colorado wilderness outfitter camp locations

[CNelk2]

Hello All,

New to the forum and looking for a bit of help. A little about myself first... I am from central Illinois but lived in Colorado several years. I hunted elk in Colorado every year i lived there 2010-2012 for archery and was successful twice. I was back out for the 2015 archery season and was unsuccessful but was as also a great time. I enjoy hunting the wilderness and be somewhat away from other hunters (always run into others) even in the wilderness I hunt.

In 2015 the spot I like had an outfitter camp in the area. I hunted the next drainage over and was between two camps from an outfitter. Unfortunately i could not shake these guys no matter what so I moved further away... bad thing was i never found an area that was holding elk (no fresh sign and lots of bears) but no fresh elk sign.

I have heard that it is public information where these camps are located. If this is true where and how do I get this information. I want to stay away from them so they are successful and I can plan where I want to go and hopefully optimize.

 

[cohunter14]

Welcome to the forum Brian! :welcome:

From my understanding, the forest service should be able to provide you with that information. Just reach out to whichever forest service covers that area and someone there should be able to stear you in the right direction.

One other suggestion for you and this is just an idea since it sounds like you have to move on from your area anyway. Why not look for an area you can backpack into that isn\'t a wilderness area? The only reason I suggest that is because everyone now wants to hunt wilderness areas to \'get away from the crowds\'. It has become the new trend and the hot thing to do. The problem is that every other person who hunts that wilderness area has the exact same thought. They are going to hike in deep and escape the pressure and next thing you know there are a bunch of people camped 2-5 miles in (or more). If you look at a non-wilderness area, you can find an area to hike that far in and you will truly escape other hunters because everyone who wants to backpack in typically goes to a wilderness area. Just my two cents. If I were considering a backpack hunt, a wilderness area would be my last option.

 

[cnelk]

Howdy Brian - Welcome!

Cool CNelk2 name too

Derek is right about getting the outfitter info from the Forest Svc that governs that area.
Give them a call and ask them questions.
They will probably also ask you if the outfitter caps were clean and tidy as they can get fined or lose their area if they dont follow the NF rules.

But, are you sure they were both outfitters?
It seems kinda close to have 2 outfitter camps in the same vicinity.
It could be a \'rogue/un-licensed\' outfiiter or two also.

It is also true about the \'Wilderness Fad\'
Everyone wants to go deep and hunt, and that gets crowded!
We experienced that in Wyoming in 2015 - 5 miles in with horses and so was everyone else

Let us know what you find out

 

[WW]

Another thing to remember is, you have the right to hunt the same area the outfitter hunts. The outfitters have areas they can hunt. This is so one outfitter doesn\'t hunt on top of the next outfitter. But as a private hunter, you can hunt anywhere you like on public land. The only restriction for you is that you can not camp within so many feet (I forgot the number) of a licensed outfitters camp.

When I was guiding, the outfitter paid a fee to the forest service that was based on the estimated number of hunters he expected to have. He was given an area to hunt but the only actual thing he controlled was the campsite itself.

I haven\'t guided for probably close to 20 years. But this is how it was back then. Hope this helps.

 

[CNelk2]

Thanks all for the welcome and thank you for the advise.

I agree the wilderness fad is booming and I should be selling packs. I do also hunt the edges of the wilderness and bordering FS land and have been contemplating that particular strategy of spending more time on the outskirts in hopes of no pressure especially close to the private land with no access. The wilderness I have been hunting is to my opinion an overlooked gem and cant walk away from it. it would have to get more crowded for me to leave. I like having a unit I know the lay of the land. Most people I have run into there has either been at the trail head or I called them in and we ended up talking a bit and moving on.

I hope that the forest service can get me locations so I can avoid them all together. So lets say last year the outfitters went left so i went right and this year they go right instead of left.

Hopefully this fall I will get some blood on my hands. September can\'t get here soon enough. I want bulls breath screaming in my face!

