The Cotten’s, a Pioneer Ranching and Farming Family of Western Colorado
Since the late 1800’s the Cotten family has called Western Colorado home. Homesteading in the small towns of Crawford, Gunnison, and Mayer Colorado. Jerad’s early relatives were loggers, cattlemen, farmers, ranchers, and developers with visions of carving a living out of the west. Today, Jerad and his wife Mandy have two children that call Crawford home, making them the 6th generation of Cotten’s to reside here in small town western Colorado.
Jerad was born and raised in western Colorado farming and ranching. As a young boy he and his brother were given a lot of the ranch responsibilities from calving cows, putting up hay, building fence, and being stewards of the land. From the time Jerad could go, his father was taking him on hunting trips and nurtured a love and respect for wildlife and the outdoors that runs deep in the family. Deer and Elk are plentiful in the Crawford area and Jerad quickly became a hunter, outdoorsman, and conservationist. Little did he know that he would one day be able to turn his love for the outdoors into a successful guide and outfitter business.
Hunting, Fishing, Outfitting, & Property Management Background
Jerad graduated from Hotchkiss High School and married his high school sweetheart Mandy, in 2003. In 2004 they had their first child Larissa and in 2007 their son Brylan came along. At the time Jerad owned and operated a property management business that specialized in fuel reduction to reduce fire danger as well as create wildlife habitat. He did large scale projects for Denver Water on Pikes Peak to selectively thin the forest to increase snow pack, all while removing fire fuels and creating wildlife habitat. He also did several projects for private land owners to reduce woody species encroachment and encourage native grass growth. Living on the road soon became too much and Jerad started West Elk Outfitters in 2007. He ran the outfitting business in the fall and found other jobs to keep him busy during the summer months until he had grown the outfitting business into a sustainable business. Jerad still operates his outfitting business in western Colorado guiding hunters in search of Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear, and Mountain Lions. In addition to the hunting business, Jerad has expanded into guided fishing trips as well, creating Colorado Fishing Expeditions which is a DBA of West Elk Outfitters. Colorado Fishing Expeditions provides fishing trips on Blue Mesa Reservoir in Gunnison Colorado. Jerad’s success in the outdoor industry came from hard work, learning online marketing strategies that worked, and making sure clients left as friends who would share their story with their friends and family.
Aside from being a family man, father, and husband. Jerad is an adventurer and an entrepreneur with a dedication to conservation, the hunting industry, cattle and ranching industry, and becoming more responsible with all of these duties and blessings.
Ranch & Hunting Property Specialist: Real Estate Broker Jerad Cotten
Jerad is a licensed realtor in Colorado and has completed United Power Training in Kansas City. Always hungry and eager for success, innovation, and ready for a challenge. He is excited to be a part of the United Country Brokerage Team under Robert Gash. With Jerad’s extensive knowledge of property management, water, hunting, outfitting, landowner vouchers, tag allocation, drawing odds, conservation, conservation easements, habitat, farming and ranching he is a great asset to clients looking to buy or sell here in Colorado. Couple that with his family history and long standing reputation in western Colorado, he looks forward to working with you on your next real estate transaction. Jerad prides himself on learning what clients need and desire while helping them every step of the process.
