Rugged Rack Outfitters
Rugged Rack Outfitters
Rated 4.75 out of 5.0 based on 9 Outfitter reviews.
Contact: Justin Johns and Ben Harris
Location: Hotchkiss, Colorado
Species Hunted: Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Bobcat, Mountain Lion
State(s) Hunted: CO
Game Management Units: CO: 52, 53, 62, 63, 64, 65, 521
Counties Hunted: CO: Delta, Montrose,
Comments & Special Offers: Top notch hunts on quality ranches. Personal service, comfortable accomodations, good food.
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Submitted by: Bart Burrow
Review Submitted: Oct 3, 2017
Hunt Date: Sep 20, 2017
Species Hunted: Elk
Days Hunted: 5
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Mountain
Method: Bow
Price Range: 4000-4999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
Rugged Rack Elk Hunt
Jason, Ben and Steve are top notch! Great outfit. If you are looking for great elk hunting, beautiful scenery and a place to make memories, this is the place. We were always put in the best position to be successful. I highly recommend Rugged Rack Outfitters.
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Submitted by: Chad Randall
Review Submitted: Sep 27, 2017
Hunt Date: Sep 20, 2017
Species Hunted: Elk
Days Hunted: 5
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Mountain
Method: Bow
Price Range: 4000-4999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
Western Colorado Elk Hunt
I was very pleased with my guided Elk Hunt with Rugged Rack Outfitters. Communication leading up to the hunt readied me for each step that was needed to make for an excellent experience. Both Justin and Ben were excellent down to earth people with a wealth of knowledge and made our hunt a lot of fun in tough conditions. We had windy warm weather which made for difficult hunting conditions however their knowledge of the thousands of acres of private land always gave us the best opportunity for success. The camp was at 9000 feet and is deep in the woods in pristine wilderness, they tailor the hunt to the client and I highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for a complete experience. Can't wait to go out there again and do a Mule Deer Hunt with them as well.
Submitted by: Stan Ezell
Review Submitted: Oct 27, 2014
Hunt Date: Oct 11, 2014
Species Hunted: Elk
Days Hunted: 5
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Mountain
Method: Rifle
Price Range: 5000-6999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
First Elk
I hunted with Justin Johns of Rugged Rack Outfitters and was able to take a nice 6x6 early in the hunt. Guide Ben Harris did a great job of anticipating the movement of the Elk and helping me to be in the right place at the right time. The food and accommodations were excellent and I finished the week feeling as if I was hunting with old friends. These guys work hard to get their hunters an honest chance and are worthy of your consideration if you are looking for an Elk hunt.
Submitted by: JT Kreager
Review Submitted: Sep 4, 2013
Hunt Date: Aug 31, 2013
Species Hunted: Mule Deer, Elk
Days Hunted: 5
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Mountain
Method: Bow
Price Range: 5000-6999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
Archery mule deer and elk
Spot and stalk bowhunting is always a challenge. Taking two animals in a week is even harder. Ben Harris is an excellent guide and knows the country he has leased very well. This makes a big difference and provided me with multiple opportunities. Fortunately I was able to close the deal on a really big muley and nice bull elk. Food was excellent and so were the accommodations in the new cabin Ben has at his place. This is a small family run operation that is excellent from every aspect. This is my third hunt and I will be back again.
Submitted by: Jared Rastetter
Review Submitted: Jan 3, 2013
Hunt Date: Sep 19, 2012
Species Hunted: Elk
Days Hunted: 5
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Mountain
Method: Bow
Price Range: 3000-3999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
Archery Elk
Justin Johns is a great outfitter that is willing to go the extra mile for everyone in camp. This was my first elk hunt and it definitely won't be my last. Justin had us in the elk everyday and you never felt like something couldn't happen at every moment. Everyone in camp had an opportunity to take an elk and we see some very nice bulls. The food and camaraderie of the guides was top notch. I would highly recommend them!!
