I've been saving points for a someday trophy unit, but just can't take the crowds of an OTC hunt again this year. Time to use 6 points. We've got a couple units we're starting to look at but curious if anyone has a short list we should make note of. Archery hunt and we'll probably time it so we're there just before muzzle loaders hit the woods. Appreciate any advice.
6 CO Elk Points - Which Unit
- Thread starter ajanssen
- Start date
elkduds
Well-known member
http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/Statistics/Elk/2017ElkDrawRecap.pdf
Be aware of point creep.
Be aware of point creep.
Southern Elk
Well-known member
You will never hunt a trophy unit if you only have 6 points. You can't catch the point creep. Heck, I've got 11 points and it will never happen. You have the right idea to burn the points now.
It's been the same as the dates for applying in the draw, ending April 3rd this year. Though with the new system it appears that points will be allowed to be purchased apart from the application process. Therefore, dates may end up differing, though it would likely be to the benefit of the customer, i.e. you could buy points after the draw.
I don't know the details on this yet or how it will all work out.
Bigjay73
Well-known member
Wait, what?
Bigjay73
Well-known member
The top elk point holder in Co has 29 points. So you think in 20 years the number to beat will be 49 points?
CodyCass
Member
It might be 49, but unless they do something to clear out a large amount of point holders it will be damn close.
Bigjay73
Well-known member
It will never be 49. People will stop collecting points if they have to wait that long. I think we all agree that the point system isn't the greatest, but to say that there's no point in collecting points isn't true. People with points get their tags, and more people move up the chain. IMO, the point system is the least worrying thing in relation to elk hunting in Co.
Southern Elk
Well-known member
As a NR, if you start now, you will never draw a trophy unit. When I started collecting points 10 years ago I had a friend who drew a unit 61 tag with 9 points. Last I checked it now takes 19. I am farther away from drawing that tag than when I started. There is no point in chasing trophy units. Burn the points on a decent tag now.
npaden
Well-known member
I'm over simplifying it, but if I did the math right on my phone, there are 13,723 Nonresidents with more than 10 points in Colorado. Last year 547 nonresidents drew out with over 10 points.
At that rate it will take 25 years for the folks that already have 10 points to draw out. And that's if you consider anything over 10 points to be a premium draw.
If you say 20 points is a premium draw, there were 114 nonresidents that drew out with over 20 points. There are currently 2,430 nonresidents that have more than 20 points. It will take 21 years for all of them to clear out.
So if you are sitting at 19 points you could easily be at 40 points before you draw a "premium" unit.
At that rate it will take 25 years for the folks that already have 10 points to draw out. And that's if you consider anything over 10 points to be a premium draw.
If you say 20 points is a premium draw, there were 114 nonresidents that drew out with over 20 points. There are currently 2,430 nonresidents that have more than 20 points. It will take 21 years for all of them to clear out.
So if you are sitting at 19 points you could easily be at 40 points before you draw a "premium" unit.
MITCHMO
Well-known member
Wow that's depressing since I have 1 point!
npaden
Well-known member
It's depressing if you were hoping to build points to draw a premium tag sometime in the future.
There are a lot of places in Colorado that you can hunt with zero or one or two points though.
The golden age for building points in western states was 15 or 20 years ago. If you want to be depressed look at the Wyoming bighorn sheep points. I think last I checked I was looking at 50+ more years before I would have the points to draw one of them.
There are a lot of places in Colorado that you can hunt with zero or one or two points though.
The golden age for building points in western states was 15 or 20 years ago. If you want to be depressed look at the Wyoming bighorn sheep points. I think last I checked I was looking at 50+ more years before I would have the points to draw one of them.
huntabsarokee
Member
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2015
- Messages
- 49
I think for the NR guy starting out the goal would be to just hunt the 3 point and less units in Colorado. The goal is not to hunt unit 61 or even better units. If you want a chance at a premium tag apply for NM or maybe Wyoming where at least you have a shot since it is a lottery (Wyoming is both points based with some random). I have 7 in CO and plan on cashing out this year. Sure it is not a premium tag but its a bull tag. After that will be every 2 or 3 years in CO units.
jvanderlinde
Member
Im in the same boat but with 5 points and have no clue were to apply to get the most bang for my buck.
What he said^^^^
No that doesn't mean 6 points can't get a decent unit. Just you are never going to catch up to hunt a "premium " unit.
The main point is, you're probably not going to get a better tag anytime soon than you could get right now. Maybe never. Pick a unit you could hunt every few years and use the points. There are only a couple states out there that I feel you need to or are better off going more than 5 years getting points. Most of the time, if you are, you're just missing out on killing nice bulls. The truth is "most" archery guys are going to kill the first 300-320" bull they can no matter what tag they have. You can kill a lot of bulls of that quality by hunting rather than waiting 10+ years for a tag.
D
Deleted member 28227
Guest
I think the one variable your overlooking is human mortality/ being too old to hunt. Anyone with 20 points is at the vary youngest, what 32? but probably 50+ so at some point if the points get too high there will be massive drops in the top point holders by either cashing out, giving up on hunting altogether, or death.
So really if you start buying points today you will get to hunt that unit as long as you can out live/ be in better body condition than your competitors. You want to hunt a trophy unit right now and you are 25 or younger buy those points if your older than 50 I wouldn't bother, if you are in the middle it's a roll of the dice.
Coloradoshedhead
Member
In my eyes if you want to hunt elk every year while still gaining points for a trophy unit Colorado is the best choice. I chase 300”+ bulls every year on an otc archery tag. My thought is you just have to put time in and learn what the bulls are doing during the season, but it’s not something that you can just dive into and expect to kill unless luck swings your way at that moment.
