk Camp is all about, Good Times and Great Friends - Duration: 8:38. tracknthetrail 150,846 views. It had been an unusually warm rifle season in the Flat Tops Wilderness, and there was no change in the forecast. Petersen’s Senior editor Christian Berg of Petersen’s Bowhunting Magazine will be out hunting at Wild Skies Cabin Rentals in September of 2016 and the article will be available in 2017. The Flat Tops Wilderness lies within the Routt and White River National Forest and is one of the largest primitive areas in the Rocky Mountains. Wildlife in the area include elk, mule deer, black bear, big horn sheep, mountain , antelope, and an occasional moose. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. I've hunted the Flat Tops (units 25,26) four times during gun season with no success, but will probably be going back again for the archery opener this fall. We're heading out to Colorado to hunt the flat tops on our first elk hunt and will be packing in and setting up a basecamp in the backcountry. Colorado State Outfitter License #2975. Sarvis creek wilderness in unit 15 is 1 of the few places you can truly get away from roads. Fall 2018, Sangre De Cristo area to White River Nat Forest, Flat Top Wilderness, Meeker CO. We back packed in for a 5 day hunt and killed the bull the last morning a 1/2 mile from camp and just up the valley. Mulies are an obvious exception, although we have seen most of the big boys feeding in the meadows at around 10,000 feet. I've been pouring over onx and dialed in an area that seems ideal but then I heard that it tends to be heavily used by outfitters so now I'm thinking it might not be the best option. We did a drop camp there and rode in on horse back. The Routt National Forest is over 1.3 million acres in central Colorado west of the Continental Divide and the White River is over 2 million acres. sorry to be a bear of bad news but i live in that unit and i dont hunt it for that reason. We have custom hunting maps of the area with the elk overlays for sale. Located in Game Management Unit (GMU)12 in Colorado’s Routt National Forest on the northern end of the Flat Tops Wilderness where the Routt National Forest abutts with the White River National Forest and in Craig, Colorado. The White River National Forest has the largest elk herd on EARTH and the Routt National Forest to the North is not far behind. Mule Deer. It contains some of the Rocky Mountains’ most spectacular scenery not to mention the largest elk herd in the world. During his tenure at Bowhunting, Christian has chased game from New York to New Zealand and worked to enhance the brand’s reputation as “The Modern Bowhunting Authority” by providing practical information such as details on the latest bowhunting gear, technical equipment tests, no-nonsense field reviews and proven bowhunting tactics from the sport’s leading experts. Wild Skies has attained its place as the world’s preeminent do-it-yourself mountain retreat. Petersen’s Bowhunting Editor Christian Berg is a passionate bowhunter and award-winning journalist who spent 14 years honing his craft at daily newspapers before joining Outdoor Sportsman Group in 2008. An Equal Opportunity Provider. The Flat Tops Wilderness lies within the Routt and White River National Forest and is one of the largest primitive areas in the Rocky Mountains. We are located in the center of the largest Elk herd in the world; we offers fully guided Big Game Hunting for Elk, Mule Deer and Black Bear in the Flat … Our secluded hunting cabin is surrounded on three sides by the Routt National Forest, approximately 2 miles from the Flat Tops Wilderness. The elk herd in our area is estimated at 42,000 animals. Operating on the White River National Forest and the Flat Tops Wilderness under a special use permit from the US Forest Service. Lone Tom Outfitting offers two high country drop camps. Ripple Creek Lodge's guided hunts take you deep into the Flat Tops Wilderness Area of Northwest Colorado, These hunts are conducted entirely on horseback in Game Management Unit 24 on the White River National Forest. It is well known as some of the very best elk and deer country anywhere. The Flat Tops Wilderness lies within the Routt and White River National Forest and is one of the largest primitive areas in the Rocky Mountains. It is also the time of year where it isn’t abnormal to go an entire hunt without seeing another hunter. In 2016, I joined four friends for a hunt in Colorado’s third largest Wilderness, the famed Flat Tops Wilderness. Additionally, there are local outfitters that will pack out game for $250-350 provided they can get to it on a horse; however, depending on demand, they may or may not be available on the day you need your animal retrieved. The weather is good and the elk are bugling. It is well known as some of the very best elk and deer country anywhere. It is also the time of year where it isn’t abnormal to go an entire hunt without seeing another hunter. The one piece of good advice I will give you for bow season in the Flattops (at least in Unit 24) is to hunt 9,000 feet and above. Bonded and Insured. During the 2nd and 3rd gun seasons you will see other hunters, especially along the roads. A veteran reporter who has covered everything from fires and murders to political races and business deals to conservation and wildlife, Christian embraces the opportunity to put his news-gathering skills to work for fellow archers. It is one of the largest and oldest National Forests in the Rocky Mountains. Flat Tops Wilderness CO Drop Camp with River's Bend Outfitters. Colorado has more elk than any other U.S. state or Canadian province. It is well known as some of the very best elk and deer country anywhere. Day guiding is available in GMU 24 which is good during all rifle seasons and also GMU 12 either sex archery elk season. With a 16'x20' tent, this camp can provide for up to 6 hunters at one time. If you get too close to the colorado river in 15 it gets hotter and drier. All camps are in the Flattop Wilderness, GMU 24. This area has the largest elk herd in the world with a cow to bull ratio of 4:1 and you can drive right up to our front door. Trophy Bull Elk Hunts. Archery season is the best time of the year to be in the Flat Tops. We hunt all three of the Marvine Drainages, east, main and west, at camp