HISTORIC CHASE RANCH
WELCOME TO THE CHASE!
HUNTING TO PRESERVE A LEGACY
ElkBros is proud to be part of the Chase Legacy! Established in 1867, the Chase Ranch was successfully owned and operated by the Chase Family for 143 years. In 2012, legendary cattlewoman, fourth-generation family member, and remaining owner of the Chase Ranch, Gretchen Sammis, passed away, leaving her family’s historic 11,000-acre ranch to the “Chase Ranch Foundation ”. Gretchen established the Foundation with the duty of preserving and educating the public about the Chase Ranch and the family that created it, the cattle ranch experience and the heritage of the true American western cowboy lifestyle.
ElkBros Adventures, our educational based vision, along with the proceeds from our lease are a small part in helping the Foundation to fund and fulfill such an honorable duty and vision. It is our hope to not only provide a revolutionary hunt experience , but to also represent, honor and promote the core values and spirit of the Chase and the western way of life. A life led by a connection to the land and animals, a strong work ethic, and a passion for adventure.
Lodging & Amenities at the Chase:
The Chase Headquarters is the historic “Sutcliff” House that use to be the servant quarters for the Maxwell Mansion that burnt to the ground around 1906. The main house has a kitchen, bathroom, shower and large living/dining space where all meals are served. For those on the guided rifle hunts, lodging consists of 3 new Bunkhouses or the two rooms inside the main house. All rooms have bunks and new mattress with mattress covers (Bring your own pillow & sleeping bag). The Bunkhouses are also insulated, have solar lights and a small ventless wall propane heater.
Additionally, there is a bunkhouse bathroom & shower, skinning barn with electric hoist and a walk in meat cooler. Other than the day you arrive when we serve dinner only, you will get two home cooked meals daily (lunch & dinner) and coffee & snacks in the morning before heading out on the hunt. The evenings are a special time with the stories of past and present exploits being told and lots of laughter. So come ready to enjoy!
SOME OF THE BULLS FROM THE 2025 SEASON
HUNT THE CHASE WITH ELKBROS ADVENTURES!
Elk, deer, turkey, bear, lion. The Chase Ranch has it all! The property’s 11,000 acres are located just outside of Cimarron, New Mexico. Neighboring the famed Vermejo Park to the east, the Philmont Scout Ranch to the west and the Valle Vidal, a once in a lifetime hunt, further to the north… the genetics in this country makes for an amazing elk hunting opportunity.
From the beautiful cottonwood lined pastures and mesa canyons of the Ponil River Valley, to the pinon-juniper and pine forest of the Chase Canyon, the Chase has prime habitat for all big game and some of the greatest hunting of the gorgeous and rugged northeastern New Mexico!
NOW BOOKING FOR 2026!
Always our biggest question: WHICH ELK HUNT SHOULD I CHOOSE ?
Well y’all, every hunt has pros and cons and each hunt brings a different variable to the table. But hopefully these descriptions should help give you a better picture for each:
COACHED HUNTS
Every one of our archery elk hunts are timed to give Adventure Campers the perfect opportunity to call and hunt during “Rut” activity.
**Archery 1 Coached Adventure Camp, September 10th to the 16th – Coach Joe Giglia’s favorite time to be in the woods. This is the transition time when smaller bulls have been gathering cows and the bigger bulls are moving in to take over the harems of cows. A perfect chance to get on a big bull prior to them getting “cowed
**Archery 2 (HIGH DEMAND) Coached Adventure Camp, September 20th to the 26th – This is typically prime time rut with the equinox happening right in the middle. Generally one of the best times for rut and bugling activity. The downfall… the big herd bulls are now with their harems and very difficult to pull away. Definitely not impossible, but very challenging. However, the satellite bulls are still very eager to find their own cows and can be targeted.
**Rifle 1 (HIGH DEMAND) Coached Adventure Camp, September 29th to October 5th – This was one of the most epic hunt experiences of 2025! The education, skills learned and the hunting were on fire! If you ask anyone, it always seems that the rut activity seems to be later and later. The beginning of October can and has lately been on fire! You have the some of the same pros and cons as Archery 2, with herd bulls tending their harem and not wanting to leave the cows. But with a rifle, the game now changes!
RIFLE HUNTS
The Chase is the perfect rifle property with the combination of habitat for bulls to hide away and then the terrain for hunters to glass and get on them. We purposely space our hunts in a way as to not push the elk out of the country and to allow them to settle down and get in a comfort pattern.
**Rifle 2 hunt, October 8th to the 12th – At this point, the elk are generally still rutting and chasing cows. Be ready to chase bugles and enjoy the best of what the fall has to offer. The opportunity to hunt a bugling bull, this is an experience you don’t want to miss.
**Rifle 3 hunt, October 15th to the 19th – Most of the big herd bulls are now in the wings conserving energy, letting the young guys move in. The satellite bulls are moving in to try their hand at being the herd bull. However, all it takes is for one cow to come into estrus and things can blow up real quick. When that happens, the big guys are right back into the mix!
**Rifle 4 hunt, December 1st to December 5th – December hunts are the perfect time to get a big bull. “Eat, eat, and eat some more” is the primary focus as bulls try to recover the body fat they lost during the rut. They are generally in bachelor groups of different age classes and will be staying out longer in the mornings and coming out earlier in the evenings. Glassing is the number one strategy of the day. However, with the extended time that bulls are feeding and with numbers around them, they are easier to spot.
**Rifle 5 hunt, December 7th to December 11th – December hunts rock! See above explanation.
**Rifle 6 hunt, December 13th to December 17th – December hunts rock! See above explanation.
CHASE RANCH FLY-OVER
The Chase Basecamp is easily accessible from Highway 64, and minutes to town, groceries, gas and our small town offerings.
Friends and family might want to stay in town and see all that Cimarron, Eagle Nest, Angel Fire, Red River or Taos have to offer.
Altitudes are between 6500 to 7600 feet. The main ranch road is dirt/gravel, however the back-country travel is 4-wheel drive or UTV/ATV.
You will most likely have cell service at the Basecamp, but that disappears once you head towards Chase Canyon.
BECOME A FRIEND OF THE CHASE... A WIN WIN
Help preserve the grand traditions of the Chase Ranch and fulfill the vision to educate today's youth about ranching and continue the unique heritage of the Old West for generations to come!
*** Friends of the Chase who join the Gretchen Sammis Fellowship will be entered into an annual drawing for a once-in-a-lifetime elk hunt on the Chase Ranch!
The Chase Ranch Foundation is an IRS approved 501-C-3 non-profit organization and donations are deductible for income tax purposes.
EXPLORE OUR OTHER PROPERTY
Less than a dollar a day could score a $10,000 elk hunt!
For close to what most people pay in application fees, points and non-refundable licenses to enter western state elk draws, with tens of thousands of other applicants, you can now have a 1 in 32 draw opportunity for a $10,000 New Mexico private land ElkBros Elk hunt by joining our ElkBros Adventure Club! Add in the incredible Club discounts, the BaseCamp elk hunting course , private elk hunting webinars, gear prizes and our specialized Elk Success Squad content, and you have an epic value the pays for your Club subscription and then some! Now you can get amazing value not realized when you see your money disappear on State draw applications. THIS… IS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY!