Did Colorado Break the Elk Bank This Year?

[BrokenArrow]

- I have heard from a lot of local hunting/gun shop owners in SW CO that many local folks failed to tag out his year. And that non-res had horrible success B/c of major overcrowding in all units.
1. Anyone want to relay their experiences?
I'm not trying to gauge harvest statistics as much as I'm trying to gauge overall quality of hunting experience.

I will keep in mind that there are many good hunters on this forum and most probably have better success than someone just off the street trying to make it happen with little experience. If you don't mind would you mention years hunting CO if you choose to weigh in?

- I also talked to a local CPW officer that swears they sold ~3X more OTC archery than any other year historically. Rifle down ~20%. This is congruent with the last few years tags sales, but accelerated splits. Scary for us locals and bad for our herds, from the pressure perspective.
I think the good old days are over, unless we do something.

2. What is the one thing you could amend or add to CPW's management plan moving forward -> 2020-2026?

Hope everyone at least had some fun out there!
JW

 

[Dougfirtree]

I wish I had some info for you, but I haven't hunted in Colorado in several years. I can't help but notice though, that you say you're in SW Colorado. Seems like everything negative I've heard lately, about elk hunting in Colorado, has come from the SW part of the state. Might be more regional?

 

[Oak]

1. My experience is irrelevant because I'm certain I could kill an elk every year if I put in the effort. But I'm a lazy elk hunter and don't get too excited about it.

2. I would totally limit elk hunting in the state. I think we are beyond the point that we can sustain unlimited licenses and maintain a quality experience. And by quality I don't mean trophy quality. I mean a reasonable chance of success for the average hunter on public land.

And a likely unpopular second change that you didn't ask for: if you hunt an antlered elk by any means or method, you lose your preference points. This is from a person who has had 1-3 elk tags in CO every year since 1986, has burned 14 points one time and currently holds 12 points. Flame away.

 

[Oak]

Also, if you haven't heard, it's likely that archery elk hunting is going to be limited in some fashion for 3 DAU in SW Colorado at the Commission meeting in January.

 

[MT.PERCHMAN]

I Quit hunting in Colorado years ago when my hunting party sat on the hill side and watched the Rancher and his hired guns Chase the Elk back on there place with horses and a jeep ..I complained at the Buford party store and the lady tells me ..oh that my Boys !
It was my last trip !!

MT.PERCHMAN

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

1. My experience is irrelevant because I'm certain I could kill an elk every year if I put in the effort. But I'm a lazy elk hunter and don't get too excited about it.

2. I would totally limit elk hunting in the state. I think we are beyond the point that we can sustain unlimited licenses and maintain a quality experience. And by quality I don't mean trophy quality. I mean a reasonable chance of success for the average hunter on public land.

And a likely unpopular second change that you didn't ask for: if you hunt an antlered elk by any means or method, you lose your preference points. This is from a person who has had 1-3 elk tags in CO every year since 1986, has burned 14 points one time and currently holds 12 points. Flame away.

1. I'm a relatively new elk hunter... only 7 seasons under my belt, so dismiss as you will... but I don't get why people complain about CO... I've only hunted elk in MT and CO but CO is dramatically easier than MT. I've hunted 5 units killed 3 bulls, the first two units were my first 2 seasons ever hunting, I have hunted 3 other CO units as a packer for various friends who had tags. I've never gone on a CO hunting trip and not at least seen an elk. This year a buddy who was an adult onset hunter asked if I would help him on a cow hunt. Having never hunted the unit before or even been then we showed up 4th season on Friday and then had shots on elk Sat and Sun but my buddy wasn't able to capitalize... we saw lots of hunts, but that had 0 effect on us getting into elk.

I have no idea what hunting was like 10 years ago but from my experience talking to other hunters, the apparent standard they are/were use to is driving up from somewhere flat the night before the season, walk100 yards from the truck/atv without optics and being able to kill a bull. So yeah by that standard it's hard I guess... I guess I'm surprised that in this day and age people are complaining about having to put in the time and acquire a skill, I mean we as a society really seem to value hard work, perseverance, and delayed gratification.... wait... hmmm... something about that sounds off... I mean every person is entitled to shoot an elk in the easiest possible way right... damn CPAW really selling a false bill of goods

Anyway rant over.

