Am I overthinking it?? Co OTC unit

[Bigcat]

I hunted last year with no tags punched. We were in elk every day either seeing, hearing or smelling them. Looking into this years hunt I'm trying to figure out what I can do to come home with a sore back and bloody pack. Looking at the Co. archery harvest numbers were middle of the pack for bulls and pretty low for cows. We would be happy to come home with a cow so my queston for you guys is should I be looking at units with higher harvest numbers or will that just get me into more people? Also how accurate are all these numbers?

 

[wannakillabigbull]

should I be looking at units with higher harvest numbers

You should be more concerned about hunting an area you're familiar with, IMO.

Also how accurate are all these numbers?

Not very. Colorado doesn't take a very large sample size and people aren't always truthful.

 

[teej89]

I agree with what was previously said, give it a couple seasons and you'll really get to know the area. I would say look elsewhere if you weren't having any elk interaction.

I dunno about everyone else but I really take the harvest statistics with a grain of salt. Yes I do look at it but it's not a terribly huge contributor in my analysis of a unit.

 

[Pelican]

We would be happy to come home with a cow so my queston for you guys is should I be looking at units with higher harvest numbers or will that just get me into more people?

If I were you, I would hunt the same unit as you were finding elk. Sometimes finding elk is the hard part in OTC units.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Agree with everyone above, don't leave elk to find elk.

You really need to take harvest stats with a grain of salt, even if you take hunter truthfulness out of the equation the fact that CO does voluntary random sampling means it's quite possible that CPAW didn't actually talk to anyone that hunted your specific hunt code. The harvest data has historically been focused on the DAU level, where it's fairly accurate not on the individual unit or season. I found 3 examples from last year where I can unequivocally say that the harvest stats are off by at least 10% because the published results say 0% success and I know multiple people who killed animals in that unit in that season.

 

[MTGomer]

I would not overthink the harvest percentages.

 

[Ajax2744]

If you were in elk everyday, I don't think changing units with a higher success rate is going to help that much. Most OTC units have similar success rates anyways and it probably only varies by +- 3% I would guess. Not enough to really make a difference for an individual hunter. it sounds like you just need a few more years to really get a grasp of that unit. I would go back and learn how to hunt that area. Learn the patterns, play the wind and gain knowledge If you go back this year and find elk again then you are half way there. Then you just gotta close that gap.

 

[kentuckybow]

if you are in elk dont leave most otc guys cant get in em

 

[Bowhuntrben]

if you are in elk dont leave most otc guys cant get in em

This

 

[vanish]

Finding elk in OTC units is 90% of the battle. I'm honestly surprised you didn't get any shots. I have a feeling you were not aggressive enough. I get opportunities at more than half the elk I actually find.

 

[Bigcat]

Thanks for the replies... Probably right I should just expand on what we did last year

 

[Pucky Freak]

It would be like quitting a race you are 90% done with just to start all over. Plus, wasn't it fun getting into all those elk? I wouldn't think twice about returning. I've killed animals in four different states, including CO, on public ground/access where the county/unit has less than 1% public access. Screw the harvest data

 

[MTGomer]

To elaborate on my earlier comment... harvest statistics don’t mean much. Some guys kill elk, some guys don’t. Figure out how and you’ll be in the group you want to be in consistently.
I have killed an elk every year I have ever tried to, which is approximately 14 elk in 16 years. Never killed an elk in a draw unit.
Some guys have done that for 50 years.

If you’ve figured out where and how to find elk, you’re doing well and have figured out the hard part. You’ll start killing them. And once you do, you’ll keep doing it.

 

[Nick_CO]

Unless changing units will equal an extra day or two of hunting by eliminating drive time or some other external factor, then stay. When you only get a week or 10 days to hunt every year, the accumulated knowledge of an area becomes very valuable. Had you hunted hard and not seen a single Elk or any sign I would still recommend staying. There is still a lot of value in knowing where they aren't, and every OTC unit has Elk.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

The Elk are there,stay there.Set up where the sign is.
They will return,maybe not today or the next,but stay
there they will return.Learned this Javelina hunting Az.
They always came home.Good Luck!