What part of Colorado are you interested in hunting elk? And what type of hunt? Drop camp, fully guided?

in the past we had been hunting in gmu 521 the type of hunt can be guided or semi-guided as for the area it really doesnt matter much to me.

For a good elk hunt you might consider going north to the northwest corner of Colorado. That area is noted for their large elk herds.

I live in Colorado, but have never used a guide, and I know we have many in our state.

To start your research you could use an online service provided by the state of Colorado that licenses all outfitters. This link can at least tell you if a particular outfitter is current with his license and if there is any disciplinary information on file.

http://www.dora.state.co.us/outfitters/

Some Colorado outfitters:

http://www.biggamehunt.net/colorado.html

cowgal thanks for the reply. is the area that you are talking about the meeker area . I know there is a lot of hunting pressure around there.have you heard anything on the san juan mtn. area or the cripple creek area.

Claycrusher, the Meeker area does get a lot of hunting pressure, however if you can find a guide to take you into the Flattops (on horseback) I've heard those are some pretty awesome hunts. North of Meeker clear to the WY stateline has huge elk herds, and depending on the season you want to hunt, it shouldn't be too bad with too many hunters. Some units in the very NW corner like 201 & 2 are by draw only, and it takes an awful lot of preference points. I've heard at least 10 or more for elk, mule deer or antelope. However, some ranchers that guide in that area are given land owner tags every year and of course they sell those to the public.

I don't know anything about the Cripple Creek area, not sure what the elk herds are like in that area. But being closer to the Denver area, I would guess the hunting pressure would be even higher there.

A lot of the elk tags in the San Juan's are by draw as well, so you may want to check on the specific unit. The elk herds are not as plentiful in the San Juan's.

Go to http://www.heavensgateoutfitters.com

Great website for an outfit in Idaho. He has been in American Hunter Magazine for the NRA magazine featuring a hunt with the editor.

Worth a call. If anyone can get you an elk-this guy will try his hardest

I'm a booking agent, so am not sure it would be appropriate to "toot my own horn" on the bulletin board. If you don't think it's unethical, send me a message or e-mail, and I can send you some brochures, or tell you who I recommend

Try http://www.timberlineoutfitters.net for a honest hunt

bigrack.com

If you are interested in hunting in new mexico I would highly suggest checking out http://www.customhuntingservices.com I went on a cow hunt with them last year and the size and amount of elk i saw were amazing.