Colorado · Guided Bull Elk
Six days fully guided. Archery, muzzleloader, and rifle seasons. GMU 59. About 40% of our hunters fill their elk tag and 60–90% get a shot opportunity — because the ground we hunt sees almost no outside pressure.
The honest numbers
Real figures from the ranch — not a vague “100% opportunity.” A credible number is the whole point.
Our promise: If you don't see an elk, your next hunt is 15% off. In practice, it almost never comes up.
A bull elk hunt at Elk Glade is built on country recognized by Colorado Parks & Wildlife for protecting the largest wildlife corridor between New Mexico and Wyoming on the Front Range — and on a herd the family has watched for years. The result, in plain numbers: about 40% of our hunters fill their tag, and 60–90% get a shot opportunity.
The hunt sits in GMU 59, in the South Cheyenne Canyon system on the south slope of Pikes Peak. Most of our hunters come on a six-night guided package with two hunters per guide. Some upgrade to a private 1:1 guide; some come solo and pair with another hunter on the trip. Most stay at the ranch lodge that has served as ranch headquarters for years.
We’re built for guests who want a real Colorado elk experience — not a packaged trophy program, not a drop camp dressed up with marketing copy. The success rate speaks for itself, but the part that brings people back year after year is the country itself.
Two thousand one hundred acres of family-owned land and more than twenty-five thousand acres of leased land, set inside the largest wildlife corridor between New Mexico and Wyoming on the Front Range. The kind of ground a bull will hold on through a hard week.
Because we sit on private and exclusively-leased ground, the elk we hunt see almost no outside hunters. Pressured herds run; unpressured herds pattern, and that's where the success rate comes from.
Andre runs the program and guides most archery hunts personally; a small bench of long-tenured Colorado outfitter-assistants split the rifle camps. They know the country, the herd, and most years, the bull you're after.
By season
Bull elk hunts in Colorado run from late August through mid-November depending on weapon class. Each season hunts differently — different elk behavior, different terrain strategy, different success rate profile. We’ll help you pick the one that matches your interest and your tag.
Archery
Late August – late September
Peak rut hunting. Bulls vocal and responsive to calling. Close-range opportunities at 30–60 yards.
From $9,9506 nights · fully guided
Muzzleloader
Mid-September (9-day window)
Overlaps the rut with fewer hunters in the field. Still-hunt bedding areas and travel corridors.
From $9,9506 nights · fully guided
Rifle — 1st Season
Early-to-mid October
Post-rut. Bulls move toward feeding zones. Long-range glassing pays off.
From $9,9506 nights · fully guided
Rifle — 2nd Season
Late October – early November
Heavier hunter pressure on public; on Elk Glade ground that pressure becomes a sanctuary effect.
From $9,9506 nights · fully guided
Rifle — 3rd Season
Early November
Snow begins to push elk lower. Pinch-point hunting on the East Beaver bench.
From $9,9506 nights · fully guided
Colorado non-resident elk license currently $825.03. See Licenses + Permits + Draws for the full draw process.
Pre-dawn.Hunter breakfast at the lodge — coffee, eggs, ranch ham. Pack the day pack. Headlamps, glassing gear, water, lunch. Out the door by an hour before legal light. The drive or ATV ride out to the day’s glassing point takes twenty to forty minutes depending on where the herd is moving.
First light.Glass from the East Beaver bench or one of the upper knolls. Locate animals. Plan the stalk. In rifle season, this is the day’s most productive hour — bulls drop into the timber by 8:30, and most morning shots are taken between first shooting light and 8:00.
Midday.If we haven’t connected, we either still-hunt the shaded north slopes where bulls bed, or we ride higher and glass new country. Lunch in the field — sandwich, jerky, cheese, fruit, plenty of water.
Last light.Back on a glassing point at least an hour before sunset. Bulls feed out of timber thirty minutes before legal light expires. This is the second most productive window of the day, and most rifle harvests we don’t take in the morning, we take here.
