Every common question · One place
FAQs.
The questions we get the most about hunting on GMU 59, the cattle drive, the property, the lodge, and the booking process. Use the table of contents below or scroll through the sections.
Section 1
Hunting.
Bull elk, mule deer, black bear (with the elk combo), spring turkey on GMU 59. Six-night fully guided packages.
What species can I hunt at Elk Glade?
Bull elk (archery, muzzleloader, rifle), mule deer (archery, muzzleloader, rifle), black bear (hunted alongside elk on the six-night Elk + Deer or Bear combo), spring Merriam's turkey, and limited mountain lion via CPW draw. Cow elk available on some weapon classes.
Is GMU 59 limited entry or OTC for elk?
Both, depending on the season. In GMU 59, 1st and 4th rifle bull elk are limited entry: you draw the tag through the CPW primary draw or acquire a landowner voucher. 2nd and 3rd rifle bull elk licenses are over the counter, so no draw is needed. Rules change from year to year, so check CPW's big-game page before you apply.
How long is a typical guided hunt?
Standard bull-elk packages run 6 nights / 5 hunting days. Mule deer combined seasons follow the same window. Spring turkey runs 3 nights. Custom-length hunts available by arrangement.
What's the guide-to-hunter ratio?
Standard hunts run a 1:2 guide-to-hunter ratio — one guide, two hunters working as a pair. A 1:1 private guide is available for +$1,950, pairing you with a single guide for the full week. Either way, the same guide stays with you start to finish.
What's the harvest success rate?
Colorado statewide bull-elk opportunity runs ~8% per CPW data. About 40% of Elk Glade hunters fill their elk tag and 60–90% get a shot opportunity across recent seasons, depending on weapon class, weather, and animal availability. We don't pad the numbers.
Can I do a combined deer + elk hunt?
Yes. Rifle 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seasons are combined deer-and-elk on GMU 59. Most rifle hunters add the deer voucher when available and hunt both species off the same camp.
Section 2
Colorado draw + licenses.
How CPW awards limited-entry tags and what you need to know about points + vouchers.
When is the Colorado elk draw deadline?
The Colorado big-game primary draw closes in early April for that fall's hunting season (April 7 at 8 p.m. MT in 2026; CPW sets the date each year). Applications are submitted online through your CPW account at cpw.state.co.us.
How many preference points do I need for GMU 59?
None for 2nd and 3rd rifle bull elk: those GMU 59 licenses are over the counter. For the draw seasons, non-resident cutoffs run 1–3 points: archery typically 2–3; rifle 1st (limited bull) 1–2; rifle 4th 1–2; muzzleloader 1–2. Resident cutoffs run 0–1 lower.
Can I bypass the draw with a landowner voucher?
Yes. Colorado landowners with qualifying acreage and agricultural use receive landowner preference vouchers each year, which can be transferred to a hunter. A voucher entitles the holder to a tag without going through the draw and without consuming preference points.
What does a Colorado landowner voucher cost?
At Elk Glade, a deer voucher is +$750 added to your hunt, when available. The hunter also pays the standard CPW license fee on top of the voucher price.
Section 3
Cattle drive.
Day on horseback at a working ranch. The Xola-bookable experience.
How long is the cattle drive?
Approximately 8 hours, door to door. You arrive at the barn in the morning, get paired with a horse, ride out, work cattle (in fall) or ride the East Beaver Valley trails (other seasons), and finish back at the lodge in the afternoon.
How much does the cattle drive cost?
$1,495 base price covers up to four guests, plus the Xola booking fee. Each additional guest is $250, up to eight guests total. Larger parties by phone with Jim Johnson.
Do I need to know how to ride?
No. Most cattle-drive guests are first-timers on horseback. The crew pairs you with a calm horse, walks you through the basics, and rides at the pace of the group. Experienced riders welcome too.
Can kids come?
Children are welcome. Our tack is sized for riders age ten and older — younger riders may find the saddle and stirrups don't fit them properly. Smaller parties with younger kids should call ahead.
Section 4
Property + location.
Where Elk Glade sits and how to get there.
Where is Elk Glade?
Elk Glade is on the south slope of Pikes Peak in Colorado, at the southwestern corner of Game Management Unit 59. Mailing address: 13780 CR 8, Victor, CO 80860. Approximately 60 miles west of Colorado Springs.
How far is Elk Glade from Colorado Springs?
Approximately 60 miles west of Colorado Springs, an ~90-minute drive via Old Stage Road through Cheyenne Mountain. Pickup from COS airport is included with multi-night hunt and ranch-stay bookings.
How big is the property?
2,100 acres of family-owned land and over 25,000 acres of leased land on the south slope of Pikes Peak. The ranch has been in continuous family operation since 1888.
What's the elevation?
The lodge sits at 8,500 feet. The ranch country ranges from approximately 8,000 feet at the lower bench up to 9,500 feet at the canyon rim. Most hunting takes place between 8,500 and 9,500 feet.
Section 5
Lodge + meals.
Where you sleep and eat.
What's the lodge like?
The historic ranch lodge is where guests sleep and eat. Private rooms range from single-occupancy guide rooms to family suites, three ranch meals a day are served family-style, and the porch looks out over the canyon. Five bedrooms, with a private cabin add-on.
How many people does the lodge sleep?
The lodge sleeps fifteen comfortably with the private cabin add-on. Bedrooms range from single-occupancy guide rooms to family suites. Larger groups split across the lodge and cabin.
Are meals included?
Yes for hunt and cattle-drive packages — three meals a day (breakfast, packed lunch in the field, hot dinner at the lodge). Stay-only guests have meals available a la carte or as a meal-plan add-on.
Section 6
Booking + logistics.
How to plan a trip.
How far in advance do I need to book?
Hunt weeks book 6–12 months ahead, particularly rifle 2nd and 3rd which fill first. Cattle drives can sometimes be booked 4–6 weeks out depending on the date. Fishing and horseback typically available with shorter lead times.
Do you require a deposit?
50% deposit secures any hunt booking. If you're applying for the CPW draw and don't draw, 100% of the deposit is returned. Balance is due at the start of the hunt.
How can I pay, and are gratuities included?
We take Visa, MasterCard, personal check, or cash. The 50% deposit books your hunt and the balance is due at the start of the hunt week at the lodge. Gratuities aren't included — 15–20% is customary, split among the guide, cook, and wrangler.
What's your cancellation policy?
Hunt deposits are refundable when CPW doesn't award you the tag. Otherwise, deposits are refundable only when we re-fill the spot from a waitlist. Inside 60 days the deposit is held; weather cancellations on our side are fully refunded or rebooked.
Can I combine programs in one week?
Yes. The Family & Group Camp page covers our most common multi-program week — guided hunters in the field while non-hunters do horseback, fishing, and ranch days. See the family-camp page for the full structure.
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We update this page with new questions as they come in. If you have a specific situation we don’t cover — a particular CPW scenario, an unusual group shape, a hunt date in mind — send a note or call us.
