Colorado 2nd and 3rd rifle season

[Mainewoods]

I notice that starting in 2021, Colorado is really pushing back the start of 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons, and I'm just wondering why that is. I hunted 3rd season last year and had a blast, with plans for going back next year, but just interested to see if these changes impact anyone's decision to hunt either 2nd season or 3rd?

 

[mdeerjunkie]

Actually I think that starts this year.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I notice that starting in 2021, Colorado is really pushing back the start of 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons, and I'm just wondering why that is. I hunted 3rd season last year and had a blast, with plans for going back next year, but just interested to see if these changes impact anyone's decision to hunt either 2nd season or 3rd?

Primarily to lengthen the gaps between the various seasons.

Per all management decisions, if you improve harvest rates you have to in turn decrease tags.

 

[Mainewoods]

Primarily to lengthen the gaps between the various seasons.

Per all management decisions, if you improve harvest rates you have to in turn decrease tags.

It definitely lengthened the gap between 1st rifle and 2nd, but shortened it between 2nd and 3rd. So just curious as to whether or not folks see and pros and cons with the changes.

 

[TOGIE]

Per all management decisions, if you improve harvest rates you have to in turn decrease tags.

or shorten a season, which they've done with 3rd

any word on if they're going to decrease 3rd season quotas? or is shortening the season their preliminary stab at keeping harvest success from spiking too much?

i think there are some pros to it. but at the same time i feel like it's just doing nothing that looks like something to solve a problem...

to be honest i'm not really sure what problem they're trying to solve with this, i wasn't paying great attention. if harvest rates can't change much from status quo, and they can't if you allow the same number of hunters afield, then everything should shake out the same in the end if done properly. it largely seems a little silly to me. I wish i still had a 9 day 3rd season.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

or shorten a season, which they've done with 3rd

any word on if they're going to decrease 3rd season quotas? or is shortening the season their preliminary stab at keeping harvest success from spiking too much?

i think there are some pros to it. but at the same time i feel like it's just doing nothing that looks like something to solve a problem. to be honest i'm not really sure what problem they're trying to solve with this, i wasn't paying great attention. if harvest rates can't change much from status quo, and they can't if you allow the same number of hunters afield, then everything should shake out the same in the end if done properly. it largely seems a little silly to me. I wish i still had a 9 day 3rd season.

I believe the department finalizes quotas at the mid/end of April and then the commission approves them the first week of May.

Lengthening the gaps may move elk and deer off of private.

Moving the dates back may increase harvest rates of mature deer, I would imagine elk quotas will be similar, and that 4th season and 3rd season buck quotas will be reduced sharply.

That's 100% conjecture.

 

[TOGIE]

i just remember hearing once that a very powerful tool to decrease success is to shorten seasons, so it makes me wonder if that was by design to minize the loss of 3rd seasons tags. but, yes, i agree, no doubt 3rd season buck tags are gonna have to drop.

which is a shame because i fear that the net result of this change is going to fewer buck tags for hunters. with second season being later now too they can't just compensate for the loss by upping it there. if all done right, the same amount of bucks killed. but fewer chances to go chase bucks.

 

[Mainewoods]

I've only got one season of elk hunting under my belt, but do you elk hunters see a late 3rd season decreasing elk harvest numbers because of limited access and weather? Or is the weather aspect and road closers just a crap shoot? I guess on the other hand, potential for more snow in mid-Nov could make elk more accessible at lower elevations.

 

[TOGIE]

i'd think it just depends on the unit. some areas if you don't catch them in the middle of moving out of the high altitudes they'll be on private. some units can be a wonderland after snow.

i would think a later 3rd season could generally make the elk hunting better. more bulls leaving sanctuary to regroup and get to wintering grounds would be my reasoning

 

[elkduds]

CPW surveyed hunters over the past several years n developing the current (2020-24) big game season structure. CPW hopes to greatly increase harvest of mature bucks as part of their strategy to combat CWD, more hunters in later seasons will likely accomplish that in the first few years.

Here is the exact public input data CPW used in deciding 2020-24 big game season structure (BGSS). In it you will find data RE interval between seasons, coincidence of muzzle/archery, and other bones of contention.


https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Commission/2019/May/Item.23-BIG_GAME_2020-24_PUBLIC_INVOLVEMENT_REPORT_FINAL.pdf#search=bgss%20survey%20results

Pictures and graphs! Pages 8-26 if you can't manage them all.