Draw or OTC in Colorado (elk & deer)

[matechakeric]

are points worth building in Colorado for rifle deer and elk hunts or should CO just be a nonresident's fallback OTC state? I'm asking specifically for sub-5 points. Can you find quality hunts with limited hunting competition with that few of points or are you better off just OTC if you are to hunt CO?

i don't care about trophy-class animals. I value experience and less orange on the visible landscape over trophy potential

 

[nrpate05]

You should watch Randy's hunt from Colorado this year and then make a decision... You can always go OTC in a unit until you draw a limited tag every few years, at least for elk. For deer, there are a lot of good units that can be drawn with zero points. I can't really help with which units, but they are out there. I'm a resident, so a bit different, but I wouldn't have more than a few points in CO before burning them. I have a friend who has 3 elk points and is holding out for a glory hunt. I tried to tell him he'd be dead before he drew, he didn't want to hear it.

 

[ImBillT]

You should watch Randy's hunt from Colorado this year and then make a decision... You can always go OTC in a unit until you draw a limited tag every few years, at least for elk. For deer, there are a lot of good units that can be drawn with zero points. I can't really help with which units, but they are out there. I'm a resident, so a bit different, but I wouldn't have more than a few points in CO before burning them. I have a friend who has 3 elk points and is holding out for a glory hunt. I tried to tell him he'd be dead before he drew, he didn't want to hear it.

You just don’t understand. No one is building points without applying for hunts, no one new is going to enter the system, when a unit has 20 tags, and 19 of them go to people with 27pts, and goes to someone with 26pts, and there are 80people applying with 26pts that didn’t draw, 70 of those people will give up. In ten years your buddy is a lock! Not to mention, Covid is way more deadly to max point holders.

But really your buddy ain’t ever gonna hunt one of the top tags.

 

[Blackcats06]

As mentioned, Lots of hunts, and good hunts can be had for under 5 points for both species. Other than high point draws you are not going to get away from people in Colorado. But that doesn't mean you can't have a great hunt. Unless something major changes, I will never have more than 5 points for deer. A lot also depends on what your other options are for other states and being able to hunt every year.

I've started building points for elk in colorado but can not get over the hump of spending that much on a tag where I might not see an elk or its a great achievement to kill a 280 bull. I live in AZ and have the opportunity for 330 with every tag.

 

[ImBillT]

As mentioned, Lots of hunts, and good hunts can be had for under 5 points for both species. Other than high point draws you are not going to get away from people in Colorado. But that doesn't mean you can't have a great hunt. Unless something major changes, I will never have more than 5 points for deer. A lot also depends on what your other options are for other states and being able to hunt every year.

I've started building points for elk in colorado but can not get over the hump of spending that much on a tag where I might not see an elk or its a great achievement to kill a 280 bull. I live in AZ and have the opportunity for 330 with every tag.

I can’t say it from experience, but my understanding is that there aren’t many limited entry hunts in CO where you won’t see an elk. They have almost as many elk as the entire rest of the US. 280” might be a nice bull in a lot of the state, but I’m not sure that just seeing an elk is all that rare. Again, not from experience.

 

[Hunt&FishCO]

are points worth building in Colorado for rifle deer and elk hunts or should CO just be a nonresident's fallback OTC state? I'm asking specifically for sub-5 points. Can you find quality hunts with limited hunting competition with that few of points or are you better off just OTC if you are to hunt CO?

i don't care about trophy-class animals. I value experience and less orange on the visible landscape over trophy potential

There aren’t OTC tags for deer like there are for Elk. You might randomly get lucky with a leftover/returned tag but I wouldn’t count on it.

The way things are going in MT/WY I don’t think CO will be able to have unlimited OTC elk permits in years to come.

I’d recommend building points.

 

[Blackcats06]

I can’t say it from experience, but my understanding is that there aren’t many limited entry hunts in CO where you won’t see an elk. They have almost as many elk as the entire rest of the US. 280” might be a nice bull in a lot of the state, but I’m not sure that just seeing an elk is all that rare. Again, not from experience.

I’ve had buddies do limited entry elk in Colorado and didn’t see or hear an elk. Lower point units but either way it doesn’t get me excited.

 

[Paullowe66]

I'm going to go on my first elk hunt in Colorado, OTC archery. Looking at units with most public land and lowest hunting pressure. Any recommendations?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I'm going to go on my first elk hunt in Colorado, OTC archery. Looking at units with most public land and lowest hunting pressure. Any recommendations?

Not 53

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

are points worth building in Colorado for rifle deer and elk hunts or should CO just be a nonresident's fallback OTC state? I'm asking specifically for sub-5 points. Can you find quality hunts with limited hunting competition with that few of points or are you better off just OTC if you are to hunt CO?

i don't care about trophy-class animals. I value experience and less orange on the visible landscape over trophy potential

No points aren’t.

Yes you can.

To me it’s all about 1st and 4th v 2nd and 3rd. The OTC seasons are more crowded but longer. The limited seasons in those same units are less crowded but short.

Archery is a total shit show.

 

[Hunt&FishCO]

I'm going to go on my first elk hunt in Colorado, OTC archery. Looking at units with most public land and lowest hunting pressure. Any recommendations?

No specific units/recommendations. Research areas with less deadfall (review aerial) and get 2+ miles off the road.

Highly recommend GoHunt subscription for this kind of research.

 

[gwhunter]

No points aren’t.

Yes you can.

To me it’s all about 1st and 4th v 2nd and 3rd. The OTC seasons are more crowded but longer. The limited seasons in those same units are less crowded but short.

Archery is a total shit show.

Why do you say that archery is a shit show? I'm legitimately curious as I plan to always use CO otc archery as my last resort. I'm happy that up to this point, the draw gods have always smiled on me!

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Why do you say that archery is a shit show? I'm legitimately curious as I plan to always use CO otc archery as my last resort. I'm happy that up to this point, the draw gods have always smiled on me!

Over the last 10 years OTC archery has seen the largest growth of any season by far. 3rd has been static, 2nd is actually down a lot from 05’ era numbers.

Further, September is just busy in the mountains, you have muzzy, early rifle, bear rifle, and it’s the best time to hike/camp/bike. I’ve had stalks ruined by dudes on mountain bikes several times.

This isn’t to say that I would never hunt sept, I have and do regularly, like I said amazing time to be in the CO mountains, but if your trying to get some time to yourself I would look at other options.

Purely on crowds this would be my ranking for any unit;

4th
1st
2nd
3rd
Archery
Muzzy

Basically if CO is my last chance I’d pick up a leftover 4th tag over a 3rd season tag, because I kinda know what I’m doing, or at least am not worried about the short season, if that’s not the case for you and/or if you want to hunt deer concurrently I’d pick 2nd.

 

[ridn9high]

I'm going to go on my first elk hunt in Colorado, OTC archery. Looking at units with most public land and lowest hunting pressure. Any recommendations?

Find the unit with the steepest, nastiest terrain and go there! All OTC units with lots of public land and easy access have a lot of hunters.

 

[rick19Kilo]

Find the unit with the steepest, nastiest terrain and go there! All OTC units with lots of public land and easy access have a lot of hunters.

That seems like the most common sense answer that some people just do not want to accept. The easier the access in a unit, the more people will be there. Find a unit that needs more shoe leather than tire tread to get around and you will find less people.

 

[Kuhndog]

I'm hoping to get my first tag ever this year. I live in Cedaredge and not really sure how to go about it. Should I stick with unit 52 or no? If anyone could get ahold of me if this site has a private message section that would be great. Never hunted a day in my life and don't have anyone to show me. Really looking for a little advice on how to go about it.