2. I agree with Oak go 100% limited draw across the state so that wildlife managers are better able to manage hunting pressure, and I second the idea that if you have an A tag in your pocket you lose your points, even if you pick it up on the leftover list. You can't have your cake and eat it to sorry. Apply this to all species.

I have a sneaking suspicion that when the harvest statistics are published this year they will be statically identical to every pervious year.

 

[Ben Sellers]

I think otc with caps by unit or group of units would be a good system.

 

[Pelican]

1. Shot a bull on second morning. 14th legal bull I saw. Didn’t see another hunter except for the folks hunting with me. I wasn’t in SW CO though. I normally don’t see many other hunters, but had way more elk around me than most years.
2. I don’t know if this falls under CPWs management plan, but we need to start limiting NR tags before we limit residents. If crowding and harvest are issues, we need to get the NR allocation in line with other states before denying residents tags for their elk. 44% of otc archery tags and 20-35% of limited tags going to NRs is ridiculous. Revenue be dammed.

 

[LuketheDog]

- I have heard from a lot of local hunting/gun shop owners in SW CO that many local folks failed to tag out his year. And that non-res had horrible success B/c of major overcrowding in all units.

I put little faith in hearsay, especially when there are so many variables that go into harvesting animals. Populations are cyclical, hunter pressure varies from region to region over a given time period, unsuccessful squeaky wheels get more grease on the internet than people who killed things, etc.

2. What is the one thing you could amend or add to CPW's management plan moving forward -> 2020-2026?

No uncapped OTC tags for nonresidents in any season...

 

[Nick_CO]

1) My experiences are that each of the last 5 years here in SW CO have each seemed busier than than the last. I'm seeing hunters in areas I don't typically see them etc. I can feel the pressure much like the animals can and am getting pushed out of areas where I once experienced solitude. I don't have a problem with folks legally and rightfully enjoying the same thing I do in the same places I do. This is just my general observation.

2) OTC with caps must happen. It should have been a part of the most recent 5 year structure. I've also mentioned this in other posts but I can't even take CPW seriously without them requiring mandatory harvest reporting. Hey CPW, we have the technology.

 

[Slm864]

I agree with OTC with caps. I also think not having muzzleloader And archery overlapping could make it feel less crowded. I’ve hunted SW Colorado and felt alone on the mountain until musket season started then it felt like the state fair, then alone again when the season ended. I’ve never hunted rifle season so I can’t comment on pressure during those seasons. Even with the crowds during the overlapping seasons I have always found elk, it just required more work which is fine by me.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

1. Shot a bull on second morning. 14th legal bull I saw. Didn’t see another hunter except for the folks hunting with me. I wasn’t in SW CO though. I normally don’t see many other hunters, but had way more elk around me than most years.
2. I don’t know if this falls under CPWs management plan, but we need to start limiting NR tags before we limit residents. If crowding and harvest are issues, we need to get the NR allocation in line with other states before denying residents tags for their elk. 44% of otc archery tags and 20-35% of limited tags going to NRs is ridiculous. Revenue be dammed.

Honestly, we can't fix Colorado's hunting season in any meaningful way until we repeal TABOR. It's one of the most damaging pieces of legislation ever put into place and it needs to go. CPAW cannot significantly reduce NR license sales before TABOR is repealed or fixed.

As far as allocation, I not sure how much it really helps. For the top tier units (10, 2, 201, etc) you could cut all NR tags and you still wouldn't draw, for the mid tier... it might let you draw a year or 2 faster . As far as OTC and leftover tags go it's just supply and demand, the ratio is what it is because Residents aren't interested in those tags. The flat tops units had something like 800 cow tags on the leftover list the day before 4th season. If a bunch of folks want to come out here, and pay $661 to dress up in camo and go armed 4-wheeling I say let'em. Lots of people like to spend a truck load of money to go to disney world and that's a pretty crowded experience, I don't see Disney capping or trying to reduce park attendance.

