Timber to Table Guide Service

01/04/2026

While our hunts are just about done, which will bring the 2025 season to an end, we’re starting off 2026 with a big announcement as our permitted area for Dark Timber Outfitters has expanded in a big way! Our permits now cover around half of the Uncompahgre National Forest in Unit 62 giving our hunters a ton of room to roam and chase elk in some gorgeous Colorado high country in an area with healthy elk numbers.
What we’re most excited about with this expansion is now being able to offer semi-guided hunts out of the base camp and also provide multiple spike camp options for unguided hunts (which the above photo shows). Whether you’re brand new to elk hunting or you’re an old hand in the elk woods, we have something to accommodate all types and skill levels of hunters.
Dark Timber Lodge will still be operating as it always has while our new Sawmill Base Camp will provide a drive-to tent camp for fully guided and semi-guided hunts with our spike camps located further in.
We’re booking for 2027 already so give a shout if you’d like to learn more or you’re ready to book a hunt! Don’t wait until “the right time”…go hunting while you can.
Hope everyone’s 2026 is off to a good start!

12/21/2025

If memory serves, I believe this is our 10th year running and our Timber to Table hunts continue to be experiences that move the future of hunting in a good direction. By providing an unparalleled blend of top shelf education through hands on, blood under the nails experiences with instruction from experts, we’re making every effort to create ethical, respectful and knowledgeable hunters. One of our last hunters, Kristin, had this to say:
“This experience exceeded every expectation I had. I came away feeling deeply empowered, grateful, and connected to the land, to the food we brought home, and to the knowledge we gained. Timber to Table is an exceptional program and an incredible education. I cannot recommend it highly enough.”
Thank you Kristin and we couldn’t agree more!! In cooperation with CPW and the Campbell family, our team of Josh, Naomi, Cris and Todd make these hunts different from anything else out there.
A safe and relaxing holiday to all of you and we’ll be sharing some big news in the coming week!!

09/12/2025

Wanted to make a congratulatory post to one of our hunters, Tom, who’s been looking to notch an elk tag with his bow for a few seasons now. He’s had numerous close calls and also taken some lumps which is part of what you sign up for as an archery elk hunter. But he’s stuck with it, learned a lot I think, and things came together for him this season on a beautiful bull on a very memorable morning.
The reverence and respect he has for these animals and the public land we hunt was evident which is always reassuring when you’re wearing the “guide” hat so a big congratulations and thank you to Tom…super glad we could be a part of your elk hunting journey!
We hope everyone is either having a good start to their elk season or looking forward to their upcoming adventure.

05/27/2025

Hello there elk hunters! Spring is in full swing with summer coming on fast. Here’s an update from Colorado’s Uncompahgre Plateau, including elk herd conditions, Colorado wildlife news and more...

Hello there elk hunters! Spring is in full swing with summer coming on fast. Here’s a spring 2025 update from Colorado’s Uncompahgre Plateau.

03/01/2025

It’s unfortunate to see some outfitters posting videos of themselves clearing Forest Service trails, making celebratory and/or sarcastic comments about how the loss of FS trail crew employees isn’t a big deal and good riddance to them. I completely agree our public lands agencies are far from perfect.
But having seen both sides of the story on this particular issue, that is I’ve worked on FS fire and trail crews and have cleared a lot of trail and have also guided and outfitted on FS land and cleared a lot of trail, what I find disturbingly funny is those same outfitters don’t seem to understand the loss of trail crews is just the tip of the iceberg.
The self-aggrandizing, smug selfies that they’re taking are taken where? On our National Forests, the lands many of our outfitting businesses completely rely on. The very same lands our current administration would love to sell off and privatize and are making concerted efforts to do so. To these outfitters I would ask, “How is your outfitting business gonna do when that happens?” Our livelihoods won’t even be an afterthought in the minds of this administration.
Death by attrition of the public lands agencies’ work force and funding provides rationale to get rid of them. This is the strategy and privatization is the end goal.
The hateful and jeering comments that come along with these posts are just as sad and shortsighted as the posts themselves.
It seems blindness is maybe the current pandemic. And if it’s not blindness then it comes across as either apathy, acceptance or maybe ignorance?
None of which are good.
As an alternative, why not speak up in support of our truly unparalleled public lands legacy, speak up for the continuously hamstrung agencies that struggle to manage them, raise hell when there’s any talk of selling off our public lands and be a positive voice. If you’re not capable of this, then I would politely ask you to consider holding off from making petty and ignorant posts that highlight the fact your own lunch could potentially get cut.

