Colorado cutting tag numbers

[Lyfter1013]

Looks like with the winter kill biologists are recommending cutting tags in NW Colorado. Hopefully this actually happens with the severe winter kill.

Winter in the Northwest: Surviving today and after the snow melts - Colorado Outdoors Online

Using the data collected over the past several months, and anticipated additional losses throughout the spring, biologists are taking conservative approaches with this year's license recommendations.

coloradooutdoorsmag.com

Attention Hunters: Biologists are recommending significant reductions in the number of licenses for elk and deer in the Bears Ears and White River DAUs, and pronghorn in the Great Divide DAU for the 2023 big game season. The impacted DAUs included the Game Management Units (GMU) highlighted in yellow on the map above.

 

[Oak]

I'd really like to see them go to minimum license quotas on pronghorn this year. No sense in messing around. The minimum quota is 10 licenses per hunt code, I believe.

 

[Lyfter1013]

I'd really like to see them go to minimum license quotas on pronghorn this year. No sense in messing around. The minimum quota is 10 licenses per hunt code, I believe.

Do You see CPW following Biologist recommendations and cutting tags or
Do you think they will keep
Tags the same?

 

[Oak]

Do You see CPW following Biologist recommendations and cutting tags or
Do you think they will keep
Tags the same?

The Commission will approve what is recommended by CPW staff.

 

[Lyfter1013]

The Commission will approve what is recommended by CPW staff.

Thanks @Oak wasnt sure how
Colorado handles biologist recommendations

 

[Oak]

 

[MtnElk]

We're not in that part of the state, but we normally set around 10 mule deer daily in our yard. Those numbers have dropped a lot and when we do see them, they are looking real skinny. Snow has been plentiful up here, but even when it goes away, it's been crazy cold too. Could be a rough year out there.

 

[TOGIE]

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looks like the land of muskox.

insane.

 

[jvanhoy]

I'd really like to see them go to minimum license quotas on pronghorn this year. No sense in messing around. The minimum quota is 10 licenses per hunt code, I believe.

Do you think elk tag numbers could be affected in the bears ears area?

 

[elkduds]

Do you think elk tag numbers could be affected in the bears ears area?

Yes, probably.

Winter in the Northwest: Surviving today and after the snow melts - Colorado Outdoors Online

Using the data collected over the past several months, and anticipated additional losses throughout the spring, biologists are taking conservative approaches with this year's license recommendations.

coloradooutdoorsmag.com

 

[BoulderBulls]

Dang thanks for sharing

 

[Oak]

Do you think elk tag numbers could be affected in the bears ears area?

Yes, the article specifically mentions the Bears Ears and White River herds.

“With recommendations to make significant reductions in licenses, in most cases a reduction over 40%, the Northwest Region staff hope providing this information ahead of time will give hunters an opportunity to change their hunt plans and explore new areas across our beautiful state.”

 

[ammo]

Hi all - looking for some advice. Put in for a draw in one of the zones listed above. Husband and I are now going back and forth on whether to change to a different unit.

My argument to stick with our current 'winter kill' unit -- yes, herd numbers will be effected but it's not like the entire elk population is dying off. My gut is if we draw our tags we're still going to see animals. CPW is just accounting for the animals lost to a harsher than normal winter. Sickies and grandpa elk. My data is based on my eyeballs, eg the giant friggin elk herd I see in their normal winter migration zone.

Husband unit on the other hand is arguing for switching units to one of our close runner up choices that we know is not in the effected area. Mo elk he says. Call this CPW office even though you hate the telephone he says.

Thoughts?

 

[vagabond]

Go with your gut and believe what your eyeballs tell you!

 

[elkduds]

Who is going to bail out all those outfitters?

 

[BoulderBulls]

Who is going to bail out all those outfitters?

 

[elkduds]

Hi all - looking for some advice. Put in for a draw in one of the zones listed above. Husband and I are now going back and forth on whether to change to a different unit.

My argument to stick with our current 'winter kill' unit -- yes, herd numbers will be effected but it's not like the entire elk population is dying off. My gut is if we draw our tags we're still going to see animals. CPW is just accounting for the animals lost to a harsher than normal winter. Sickies and grandpa elk. My data is based on my eyeballs, eg the giant friggin elk herd I see in their normal winter migration zone.

Husband unit on the other hand is arguing for switching units to one of our close runner up choices that we know is not in the effected area. Mo elk he says. Call this CPW office even though you hate the telephone he says.

Thoughts?

I expect the 2 DAUs in question will have higher point creep this year (40% fewer licenses issued). These have been the largest elk herds in the state for decades, and account for very high hunter #s. The 60% that can't hunt there will switch to their 2nd choices, upcreeping all those 2nd choice units, maybe not as much as White River/Flattops and Bears Ears. This will impact every unit in every season in the draw and most OTC units, since many of these units being limited are the most popular and crowded OTC units.

Will they stay OTC this year?

This warning by CPW on the eve of the application deadline is more consequential to CO big game hunters than any of the wolf issues, season changes or license allocation proposals we've been discussing here and elsewhere all winter, at least over the next couple of years. IMO.

 

[Dougfirtree]

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Wow. Beautiful! But not if you're a pronghorn...

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

bad to see these late storms bringing more winterkill,,but dang its gonna be a good water year in much of the west,,should have alot of green up when this ever turns into spring,,hope the critters can pull through.

 

[squirrel]

Have never seen sustained <0 temps in late march before, soon to be early April, no less. Eagles are obese and fairing well, Subaru's with ski racks, not so well.