 

[WW]

cnelk2: You mentioned that you were in central Illinois. May I ask what town? And are you familiar with the Carlinville, Girard, and Palmyra areas?

 

[cnelk]

Brian
Share some pics of those elk you got. Be great to see your success!

 

[CNelk2]

cnelk2: You mentioned that you were in central Illinois. May I ask what town? And are you familiar with the Carlinville, Girard, and Palmyra areas?

I live in Chillicothe IL. big white tail country. I know the names of the towns you mentioned but am not familiar with them. They are all big whitetail country too.

 

[Don K]

Dang I\'m sorry you moved back to this state.... Illinois, land of taxes, corruption

Welcome to the site!! Lots of great people here, lots of incredible knowledge.

Two years ago I ran into the same thing. Backpacked into a area and wanted to hunt a basin that I had found on google earth. Headed up to the basin in the early morning to have a outfitter bring up a client on horseback and drop him where I was. Good thing for us after two days he packed his clients out, but left his camp behind Im guessing for gun hunters. One thing I did notice is his camp was about a mile from the basin and the horse trail that he made by going up and down a blind man could have followed.

 

[WW]

cnelk2: You mentioned that you were in central Illinois. May I ask what town? And are you familiar with the Carlinville, Girard, and Palmyra areas?

I live in Chillicothe IL. big white tail country. I know the names of the towns you mentioned but am not familiar with them. They are all big whitetail country too.

Chillicothe?? That\'s waaaaayyyyyy north. LOL!

 

[CNelk2]

Dang I\'m sorry you moved back to this state.... Illinois, land of taxes, corruption

Welcome to the site!! Lots of great people here, lots of incredible knowledge.

Two years ago I ran into the same thing. Backpacked into a area and wanted to hunt a basin that I had found on google earth. Headed up to the basin in the early morning to have a outfitter bring up a client on horseback and drop him where I was. Good thing for us after two days he packed his clients out, but left his camp behind Im guessing for gun hunters. One thing I did notice is his camp was about a mile from the basin and the horse trail that he made by going up and down a blind man could have followed.

I thought Illinois is where I wanted to be. Silly Me I had not lived anywhere else until I moved to Colorado. So Illinois will always be home in my heart. But until I moved back I had not lived in any other state. I feel the call of the mountains everyday and will be back as a resident at some point in time, hopefully sooner than later.

I know about the trail situation... Ray Charles can find them.

 

[CNelk2]

cnelk2: You mentioned that you were in central Illinois. May I ask what town? And are you familiar with the Carlinville, Girard, and Palmyra areas?

I live in Chillicothe IL. big white tail country. I know the names of the towns you mentioned but am not familiar with them. They are all big whitetail country too.

Chillicothe?? That\'s waaaaayyyyyy north. LOL!

Yeah its pretty north in the state but still considered central Illinois. The state is technically three different \"zones\" north Central and southern. But rich duck hunters hunters along the major river confluences and big cities Chicago and St Louis....have changed all of that. But still in central zone. my local news is CI proud/ Ci= Central Illinois.

If anyone enjoys a good whitetail I would be glad to host. Private and public and one of the public is hard to access and no one wants to hike in. I have hunted it two years in a row. I have yet to kill my monster but; this past fall I put my elk hunting/pack pack away from people to work and there are some big ol\' swamp bucks in there.

 

[cnelk]

How about some pics?

 

[CNelk2]

How about some pics?

I really wish I had some to Post and to look back on and reflect. Unfortunately when I was boating at Pueblo Res. my phone went overboard. I now automatically back all of my pictures up on my laptop when I charge my phone.

Hoping this fall ill have a pic of a downed animal.

 

[Iron_Will_Eric]

Welcome, Brian! :welcome:

We usually contact the outfitters a few months prior, then followup right before season so we can all stay out of eachother\'s hair. Some years camps are in different drainages, or there might be a camp in for the first week, out the second, back in for muzzleloader, etc. so it\'s been pretty valuable for us to communicate. Also, depending on where you drop your bull, you might be able to get a horse to help with the pack out! :upthumb: