Caribou Gear Tarp

Colorado hunters- did the state survey you about harvest success?

I didn’t have a CO tag this year but I remember getting the email survey every year, I also remember getting a phone call every year before email surveys were a thing. That would always ask if I was successful, what I killed if it was an either sex tag, was I satisfied with my hunt, did I feel it was too crowded, etc. I don’t remember having a Colorado tag that I did not get some level of survey on.
 
I hunted Antelope, Mule Deer and Cow Elk this year. I got the survey emailed to me about the Antelope and Elk hunts.
 
I'm just curious for those that dont recieve them do you ever check your spam mail. Mine were going there until I updated it a few years ago. I know its random so you might not get 1
 
I’ve never understood how in the heck they get an accurate estimate on harvest stats without mandatory reporting. Hell, I get a whole pile of deer tags here in North Carolina and Virginia and your required to report each one you fill immediately with info on where and how it went down. You’d think with so much more money involved and so many less tags issued, they’d have more stringent harvest reporting?🤷🏼‍♂️
 
Haven't received any form of success survey yet this year (out of four big game tags), but I did receive a paper survey regarding my thoughts on CWD that I thought was interesting. I received it because I submitted a head for mandatory CWD testing in 2018.
 
I received a survey link that covered both of the elk tags I had this year. I didn’t get any for my son’s tags.
 
You have to report small game through HIP (Harvest Information Program). It is ridiculous that you have to report a jackrabbit or grouse, but not an elk. I don't believe there are 280,000 elk in Colorado, either. There is too much land that is devoid of elk for that number to be accurate. A lack of good information going into these estimates produces poor results. Junk in, junk out.
 
You have to report small game through HIP (Harvest Information Program). It is ridiculous that you have to report a jackrabbit or grouse, but not an elk. I don't believe there are 280,000 elk in Colorado, either. There is too much land that is devoid of elk for that number to be accurate. A lack of good information going into these estimates produces poor results. Junk in, junk out.

I also find it ridiculous that apparently we have the means to figure out exactly how many ptarmigan were killed but not elk or deer.

To the herd comment, it is certainly an estimate, but the state doesn't do everything behind a curtain. In fact I think Colorado is one of the better states at releasing information about their methods and procedures.

Here is the report for DAU E-6, White River, the states biggest elk herd. The report provides a ton of info on historic size of the herds, objectives, hunter comments, landowner issues, and how herd estimates are created and how the process has evolved over time.

I think one thing most public land owners overlook is the incredible number of elk that are found year round on large private properties during hunting season. I imagine in some units 80% of the elk are found on 10% of the land, which means that on public lands in that unit elk are going to be few and far between.

 
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