Next year is my sons senior year. Well for his graduation gift he want's a guided elk hunt. So I'm looking for a guided elk hunt for 2021 Rifle. Since it's a gift I need to find an outfitter/ranch that either can draw for sure or be able to purchase landowner tags. Now I have not elk hunted in 20 years so I need yall's help on locating an outfitter in New Mexico or Colorado. I would prefer a private land ranch type of hunt. $ is not a problem I just need to find a good quality hunt. I know a lot of you guys elk hunt and could help me out. The internet is loaded with elk outfitters and quite confusing lol. So please help me out if you can. Key word "Quality". Thanks

I would call the Mescalero reservation in Cloudcroft/Ruidoso and see what they have available.....they have a waiting list but you may get lucky.

I'd check Acoma Indian res also in NM. Next would be https://cielovistaranch.com in CO

the lodge at chama...

Since you threw out money is not an issue folks put up some expensive elk hunts.
I would look inti a ranch or OTC hunt in Colorado .
You looking to just shoot an elk or actually have a great hunt for one ? That can be the difference in your choice.
Personally I would find a nice backcountry type hunt, maybe horses involved, or a large ranch in either Colorado or NM.

You might be pushing it to find a hunt for 2021 now though, many outfitters will be booked for next year.
Good luck and great on you for lining one up for your son.

You live in Wyoming why didn't you recommend anything there? Some of the best elk hunting in the nation is in Wyoming.
License application is in January plenty of time.

You are correct however the OP stated CO or NM as his choices. Also the OP likely has never applied in WY and therefore has zero points. I may be wrong but I believe landowners can’t sell LO tags in WY. So the OPs chance of scoring a good unit elk tag in WY with zero points are slim to none.

Call these guys.
Extreme Outfitters owner Kevin Marshall
Swift Creek Outfitters owner BJ Hill

Both are in Wyoming look them up on the interweb.

Do not overlook the Trans Pecos region of West Texas...lot of free ranging wild elk there now. Some really big bulls are taken every year in those mountains out there. You will hunt elk during the rut just like in the western states except you will be in Texas. All hunts will be 100% private lands and on well managed large ranches. There is no season in Texas so you are not limited to certain dates.

I agree with this and another advantage is license cost and availability, standard hunting licences and you are covered. I hunted Montana for years but the License I was getting got up to 1K for combo deer and elk, 800 for just elk. And you get to hunt the rut with a rifle if you set it up that way with the outfitter.

Do you have any names of ranches or outfitters that do the elk hunts in the pecos region. Always thought that it would be really cool to shoot a free ranging elk in Texas.

He asked for guaranteed draw, Wyoming does not have that.
I do know some great elk hunts to be had with a General tag, 3 PP to draw last year.
Wyoming does allot 25% of licenses to a random draw that he could have a chance in, odds are pretty long.
For an ultimate hunt with the PP I would tell someone to look into NW Wyoming. Not for me though. Pack in, possibly migration late with hundreds of bulls, big country, grizzly bears and wolves.

For his needs sounds like NM or Colorado is the ticket. I just don't think it would have to be a $10,000 elk hunt to be quite the experience. I would look for a wilderness experience, but you want good odds on harvest too.

Trans Pecos actually sounds like just the hunt. Texas native, free range elk. Probably on a very historic , large ranch and no other pressure.
A ranch hunt anywhere, well almost, should have very limited pressure and good harvest odds. A wilderness hunt would be a very different type of hunt and success rates certainly wouldn't be as predictable as a ranch hunt.

Wildlife Systems does hunts.
https://www.wildlifesystems.com/elk.html
Longfellow Ranches
https://www.longfellowranch.com/
CF Ranch
https://www.cfranch.com/west-texas-elk-hunting/
Escalera Ranch
http://www.escalera.us/operations-wildlife/
High West Outfitters
https://www.highwestoutfitter.com/hunt-free-range-texas-elk

Be sure to thoroughly research the outfitter and look to make sure they are an actual outfitter......not just someone who lost their outfitter license due to hunting violations......see my sig

I don't know why I forgot about Texas. Most these ranch will be hunting them in sept/oct and you also get the full bugling /rut experience

if you google Jicarilla Indian Reservation elk hunt you'll find a few in New Mexico

you ll get some from nearby outfitters that offer guaranteed elk tags
hunting in private ranch/ guaranteed harvest

Do a cow and bull combo

Can't do the Jicarilla next year, they didn't hunt this year because of the Wu Flu. All hunters that drew this year received a voucher for 2021. So no drawing next year.

Thanks for all the help guys. I found and made calls and emails to 3 different ones out there. I appreciate the help.

I dont know much about Elk or what Wildlife Systems may offer for Elk but I will highly recommend Wildlife Systems overall as professionally run.

It is hunting season so they maybe slow to reply right now.

As others have said, New Mexico is probably your best choice because you can purchase landowner permits and be assured of a hunt. Kiowa Outfitters is out of Raton and has lots of hunt options as does Jim Welles in Albuquerque. I have cow hunted with both of them and they both run great outfits. PM me if you have any questions.

Look at Muley Mikes photos of his elk hunts this year on this website....he will prove to you that STXranchman is telling you the truth!!!!!

If money is no object: Cotton Mesa Ranch. Owned by Carters Country in Houston..

I have hunted the Trans Pecos most my life. Mainly for WT though. My buddy owns Lone Star Trail Outfitters. I have stepped foot on the Longfellow Ranch a few yrs ago. Memory serves me correctly there was a gentlemen that was as fairly active on the THF for a few yrs that took over operations for Longfellow hunting operations about 2 yrs ago. It seems the hunting is more centered towards Malones partners, friends etc. then the commercial hunting stuff as in prior yrs. I am not sure of that so please don't shoot me.

The Cerf was purchased by LF a few yrs ago who also purchased Trents place off of 2400, The Circle Dot. The Cerf was then sold to another child hood buddy by the name of Lea Daggett. They have had the home place at 285 and Grey Ranch rd for many yrs (the Daggetts). Just this year Lea and his son Cole began offering elk hunts on both their ranches.

The name of the operation is Split Hoof Outfitters. They have taken some nice bulls from what I can tell on their Twitter account this year. Call Lea directly at 432-386-0861 and see what he has to offer. It is only a matter of time before Trent at LSTO starts offering bull elk free range hunts on his place. They keep migrating further North on 285. Good luck.