locations ranging from 4 to 8 miles in from the campground, elevations from 9,000 to 10,300 feet. This area has the largest elk herd in the world with a cow to bull ratio … Budge's Flattops Wilderness Lodge is located on the south fork of the White River which is home to large, healthy herds of big game including elk & mule deer. We can accommodate hunting parties of up to 12 sportsmen in superb comfort and luxury in our Flat Tops location and up to 22 very comfortably in our Craig cabins location. The immediate area surrounding the cabin is non-ATV; however approximately 10 miles away there are some ATV trails. If you took a stone cold elk hunter in an OTC unit and put them in a trophy unit and force them not to shoot the first 300” bull and wait for a big one will out hunt the folks that shot 2 bulls in their life that combined may score 700”. The weather is good and the elk are bugling. and are accessed only by horseback. But some of the most beautiful and abundant elk habitat is on the plateau. I plan on going out a month or two early to scout some. I had been off the mountain for less than 24 hours and was headed back up for a second season elk/mule-deer hunt. Elk Hunting in Colorado with us Semi-guided horse pack in tent camp hunt for bull or cow and deer for only $2495 Most of the outfitters in this region bring hunters into the draws that lead into Colorado’s Flat Tops Wilderness, GMU025 because it requires less time and effort. First, a horse needs 25lbs of good grass a day and a couple lbs of grain. The first elk I killed in 1998 was in the center of the Flat Tops and 6.5 miles from the trail head. Our hunts are situated in the Flattops Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest in Game Management Units 23, 24, 25 & 34. The problem is people don’t understand the difficulty in taking care of stock in the mountains. The fact is that most non-western hunters just want the opportunity to get a shot at an elk and these two forests are the best in the West in terms of opportunity. unit 25 drop camp trip I hunted unit 25 in the flat tops in 2008, it was my first CO wilderness hunt. Drop Camps: Our wilderness drop camps are situated in beautiful pine and aspen tree rimmed areas (areas that elk love!) In 1995, I went on my first elk hunt and have been blessed to hunt in many wild places since. Explore the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, all from the beautiful, historic cabins at Ripple Creek Lodge. I’ll being doing a trip to the Flat Tops (unit 24) this year hopefully in 1st rifle if I get drawn in the secondary draw, or 2nd rifle OTC if I don’t get a draw tag. Ultimately, “hunters” are successful “finders” because of three important things; pre-hunt research, experience on the ground and keeping the spot to themselves to limit other human interference. During his tenure at Bowhunting, Christian has chased game from New York to New Zealand and worked to enhance the brand’s reputation as “The Modern Bowhunting Authority” by providing practical information such as details on the latest bowhunting gear, technical equipment tests, no-nonsense field reviews and proven bowhunting tactics from the sport’s leading experts. Wildlife in the area include elk, mule deer, black bear, big horn sheep, mountain , antelope, and an occasional moose. Hourglass camp is located at 10,600 ft. in elevation in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area of northwest Colorado, and 12 miles from the trailhead. And while its best known for elk, it produces quality mule deer bucks and bears as well. Now, they're debating switching to a fully guided 4th season hunt in the same area. Archery season is the best time of the year to be in the mountains. Wildlife in the area include elk, mule deer, black bear, big horn sheep, mountain , antelope, and an occasional moose. Petersen’s Bowhunting Editor Christian Berg is a passionate bowhunter and award-winning journalist who spent 14 years honing his craft at daily newspapers before joining Outdoor Sportsman Group in 2008. In regards to your question on altitude, there were two camps: base camp at 9k ft and our camp in the alpine at 10.5k ft. We were there third season and when we arrived it was warm. Hope this helps alittle Our unit, 25, is one of the few Flat Top units that still offers OTC archery bull and cow tags. Also get to close to rabbit ears pass and the crowds grow again. I've seen elk and had opportunities to shoot legal bulls (no record breakers) but blew it. Our unit, 25, is one of the few Flat Top units that still offers OTC archery bull and cow tags. I’ve hunted units 11,22, and 211 before but never have ventured into the Flat Tops. That means after a good snow, you need to pack in hay or equivalent. The words “ELK-14” and “SPOTTED FROM-14” (my way of keeping track of waypoints) bring back memories. Petersen’s Senior editor Christian Berg of Petersen’s Bowhunting Magazine will be out hunting at Wild Skies Cabin Rentals in September of 2016 and the article will be available in 2017. Our drop camps are in the middle of Elk Country, if the elk are talking when you are there, you will hear them from camp. The base camp cabins are for hunters who enjoy the opportunity of getting into the Colorado wilderness to comfortably and economically hunt and fish from a cabin base camp. Researching places to hunt elk takes time, but will turn elk “hunting” trips into elk “finding” trips. lot of people hunt this unit, if your bivy hunting just make sure you look at maps b/c the roads run all over on the flat tops that you may end up close to the road when hunting away from another. He has years of experience hunting mule deer and elk in the Rocky Mountains via remote backpacking and horse/mule packing. plan on seeing a ton of people. A veteran reporter who has covered everything from fires and murders to political races and business deals to conservation and wildlife, Christian embraces the opportunity to put his news-gathering skills to work for fellow archers. Snow, you need to pack in hay or equivalent this field is for validation purposes and should be unchanged... The famed Flat Tops Wilderness area, covering 235,000 acres but i live that. Colorado River in 15 it gets hotter and drier snow, you need to pack hay... 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