Submitted by: Stan Ezell
Review Submitted: Feb 15, 2011
Hunt Date: Sep 22, 2010
Species Hunted: Elk
Days Hunted: 5
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Mountain
Method: Bow
Price Range: 3000-3999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
Good Elk Hunt
Justin Johns runs a good camp. We saw Elk every day and the camp and hospitality were super. It was my first Elk hunt and I was not disappointed, even though I did not take an animal. I passed on shots at cows two times during the first days of the hunt trying to take a bull that stayed just out of my shooting range. Justin and his staff worked hard to ensure everyone had a good hunt. The scenery was spectacular and I hope to hunt with him again soon.
Submitted by: Steve Meng
Review Submitted: Feb 12, 2010
Hunt Date: Aug 30, 2009
Species Hunted: Mule Deer
Days Hunted: 5
Hunt Type: Semi-Guided
Primary Terrain: Foothills
Method: Bow
Price Range: 2000-2999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
Low Land Mulies
This was a great hunt with plenty of action. This was the first year this outfitter operated these early hunts in low country due to winterkill in their normal guiding area. Thus there were some kinks but all worked out fine. Stayed in a camper. Had multiple opportunities and killed a 170 on the last evening of the hunt. Would not hesitate to hunt with this outfitter again.
Submitted by: J.T. Kreager
Review Submitted: Sep 4, 2009
Hunt Date: Aug 29, 2009
Species Hunted: Mule Deer
Days Hunted: 5
Hunt Type: Guided
Primary Terrain: Farmland
Method: Bow
Price Range: 3000-3999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
2009 Archery Mule Deer
All I can say is Justin Johns of Rugged Rack Outfitters knows big muleys. This was my second hunt with him and I couldnt be more happy with the results or the overall experience. He and his guide Ben Harris do a great job securing hunting rights on many top end private ranches to ensure you have the opportunity to harvest a great buck. My hunting partner, Steve and I stayed in a nice 5th wheel camper and cooked our own food or ate at local restaurants. Bowhunting these bucks is not easy. They are generally in bachelor groups of 4-9 bucks making stalking them that much harder. You must be in good shape and able to shoot accurately at long range because 20 yards just isn't likely to happen. All that said, if you love the intense challenges of spot and stalk deer hunting then this might be for you.
Submitted by: J.T. Kreager
Review Submitted: Feb 19, 2009
Hunt Date: Aug 30, 2008
Species Hunted: Mule Deer
Days Hunted: 5
Hunt Type: Semi-Guided
Primary Terrain: Farmland
Method: Bow
Price Range: 3000-3999
Number of animals seen, met expectations?
Size of animals seen, met expections?
Hunting pressure in the guides area, met expectations?
Would you hunt with this Guide again?
Colorado Muley with a bow
I booked a semi-guided archery hunt for mule deer with Justin Johns of Rugged Rack Outfitters. Justin is a super guy and an experienced hunter himself. He leases a beautiful 5,000ac ranch that borders national forest at about 8,000ft. He has several nice, heated cabins, a cooking cabin and shower house. He provides great food and plenty of it. He has relationships with local ranchers for landowner tags and additional land to hunt. Flexibility can make the all difference. We started out on his big ranch and saw many nice bucks on opening day, but no shooters. At lunch Justin got a call about a really wide buck that a local rancher had seen on several occassions. It was a hard decision but I was focused on killing a trophy or nothing so I decided to chase that buck. We packed up and moved to lower country. We were fortunate to locate it the next and I was able to get within range that afternoon and make the shot. The buck was over 30" wide and grossed 182", my best ever with a bow!
Colorado Hunting Information
Colorado is one of the best western states for trophy mule deer hunting and has the largest population of elk in the west.
Manitoba Hunting Information
Manitoba is known as a top destination for avid waterfowl hunters. Huge flocks of ducks and geese can be found from the Arctic coast of Hudson Bay to the prairie potholes on the southern border of this Canadian province. There is no legal requirement for non-resident waterfowl hunters to use a guide, but many are available and a high percentage of non-Canadian hunters utilize them. In addition black bear, Canada moose and whitetails are hunted throughout the province.
Utah Hunting Information
Utah has recently been outstanding for trophy elk, but the best tags take many years to draw. Utah does have conservation tags available for purchase that allow hunters to bypass the drawing. Given the high demand for these premium tags prices can be high. In the past Utah has been a top trophy mule deer state but recently only a handful of units consistently produce B&C caliber deer.