Dinner. Back at the lodge by full dark. Hot shower, hot dinner. Steaks or roast or whatever the kitchen is running that night. A drink at the bar, a map session for tomorrow, and lights out early. The next day starts the same way.
About 40% of our guided elk hunters have filled their tag across the last five seasons — archery or rifle — which runs well above the Colorado statewide average. Separately, 60–90% get an opportunity: a bull seen or a shot presented during the week. Seeing an elk and filling a tag are different things, and we keep the two numbers honest. If you don't see an elk at all, your next hunt is 15% off — in practice it almost never comes up.
Not always. On GMU 59, 1st and 4th rifle bull elk licenses are drawn through the CPW lottery, while 2nd and 3rd rifle bull elk licenses are over the counter. The draw application window opens in early March and closes in early April. We help every guest pick the right unit, season, and preference-point count for the units we hunt. If you don't draw, we'll work with you on landowner vouchers or leftover-tag opportunities.
The East Beaver Valley bench is moderate walking — long days but rarely above 9,500 feet of elevation. We can run lighter trips for hunters who prefer truck and ATV access, or push deeper into the canyon for those who want a backcountry experience. Mention your preference when you inquire and we'll match terrain to fitness.
Layered wool or synthetic clothing for 20°F mornings to 60°F+ midday, waterproof broken-in boots, 10×42 binoculars, a rangefinder, blaze orange (mandatory for rifle), and your weapon zeroed in. See the full checklist on our Trip Planner page. We provide rifles, scopes, and ammunition for guests who would rather travel light — call us a week ahead to arrange.
The ranch lodge — five private rooms, indoor plumbing, hot showers, a working kitchen, and a player piano in the parlor. Not a tent or drop camp. Hearty meals, drinks, and a celebratory cigar when the hunt closes well.
We don't guarantee animals — no honest outfitter does. What we guarantee is a real shot at a mature bull on country that holds them. If the weather or the moon goes against us, you've still spent a week in the largest wildlife corridor between New Mexico and Wyoming on the Colorado Front Range, eating well at a working ranch.
Yes. The Archery, Muzzleloader, and Rifle Elk + Deer or Bear combo packages bundle a bull elk hunt with a mule deer (or bear) tag for an additional $1,500 ($11,450 total for the 6-night combo, priced if you're successful on the deer or bear). Tags are still your responsibility; we coordinate the application strategy.
Private land in GMU 59, hunted alongside your elk — on the Elk + Deer or Bear combo (if successful) or as a $750 deer voucher.
Combo or +$750 voucher
Merriam's turkey on the south slope. Three-night spring hunt at shoulder-season pricing.
From $1,975
Bring your family — they can spend the week on a real working cattle drive while you hunt.
Real ranch experience
Ready to book
Bull elk hunts book out — most rifle weeks fill 8–10 months in advance. Call us or send a note; we’ll send back season-by-season availability and walk you through the draw.
From the guest book
A rotating set from our recent guests. See the full archive →
I look forward to hunting at Elk Glade in future years, and think that all of the guys in our hunting party feel the same. Andre and the crew ran the camp like a family business.
Father-son rifle elk hunt · Fall 2024
The elk glade hunt was everything I wanted — your property was beautiful and we had great encounters with many nice bulls. I enjoyed learning about the history of the property, too.
5x5 bull · GMU 59 · Rifle 2nd · Fall 2024
From the journal
The Hunt · September 30, 2026
The list, with reasons. The brochure version on most outfitter sites lists what you need; this is what we've seen guys show up without and regret. Andre walks the gear shelf piece by piece.
Andre · 7 min read
The Hunt · September 22, 2026
The CPW elk draw deadline, the preference point math, the OTC vs. draw decision, and the landowner voucher window. Pre-application notes from a guide on the south slope of Pikes Peak.
Andre · 7 min read
The Hunt · September 22, 2026
Bulls get the photos. But ask anyone who hunts to eat which animal they'd rather have on the grill, and the answer is usually a cow.
Jim Johnson · 3 min read
