Ranching for Wildlife - Wolf Springs Ranch

[Stryker]

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything about or has any experience hunting on Wolf Springs Ranch between Gardner and Westcliff, through the Colorado Division of Wildlife's Ranching for Wildlife program?

If so, what have you heard and/or how was your experience?

 

[Cow Tag]

Stryker, I have heard of this program but could you educate us more about it? Please explain how it works. Thanks, Cowtag

 

[Stryker]

Cowtag~

Ranching for Wildlife is a wildlife management partnership between the Division of Wildlife and owners of large tracts of private land. Landowners improve habitat on their ranch for both game and non-game animals. They provide public hunting recreation access to their land free of charge to those who draw licenses - Public RFW licenses are available only to residents of Colorado.

Currently there are 23 ranches enrolled in the RFW program:

Some highlights.

*Over 1 million acres of public access are provided.
*More than 20,000 acres per year have active wildlife habitat improvements applied.
*Improved livestock grazing systems on about 80% of the lands enrolled.
*Seasons and license allocations to improve game movement and enhance hunter harvest both on and off ranches.
*About one third of the ranches actively participate in exceptional youth hunting opportunities.
*About one third donate hunts to conservation organizations for auction or raffle to help raise funds to improve habitat on private and public lands elsewhere.

Species hunted and available to hunters by limited license draw include: Elk, Deer, Pronghorn, Bear, Turkey, Moose, and Bighorn Sheep. Licenses issued for these ranches may only be used on the specified ranch. Hunters obtaining a license to hunt on these private ranches are given access to private property that would otherwise be closed to the public. Some ranches require the use of guides ? but when required the guide service is provided free of charge. Some ranches also offer additional optional services such as packing, guiding, or lodging and may charge for these optional services.

More info. available on the Colorado Division of Wildlife Homepage...

From our experience this is a very good program and hunter success is typically higher on RFW V. Public Land hunts. We will be hunting on Wolf Springs Ranch this year, which is why I posted the initial post.

 

[COLOelkman]

A coworker of mine drew that Ranch this year as he burned his 14 pts. He used to work for DOW and knows a few people that hunted it a few years ago. He said it's not as good a trophy area as the Hill Ranch but he's expecting to see around 50-60 bulls. He just didn't want to wait another 2 or 3 or 4 years to draw the Hill Ranch as time is catching up and he's probably in mid to late 50's.