First of all welcome to BGH!

Do you know what part of the state that you want to hunt? Do you have any preference points for Colorado? Were you going to hunt archery, rifle or muzzleloader? 2000 might get you a drop camp, which might be nice to get you back in where the elk are plus many times they'll include packing your game out for you, as it might be a tough haul, solo or with your wife.

Hiker, I would want to do muzzle loader or rifle. I would probly be hunting the sw part of the state. What do you have to bring for a drop camp, food? Don't the bears and mountain lions mess with ya? How do they know when I shoot a animal to pack it out, do we have radio contact? Probly units 68, 80, 81, 82, 681, 65, 62. I am wanting to put in for draw units 76, 61, 66, 67, 20, 39. Going to narrow it down depending on what outfitters I find. Or if I decide to do it myself hunt. Just don't know, Looking for someplace reasonable for the first timer. Thanks again, Mike.

Most drop camps will have an appointed time to come and pick you up. If you book for 5 days, thats when they will come and get you. If you shoot an animal on the 1st day, you would probably cut it up and move it back to camp and your own and wait for them to come get you.

Occassionally outfitters have several camps in an area. They may check on you as they pack in/out your neighbors.

Oh course with todays Sat Phones, You could just call them to come get you early.

A lot of the Mountain West is public lands. BLM, Forest Service, state lands. You can camp on most of these lands. If it were me, I'd save the $2000 and just set up a camp rather than look for a lodge. But you will have to look at what you are comfortable doing, Your biggest challenge will be packing an elk off the mountain if youy are successful.

Can I hire someone to pack it out for me do you think on a do it yourself hunt?

I'm not sure a drop camp is the best thing for a first time elk hunter. You can camp nearly anywhere on National Forest Land and in heavily hunted areas there are often small cabins available for rent. That is a much better proposition than being left in the wilderness with your wife, gear that you may have never used, and in country you don't know. Don't get me wrong, I love backcountry hunts, but I certainly would not recommend it for anyone's first elk hunt. A summer camping trip is an entirely different proposition than a Mid to Late October high country camp. Remember Murphy's Law, as a firefighter I'm sure you are very familiar with it. I suggest for a first timer that you reduce the number of things that can go wrong and spend the money renting a small cabin or RV adjacent to country you want to hunt. I'm not familiar with Southwest Colorado, and I'm sure someone here can help you narrow down your choices of places to hunt, but I don't want to encourage you to get in over your head on your first attempt. I welcome nonresident hunters and the influx of tourist dollars and DOW revenue they represent, but they are often the ones requiring rescuing during hunting season. I'm not doubting your woodsmanship, but take it easy on your first attempt and accept that you likely will not harvest an animal (20% success for a reason).