About the Area We Hunt in Gunnison National Forest

Here at Soap Mesa Outfitters, we offer full-service guided hunts in Colorado near Montrose and Gunnison in the Gunnison National Forest. We offer hunts of all types including hunts for rifle, archery, and muzzle. We have been providing outfitting services in Colorado since 1980 and have the qualifications to provide you with a great hunting experience.

Gunnison National Forest

The Gunnison National Forests consists of 1,672,136 acres! This national forest has a lot of prime wilderness areas with great hunting opportunities. With our national forest permit, we can provide hunters access to over 8,000 square miles of very secluded forest areas. We also have a private ranch with over 3,500 acres of property for hunting. We have access to game management unit 54 near Blue Mesa. For this unit, we usually hunt above treeline during the earlier season and move lower as it gets colder. Elk and deer start to move down the mountains as the weather gets colder and the snow starts.

Unit 54 consists of Gunnison National Forest, borders Blue Mesa Reservoir, and contains a large amount of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It has hunting opportunities for big game in Colorado and covers 586 square miles. It also provides access to the West Elk Wilderness.

Fall Colors in Gunnison National Forest

What we offer

If you’re going to be flying in from another part of Colorado or from out of state, both Gunnison and Montrose have regional airports. If you want, we can pick you up at either airport. We’re located right between Gunnison and Montrose. We are only 19 miles from Gunnison and 40 miles from Montrose. Before we head out on the hunt, we’ll go to the rifle range to make sure everyone’s rifles and scopes are adjusted and set correctly.

Deck on Soap Mesa Outfitter’s Cabin

You won’t have to do a bunch of hiking to get to the areas we hunt. We’ll take you up to the area in 4×4 vehicles or side by side ATVs. Our heated cabin is fully furnished and offers all the comforts from home. We even have a camp cook that will take care of all of your meals! Our cabin has running water, hot showers, and electricity. We provide a lot but you will want to bring your rifle, binoculars, sleeping bag, and other gear. Contact us if you have any questions about what to bring.

Other things to do in the area

If you like fishing, Blue Mesa offers great year-round fishing. Many times you’ll even see many people out there in the winter ice fishing.  There are many areas throughout Curecanti National Recreation Area along Blue Mesa Reservoir. Blue Mesa offers opportunities to catch rainbow trout, brown trout, mackinaw, tiger trout, and many other fish.

Crested Butte isn’t too far and has a lot of great places to grab a bite to eat or something to drink and is a great place to end your stay in the area. Montrose is a little quieter and tends to have warmer weather. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is not far and offers beautiful views of the Black Canyon.

Sunset over Blue Mesa