Elk Hunting in Craig CO

Lived in Colorado for 40 years and am familiar with the Craig area.What do you need to know?Are you camping?Do you need a guide? Doing any fishing?One thing I can tell you is bring money.Craig area is about as good as you can get and huge spaces. The hardest part is narrowing it down to one area or drainage ,otherwise there is just way too much country.Weather is the other huge factor as the elk change elevation regularly acording to temp.If you hike in try to hunt up hill from camp as the downhill haul is so much easier.Are you using horses?Don't forget to line up a hot springs for after the hunt!

Hunted south of Craig in 04' on a private ranch, but lots of elk around the entire craig area. As stated above keep an eye on the weather. Rained one night, the next morning had somehwere between 4-8 inches of snow, two days later it was all gone. Great area.

I went there on a public land hunt. There's lots of area and lots of hunters. We did manage several elk though. I liked it there because the mountains aren't as severe as those to the SW of there.

I have hunted NW of Craig 5 of last 7 years - hope for snow early to drive elk down for later seasons. Good numbers of animals, even more hunters, but that can be good to keep elk moving from private to public land if they are down from upper elevations. Fairly "easy" hunting compared to a upper elevation timber hunt. My best advice for the area is to go later in season, that's when we have been the most successful. Don't expect 350 class bulls because of the hunting pressure, have shot 5X5's and 6X6's in the 280-320 class. If you go east or south - its gets more rugged and the earlier seasons would be better.

i hunted 20 miles east of meeker, about and hour south of craig october 20-28 2007 , second season, and saw lots of elk, lots and lots of hunters and lots of morons on 4 wheelers , just didnt pan out for me , had a bull tag and could have shot a cow at 400 yards, had a 6x6 600 yards but tried to get a closer shot with 300wsm , would have shot at about 400 but tried to get closer, its the best area i have hunted terrain wise, its easy walking , just have to get back away from all the noise and 4 wheelers and you will have good luck ,

Preparation is everything.If you have an area picked out it may be worth the gas to make a summer camp trip to your area and actually see where you will likely hunt.Otherwise private land is the best option.As others have stated thier are tons of Elk there.I had 50-60 that would hang out in my backyard for days.The whole Yampa valley is pretty heavily pressured for Deer Elk and recreation.Very young very active,ATV,Hiking,dirt bikes,horseback riding, mountain bikers kayakers ,skiers etc.The surrounding areawhether East or south has plenty of Elk but is more rugged and interrupted by Wilderness area,and it is true that the later in the season the better.Craig ,Meeker area is pretty wide open with timbered ridges and some drainages have timber.If you hunt the high country you prety much need horses.There is tons of National Forest which gives you the option of camping for free but more often than not there have been fire bans for the last ten years.Tons of outfitters and guides so I would use the web and communicate with a lot of them and draw your own conclusion and once again ...Bring Money!

Just wonderin why you keep saying bring money? What you going to pay people off?

Ditchrunner, where are you from. I'm from Kremmling CO west of Craig.
Johnbang, everyone keeps saying that because if you haven't been there, the cost of EVERYTHING will surprise you. You know that 4$ value meal you get at BK or McD's, try 7-8$. My folks came here and went to Wal-mart for a few minor things, and my mom had a field day, couldn't believe the prices.
4seasons, hope for snow. The tricky part is picking the season. I read a previous post about the snow. This year they had none during season and harvest #'s were way down. Are you applying or buying over the counter tags?

Sorry, east of Craig. That was stupid.

I am planning on buying an over the counter bull elk tag for the 3rd season. I have been looking at different outfitters online and im thinking about going with a drop camp. I think it would be the way to go since i dont know the area.

Yea I have been out there before, we usually bring a camper and all our supplys, so I guess I never really looked into price of much out there. We usually hunt north of Rocky MTN national park in the muzzleloder season with alot of luck, seems the animals are a little less pushed that time of year! Anybody else hunt up in the same area?????