Colorado outfitting business for sale--NO DEEDED LAND

Colorado outfitting business for sale on Grand Mesa with USFS permits

Offered for sale is a Colorado backcountry guide service with exclusive rights to operate on thousands of acres of National Forest lands, located north of Hotchkiss, Colorado on the Grand Mesa. The base camp is called Willow Creek and is accessible by UTV or ATV as well as horse and foot. There are three trails accessible by 50-inch-wide ATV’s. The outfitter brings his tent camp setup and hunters into camp by UTV’s and then they hike into the backcountry to hunt elk. Permitted by the Grand Mesa National Forest, the outfitter has access to about 25,000 acres of terrain. Hunters find that the camp is very comfortable. For the outfitter, it’s much easier to pack in a camp with a UTV and trailer than using horses.

Colorado GMU 421 is an over-the-counter unit for elk tags

Known for its excellent elk and mule deer hunting, Colorado’s Game Management Unit 421 is a unit where hunters can buy a tag just prior to the season and do not have to go through the draw process, which begins in early April every year. This camp is used to guide archery and muzzleloader hunts during September and first and second rifle season hunts in October and early November. Because of the high elevation and chance of getting snowed in, the outfitter doesn’t offer third or fourth season rifle hunts out of this camp. They run 14-16 archery hunters a season and the same 14-16 rifle hunters for the first and second season.

Good success rate for public hunting area for Colorado elk

The public pressure in this area varies depending on week and season. There are times that they find themselves alone there and other that its can be semi crowded. This camp will include all our hunting areas, including wallows, springs, and best areas transferred through ONX maps. Shot opportunity runs about 70% for archery hunters and 65% for rifle hunters on elk. The outfitter has gained an extensive knowledge of the area and will give a buyer hunting advice that will keep clients on elk no matter the pressure situation.  There are also rumors of this area going draw for archery season which would make it crazy good as it holds a lot of animals.

Mule deer, bear, moose, horseback riding, and fishing are other income opportunities

While elk hunting is the main draw for this business, it has other business opportunities as well. Colorado’s moose population is growing, and there are good bulls in this area. Mule deer are harder to find than elk, but some terrific bucks have been taken in this area. As well, the USFS permit allows for summer horseback rides, pack trips, and fishing trips, so that aspect of the business could be expanded. The permit has 144 USFS service days for rifle season, 72 service days for archery/muzzleloader hunting, 50 days for ATV tours, and 200 days for horseback fishing trips for a total of 466 USFS user days. This outfitter has established a good income stream with solid bookings for this business.