Family · Trip planning · Updated 2026-05-29
What kids can actually do during a Colorado elk hunt — by age tier. What parallel programming looks like at a working ranch. The safety, the gear, and the case for making the hunt a family week rather than a parent's week away.
The short version
Most outfitters are not set up for non-hunting guests. The lodge is a hunter lodge; the schedule is a hunter schedule; there’s nothing for a spouse or a child to do between mornings. A working ranch with parallel programming is a different model — horseback rides, fishing, cattle work, lodge time all happen on the same days as the hunt.
The result, for the right family, is a week that everyone remembers — kids who learn to ride, partners who get the lodge time without the 5 AM, and hunters who don’t have to choose between the hunt and the family. The honest framing: this works when both the ranch and the family commit to it; it doesn’t work as an afterthought on a hunt-only operation.
By age tier
Age
Under 10
Role
Camp + parallel activities
Below the legal hunter education age. Kids in this window do best with parallel ranch programming — horseback rides, fishing, helping in the kitchen, riding along on scouting drives. Plan the day around their stamina, not the hunt's.
Age
10–11
Role
Hunter education + apprentice tag
Colorado allows youth to take hunter education at age 10 and apply for a youth/apprentice elk tag. Most ten-year-olds do better as observers on the first hunt — pack a folding seat, snacks, and patience. The watching is the education.
Age
12–15
Role
Full youth hunter
Youth hunters with a license and hunter ed can fully participate. Discounted youth licenses + discounted tag fees. Many guides at this age prefer slow-paced sit-and-wait setups over long stalks — match the country to the kid.
Age
16+
Role
Adult hunter rates apply
Sixteen and older pays adult license rates and participates as an adult on the hunt. The transition is more legal than tactical — by sixteen most kids have either committed to hunting or moved on.
Parallel programming
A working ranch like Elk Glade runs five categories of activity that can absorb non-hunting guests on the same days the hunt is happening. The schedule is built to keep everybody engaged without forcing the hunter to skip mornings.
Horseback rides
Half-day rides on the East Beaver trail network. Kids ride in matched horse-and-saddle pairings; guide stays with the group. Great mid-day activity while parents are hunting.
Guided fly fishing
Three miles of private water on East Beaver Creek. Wild brown, brookie, and cutthroat — kids commonly catch their first fish here. Single barbless hooks, catch and release.
Cattle work
Real cattle work mornings (gathering, sorting, fence checks) during fall hunt weeks. Kids who can ride and follow direction become useful hands. Older kids often become summer interns.
Camp + lodge time
Reading, helping in the kitchen, playing cards, learning to load .22 LR for back-of-the-ranch plinking (with supervision and ear pro). Lodge porch becomes the social hub.
Scouting drives
Kids can ride along on the truck drives that move guides and hunters between glassing points. They see country they wouldn't otherwise see and learn how patterning works.
Safety
FAQ
Colorado requires hunter education before purchasing an elk license, and hunter education is available starting at age 10. A 10-year-old with hunter ed can legally apply for a youth elk tag and hunt with an adult mentor present. Below age 10, kids can observe and accompany but cannot hold their own tag.
Yes, at outfitters that run parallel programming. Elk Glade's Family & Group Camp specifically pairs guided hunters with non-hunter programming for spouses and kids — horseback, fishing, cattle work, lodge meals. The hunt week becomes a family week without sacrificing the hunt.
Same layered clothing system as adults (merino base + fleece + wind shell + puffy), well-broken-in boots, a brimmed hat, and decent quality eye and ear protection. Kid-sized binoculars (8x32 or 6x30) are worth the spend; adult binos are too heavy and too widely-spaced for small faces.
Sometimes. Kids hydrate inconsistently and adapt to altitude at variable rates. Plan an easy first day, push fluids hard, and watch for headaches, lethargy, or appetite loss. Most kids adapt by day two if they've been encouraged to drink water consistently. The lodge at 8,500 ft is not extreme, but it's a meaningful adjustment.
Elk Glade's Family & Group Camp prices non-hunters separately from the guided hunt — $1,950 per non-hunting adult for the hunt week (lodging and meals, space available), with horseback, fishing, and ranch activities quoted with the party. The guided hunt fee is unchanged. For current per-party numbers use the quote builder or call the ranch.
When the hunt is a family week
Family & Group Camp is the bundle that pairs guided hunters with non-hunter programming. Use the quote builder to get a family-week estimate, or call the ranch directly.