01/24/2025

2024 turned out to be one of the better seasons we've ever had. Follow the link to check out a few highlights from our elk hunts:
darktimberlodge.com/news/2024-elk-hunting-season-recap

12/12/2024

Late season is under way. Elk haven’t been consistent in their whereabouts as they usually are. Luckily we have on the guide scene who knows elk so well he can tap into their thoughts and telepathically instruct them to walk towards his hunter. Yes he charges more for these services but the results are worth it.
Really glad for Andrea, a new hunter who notched her first tag on this hunt. Of equal, if not more importance, she got excellent meat care and processing instruction from Naomi, our wicked talented butcher. Thanks as always to our great Timber to Table crew for making these amazing experiences what they are.

11/06/2024

It’s been a remarkably long time since Timber to Table/Dark Timber Outfitters posted anything. I doubt any of you lost sleep over this. But I’m going to drop a handful of photos here stating with early archery season through the last day of 2nd rifle.
We truly had great archery and early rifle seasons and just wrapped up 2nd rifle and closed down the cabin for the winter.
Every hunt is its own thing, has its own quirks, people, personalities and unique memories that come only through spending long stretches of time in the woods sitting still, being quiet and all that woodsy stuff. Often times those long stretches can come across as potentially boring…but it never really is.
But I’m getting sidetracked.
While each hunt has its own uniqueness, what was very consistent this year was the awesome folks we had hunting with us and the exceptional work coming from our guide and kitchen staff.
Derek, Brandon, Todd, Geordie and Pete were outstanding and knocked it out of the park. Our operation simply wouldn’t exist without their help, support and willingness to step up for the greater good of the team…and ultimately the fantastic adventures our hunters have.
So thank you fellas!
Getting to be a part of father/son hunts where the boys notch their first elk tag with their dad right there or a solo hunter coming out to fulfill a longtime dream of chasing elk in the high country….it truly is humbling to help facilitate those memories and that’s what keeps the guiding tank full.
Our late season gets started this weekend and hopefully the elk give us some opportunities.

01/09/2024

We’d like to share this write-up from a recent hunter who took the time to put down their thoughts on why they went on this hunt. Her story is incredibly powerful, and we’re deeply humbled that we got to guide her on her first hunt...

A powerful review from one of our hunters, and we are deeply humbled that we got to guide her on her first hunt. We are inspired by her story and we hope you are too.

12/12/2023

Here's an important message from Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management...

12/12/2023

As another year comes to a close, important things are happening in Colorado that have the potential to affect big game hunters. Whether you are a resident or nonresident of the state, these items should be on your radar:

Important things are happening in Colorado that could affect big game hunters. Here are a couple of items that should be on your radar.

12/01/2023

We’re really grateful to have had a couple young ladies go on their first elk hunt with us to start our late season hunts.
Hannah and Claire both did great in notching their first elk tags and their dads were right there with them which is pretty cool.
Of equal importance in my book, they got to learn quite a bit about elk with their top notch guide who had them in elk consistently, on the shooting sticks repeatedly, paying attention to the wind, hearing elk talking, being safe, knowing when to shoot and when not to shoot, where to post up, and a whole lot more. Thank you Josh!
Hopefully Hannah and Claire will grace their holiday meals with some phenomenal wild game dishes and I sincerely hope both of these young ladies are on their way to being life long ethical hunters and engaged sportswomen.