When Rob Miller, and his son Thomas, purchased a ranch near the Flat Tops Wilderness area a little over 20 minutes outside of Hayden the sportsmen saw an opportunity for their family and their passion for shooting.

“When we started the notion, it was to do something as a family,” said Rob, who is working with Thomas and his wife, Maureen, to create Feathered Elk Ranch near Dunckley Pass and the Flat Tops. “So we acquired the ranch, spent two years working on beautification by building six ponds, and planting 20 acres of bird fields and the lodge is probably one month away from being completed.”

When things dry out in June, the family will open the doors to Feathered Elk Ranch, and will offer individual, junior and family memberships to a venue that includes 5 Stand, Sporting Clays, a rife and pistol range and upland bird hunting. While the ranch will cater to members it will also allow limited pubic access.

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It’s a new adventure for Rob who is excited to enter the venture with his youngest son and wife. Rob said his older son Taylor, who is also an avid sportsman, is working as an engineer for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and is busy working in California.

It’s also a change of course for a man who has spent 20 years working as a venture capitalist on Wall Street, then with Allen & Company before setting out on his own where he built, grew and sold several successful business ventures. He, along with Thomas, are registered shotgun instructors, and Maureen is excited to be handling in the hospitality side of the business.

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“My grandparents used to live in Virginia, so we’d go and visit them one Thanksgiving and my cousin, who lived down there as well and he was in the Navy, decided to take us to the shooting range ,” Thomas said. “I was seven at the time, and that’s where I shot my first shotgun. I was hooked.”

Thomas also has a solid track record in the world of competitive shotgun competitions that stretches from his days in prep school when he started shooting at high school tournaments to Colorado State University where he was a member of the universities shooting team.

Thomas has also competed in events with the National Sporting Clays Association and Professional Sporting Clays Association tours where he was nationally ranked.

The Millers’ passion for competitive shooting is what led to buying and creating the sporting club on the 1,300-acre ranch. The property includes a 105 year-old barn and a reservoir that holds about 26 million gallons of water, which supplies water to the sporting club and is also used to irrigate the hay fields for the ranch, which is still used for agricultural purposes. Rob said the ranch produces about 350 tons of hay each year and the land is leased to a rancher who runs cattle.

But Rob said the main purpose of the ranch is to create a place where people can discover or pursue their passion for the shooting sports. The member-based model caters to members who have the best access to amenities at Feathers Elk Ranch.

The property will also include a six-bedroom lodge, a two-bedroom apartment attached to a kennel with 12 stalls. Rob said the stalls can be used by members who want to bring their own dogs, and will also be used to raise Fox Red Labs and German short hairs that will be trained by Thomas.

“As a hunter, if you come on a trip with your dog, after you hunt, you could put your dog in the kennel and water, feed him before going up to the lodge,” Rob said.  “There is also a hayloft, and a work shed, but these are all brand new buildings in the last five years.”

Other features include two bird pens that will house about 2,000 birds including several types of pheasants, chukars and ducks — which Rob hopes he will find there.

There is also a saloon that offers a place where members can sit back and enjoy a beverage and share a conversation about their passion for shooting.

“That’s where you first come in and pick up your snacks and your water,” Rob said. You can pick up your scorecard, drop your scorecard off or you can have a barbecue afterwards. We wanted to create a friendly place just to hang out and it has a super cool Western motif.”

The father and son purchased the ranch two years ago and have been spending their time and money to create a venue that includes a 5 Stand, 12-station sporting clays course, rifle and pistol range. There is a 3D archery course, upland bird hunting and guided hunts with dogs. The facility will also offer gun and cart rentals, and shotgun ammo will be available for purchase.

Rob said the ranch is set to host its first official season starting June 1, 2025, and has already signed up 10-members. He is hoping to grow that number to 100 next year and plans to cap the number of private memberships to 200 so that every member has full access to their benefits. Currently the ranch is offering a 10% discount to those signing up before Jan. 31, 2025.

The public is also welcome to visit the property, but members will have discounted pricing and first choice when it comes to reservations.

Memberships include individual ($2,950), family ($3,950) and a junior membership ($1,950). The junior membership is for shooters 12-21 and those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. There are also corporate memberships available ranging from the Platinum that is $20,000 and includes the entire lodge for 10 nights, first 4000 clays and first 100 birds included to the standard that goes for $7,500 a year and includes the first 3,000 clays and first 75 birds. Rob said the ranch is in the process of completing its website, and for all the details of memberships those interested can contact Feathered Elk Ranch at 970-716-1200.