 

[Zach]

1. My experience is irrelevant because I'm certain I could kill an elk every year if I put in the effort. But I'm a lazy elk hunter and don't get too excited about it.

2. I would totally limit elk hunting in the state. I think we are beyond the point that we can sustain unlimited licenses and maintain a quality experience. And by quality I don't mean trophy quality. I mean a reasonable chance of success for the average hunter on public land.

And a likely unpopular second change that you didn't ask for: if you hunt an antlered elk by any means or method, you lose your preference points. This is from a person who has had 1-3 elk tags in CO every year since 1986, has burned 14 points one time and currently holds 12 points. Flame away.

West of I-25, right

 

[Gut Shot]

I took my daughter for her first elk hunt this year. It was a ML hunt in unit 18. My friends and I had hunted this WILDERNESS AREA at least 10 times in the past. We never had any company at the little pull off near the trail head during rifle, muzzleloader, or archery hunts. This year I pulled in and joined over a dozen other cars. We hiked in 3.5 miles and there were hunters everywhere we turned. We hiked a mile or so south of the main valley and got away from most of the hunters. We got in on one elk and didn't have a shot. It was a fun trip, my daughter's first backpack trip, but it was a piss-poor hunt.

Now, this wasn't in SW Colorado, rather in the north central region. Still, I'm looking at other states for elk now.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I agree with OTC with caps. I also think not having muzzleloader And archery overlapping could make it feel less crowded. I’ve hunted SW Colorado and felt alone on the mountain until musket season started then it felt like the state fair, then alone again when the season ended. I’ve never hunted rifle season so I can’t comment on pressure during those seasons. Even with the crowds during the overlapping seasons I have always found elk, it just required more work which is fine by me.

So taking a look at a random unit over time... archery numbers up by 200% and muzzy down by 37%... yeah "musket" season is the issue.

 

[Phaseolus]

Where I hunted in SW Colorado there were plenty of elk. They were in tough locations. We went where we had to to get our elk. I was shocked at how many hunters would not go far from the road and complained about lack of elk. We had one group of Californians tell us we couldn’t go down into the drainage where the elk were because they were hunting the ridge, 50 yards from the road, and were there first. We went anyway. That said I wish we would eliminate OTC licenses and limit archery a bit.

 

[JDH]

This year was my first year being in CO during OTC elk archery so i don't have much to compare it to but it sure seemed crowded. Very hard to find a camping spot, ATVs flying around everywhere, trailheads full of trucks.

 

[DouglasR]

Give the people what they want!
If archery numbers are up 200% and rifle numbers are declining the answer is simple.
Lengthen archery season and start cutting back on the one percenter rifle hunts.

 

[oswald2581]

1. My experience is irrelevant because I'm certain I could kill an elk every year if I put in the effort. But I'm a lazy elk hunter and don't get too excited about it.

2. I would totally limit elk hunting in the state. I think we are beyond the point that we can sustain unlimited licenses and maintain a quality experience. And by quality I don't mean trophy quality. I mean a reasonable chance of success for the average hunter on public land.

And a likely unpopular second change that you didn't ask for: if you hunt an antlered elk by any means or method, you lose your preference points. This is from a person who has had 1-3 elk tags in CO every year since 1986, has burned 14 points one time and currently holds 12 points. Flame away.

I 100% agree with your stance on preference points. I have had 2 elk tags every year and not burned a single point. Opportunity to have a tag is important, but opportunity to harvest an animal should be just as important and I too believe that we are beyond the point that we can sustain unlimited licenses and maintain quality experience.

 

[TOGIE]

what would i change? remove OHV status on more trails during hunting season - oh wait, annoyed opinion shouldn't matter here

we need to cutback the otc stuff one way or another

why am i always under the impression that CPW as an organization appears so scatter brained and discombobulated and wy g&f appears to be the wise father that always knows what to do?

maybe it's because i'm much more intimately familiar with cpw. the nice family across the street always seems to have it all together until you actually spend some time with them