Opinions

[DAVIDKERR]

I AM A NON RES OF COLORADO AND HAVE A ? I AM HOPING FOR SOME ADVICE. I CAN PUT IN FOR THE ELK SEASON 1 DRAW IN AN AREA I HAVE SHOT A COW ELK IN 2 YEARS AGO(e-m-003-01-r)or i can put in for a deer area others in my party have had some success in but nothing real big. season 2 (d-m-035-02-r) i waNT TO SHOOT A NICE BULL OR A NICE BUCK-DOES NOT MATTER WHICH.I CANT AFFORD TO HUNT BOTH SEASONS/BOTH SPECIES. MY PARTNERS ARE CO RESIDENTS. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.

 

[LopeHunter]

Is helpful you previously hunted the area. That should help your harvest odds. If was earlier or later in the fall when you were last in the area then this year the animals may not be where you saw them.

Oc course, nice means different things. If success is to shoot a 180 class buck or 320 elk then that may be unrealistic.

If success is to avoid tag soup yet recent harvest rates are, for example, 20% then the odds are you will fill your tag once each 5 years with any size of buck (or bull). If you have access to private land where pressure is presumably less then odds could be higher. If have a guide or buddy who has hunted that unit several years then odds could be higher. If you have several hunts under your belt for that species then odds should be higher.

I often hunt solo on public land land which I have never stepped foot on prior to opening day. I look at the harvest rates. I bump them up 1/3 or so IF I have a several prior hunts for that species in that sort of terrain. I bump them up 1/3 or so IF I can hike in away from roads and ATVs are not zooming along all day. So say harvest for this hunt in prior years has recently been 45% then I might bump that up another 15% (1/3) for species and another 15% for getting away from the crowds so in that example I estimate I have a 75% chance to shoot a mature animal. If I am instead looking for one of the top 5% of bulls or bucks taken on that hunt then often accept I may very will eat tag soup.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Why are you yelling?! lol....

I think you are going to find that you are going to have a much easier time filling a buck tag than a bull tag in CO. Do you have any points? Also, I think 3rd rifle would be worth a look as well.

 

[squirrel]

IF THE DOW PRINTED THE REAL STATS FOR NON- RESIDENT,OTC, PUBLIC LAND, BULL ELK, UNGUIDED, SUCCESS... MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WOULD STAY HOME... WE CAN'T HAVE THAT NOW CAN WE???? Oops was I yelling? That number would be so flippin teeny nobody would piss away perfectly good beef-buying money. Factor in that like fishing 90% are gotten by the same 10% of hunters year in and year out and my point is if you want to get something , hunt deer. Also you want a "nice one" even more reason to hunt deer. Many OTC units have no "nice" ones by the way I define it but nice has many numbers attached to it. I believe it is not possible to kill a small first bull, even if it has spikes below the tips of his ears. Hunt hard and smart and become one of the 10%, but you will consider beef to be the cheap way out if your sweat is worth any money to you.