I did not see any other information on this so posting my experience for others and hoping for some additional information from others that may have hunted this area. I drew a ranching for wild life cow tag to hunt the Burns Hole Ranch and hunted the first week of the tag, Second week is Dec 1-5. I did not really know what to expect so here is what I experienced and think I learned for anyone looking at these tags in the future. RFW program sends you a packet and you can call the folks that run the service as well. They were very friendly. The ranch near Burns CO, is divided up into multiple properties each with its own characteristics from hay fields to steep above tree line. I only hunted 3 different areas of the umpteen different plots. You have check in/out each morning/night at one of 2 check points, some areas are close, some can be an hr drive from each other on very rough dirt roads and jeep trails. I did fine with stock full size truck but could have easily done damage if not paying attention. The roads we mostly dry the first week I was there. Snow or wet it could be really tough going. I got a flat on my way to hunt the first day and ran into another guy that had gotten 2 flats. Nearest tire shop is in Glenwood springs so I lost a day due to this. There is almost no service anywhere off the roads, good service at the top of some of the walk in areas. If you have a n ATV (I don't) there is a lot more terrain open to you. All of the guides I talked to on the ranch were very approachable and helpful. That said there were a ton of people and this is a public hunt not the low numbers guided hunts they make their lively hood on. I could see how folks might interpret this differently I was certainly surprised by the numbers of tags/other hunters. There are two different tag windows with 2 separate weeks on each 5 days in Oct and 5 in Dec. The windows overlap on the weekend so you have double the folks out there o that weekend. Given the numbers in the field already I decided not to hunt the weekend. I am not complaining about how they do it, just not what I am after. This may not be exactly the way they do it either, but it seemed like they hold some areas for their paying customers, some for Bull tag holders and others for cow and buck/doe tag holders. This makes sense to me to distribute the hunting pressure give everyone a good hunt with more privacy while maintaining their lively hood. I saw several successful folks with bulls on the first 2 days. Nothing huge but respectable, again just what I saw. I also saw multiple kids with does hanging and the guides helping them have a great experience ;earning to skin them etc. I am not sure there is a better set up for young hunters. They are clear it is the hunters responsibility to take care of your animal but I also believe the guides helped several groups, especially those with kids to recover their animals. Given the guides are trying to distribute the hunting pressure if you can figure out several areas where you want to hunt I to would be beneficial in case you don't get your first choice. Of course you can go any way just like any public land hunt but to me the guides are really trying to give everyone the best experience so following their recommendations seemed the way to go for me. I believe there are elk on most if not all the properties but they are moving around and a lot of the properties are boardered by public or other private lands which you can't hunt even if you have a tag if you are accessing them from the ranch land. This is understandable as I believe they want the animals to stay on their land and not get pushed to other properties or public if possible, maybe there are other reasons as well. I covered a lot of ground (for me) the first couple of days and saw some elk track and sign, cat and a large bear sign (think beer can) but no elk. The one stalk I did on day 3... Based on a tip from one of the guides we spotted a group that was traversing from one private to another private ranch at first light, a small group split off and hopped the fence on to the ranch property the main group stayed on the other private land. Wind was bad to intercept so there was no chance of getting close enough. We let them bed unpressured just over the ridge on private. That evening headed back down they were riding the fence line but headed onto the property. There was a hunter in a blind about maybe a 1/2 mile maybe more away we could see from our glassing point. With the herd heard toward him and the wind blowing directly from him to them and toward us we figured they would wind him or he would drop one but either way we had to make our move off the glassing point and get into range of their anticipated path. As anticipated, they changed direction and headed away form the other hunter back toward us. I got to 350 yards with good wind, without getting busted and could have closed another 100-150 behind a hill. As it was, the closest animal was 10 yard on the wrong side of the fence so we hung until last light hoping one would hop over with no love. Would have been nice to have connected but it was a good hunt no mater how you slice it.
Other things... There are several places to camp the would hold a trailer etc right outside the gate on public land. Other wise you can stay at least an hr away in either direction. I drove a little over 2 hrs each way and it really was just too far to hunt first and last light and all day. Probably should have napped instead of walking mid day but that's not normally what I do. Deer are ever where on every properties I was on and not spooky at all. Got to 30 yards on a group while walking an talking in normal voice before we noticed them one afternoon when we were changing areas mid day. Saw several nice but not epic bucks as well. I will post more once I hunt the second week in Dec. If any one has other information about this place I would appreciate it as well. At this point I am not sure I would put in for it again just due to the number of other hunters though for my kids I would do it in a heart beat. You can bring one non hunting guest, though I believe if it was you ant a buddy and your kid tat would be a doable do. Also several folks had tags they got from RMEF not sure all the details there and one lucky youth had a cow and a doe tag. You can check in the night before your hunt. This is highly recommended to get as much beta on the various areas prior to starting your hunt at check in the next day with everyone else that does not know the program. Just my experience I hope will share theirs as well for the benefit of folks trying to figure out the property.
Other things... There are several places to camp the would hold a trailer etc right outside the gate on public land. Other wise you can stay at least an hr away in either direction. I drove a little over 2 hrs each way and it really was just too far to hunt first and last light and all day. Probably should have napped instead of walking mid day but that's not normally what I do. Deer are ever where on every properties I was on and not spooky at all. Got to 30 yards on a group while walking an talking in normal voice before we noticed them one afternoon when we were changing areas mid day. Saw several nice but not epic bucks as well. I will post more once I hunt the second week in Dec. If any one has other information about this place I would appreciate it as well. At this point I am not sure I would put in for it again just due to the number of other hunters though for my kids I would do it in a heart beat. You can bring one non hunting guest, though I believe if it was you ant a buddy and your kid tat would be a doable do. Also several folks had tags they got from RMEF not sure all the details there and one lucky youth had a cow and a doe tag. You can check in the night before your hunt. This is highly recommended to get as much beta on the various areas prior to starting your hunt at check in the next day with everyone else that does not know the program. Just my experience I hope will share theirs as well for the benefit of folks trying to figure out the property.
