2019 Montrose, Colorado Visitor Guide - 51

HUNTING
TARGETING YOUR TIME IN MONTROSE

M

HUNTING GUIDES
Camp David Outfitter
970.596.6716
Coffeepot High Country Outfitters, Inc
970.209.2628
Independence Pass Outfitters
970.948.4868
Jackson Outfitters
970.361.7511
Jim Bryce Outfitters
970.874.4134
J+Ray Outfitters
970.323.0115
Raftery Ranch and Outfitters
970.261.1520
San-Pahgre Outfitters
970.252.9306
Silver Spoon Outfitters
970.249.4242
Soap Mesa Outfitters
970.209.0900
West Elk Outfitters
970.640.9461
Western Colorado Outfitter
970.249.8877
Wild Mountain Outfitters
970.316.0015

SHOOTING RANGES
San Juan Shooting Range
970.249.4227
Montrose Road and Gun Club
970.249.4227

ontrose is surrounded
by extraordinary wildlife
habitat. A look in any
direction reveals wideopen spaces and tens of thousands of
acres of public land, all rich with wildlife
and plenty of room to explore. There are
remote areas to trek whether by backpack
or a horse. Numerous motorized trails
accommodate those not physically able to
voyage into the backcountry on foot. With
a wide variety of guided services, species to
pursue, terrain to hunt, and mountains to
climb in search of a trophy, Montrose is a
gateway to adventure for hunters.
West of Montrose, the Uncompahgre
Plateau - known as "the Plateau" to
locals - encompasses 2,300 square miles
of public land and offers relatively easy
access for hunters. It's also home to one of
Colorado's best Game Management Units
for trophy elk, Unit 61. Nationally renowned
for deer and elk hunting, avid elk hunters
wait years for the once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to pursue Rocky Mountain elk
in this area. Diverse USFS roads and trails
wind over and through the vast plateau,
making it popular with hunters.
To the east and south of Montrose, the
high country of the San Juan Mountains
provides ideal summer haunts for deer, elk,
black bears, bighorn sheep, and mountain
lions. Even with increased hunting pressure,
hunters continue to find success in the area
- about half of them take home meat for
their freezers.
With terrain that includes everything
from low-land shrubs to forests and
alpine tundra, you'd be hard pressed to
find a location more ideal for hunting.
So, if you're a hunter, head out in any
direction from Montrose for the unique
and exhilarating experience of hunting in
the Rocky Mountains.

November. The majority of hunters take
to the field for the rifle seasons to stalk
black bears, deer, and elk. A very limited
number of licenses are issued for bighorn
sheep. Colorado is the only state that offers
"over-the-counter" bull elk licenses, which
means you can arrive in Colorado the night
before the season starts, buy a license,
and start hunting the next morning. Those
licenses are offered during the second and
third seasons that generally run from midOctober to mid-November and are not
valid in all hunting areas. A limited number
of elk licenses are also available during the
first and fourth seasons, but hunters must
apply for each.
All deer licenses in Colorado are offered
as "draw only." Hunters must apply for
these licenses in early April. The state has
been divided into 185 Game Management
Units to define hunting areas that allow
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to
better manage wildlife resources and limit
hunting pressure by restricting licenses in
some units. Visit CPW.State.CO.US for a
host of hunting and fishing information and
resources, including a list of businesses that
sell fishing licenses in the Montrose area.

VISITMONTROSE.COM/HUNTING

CAN YOU FIND ME?
Hi, I'm a Bald Eagle!
I find my soul mate
at 4 or 5 years old,
and stay together
during our 38 years
of life (average).
Check me off if
you see me or my
friends!

The big game seasons in Colorado start
in early September with bow and muzzleloader hunting. Regular rifle seasons start
in mid October and continue through late

VISITMONTROSE.COM

51
http://CPW.State.CO.US http://www.VISITMONTROSE.COM/HUNTING http://www.VISITMONTROSE.COM
2019 Montrose, Colorado Visitor Guide

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