When is it time to let go?

[mplane72]

We took to long to leave our tried and true area my buddies who introduced me to elk hunting had had well better then average success at for over 15 years. Looking back should have pulled the plug on that place several trips ago. Finally did it this year. After 3 days in the new to us area we all agreed never going back to it either. Sounds like we came closer then others we talked to but it still not going back. Problem is there's always that nagging feeling in the back of you're head about what you're missing back at "old reliable".
I'm really starting to get the feeling our big extravagant camp is kind of an anchor around our neck. Once it set up we're kind of pot committed.

 

[Jape]

It would take me all of about a half second to make this decision. Hunting is supposed to be fun, and this situation you described does not sound fun.

This is my philosophy. Hunting should be fun so if that means exploring another area I say go for it. Another thought is that when an area starts getting additional pressure, those elk will sometimes only displace a few miles away and you may be able to have success in the general area you already love. I don't know if the area you described lends itself to that, but I remember when the area I grew up hunting became overcrowded (four hunters on the same ridge in a vertical line to the bottom) I moved several miles away and found the elk.

 

[beginnerhunter]

This year was my first hunting CO elk. What's so strange is that there is all this land but people tend to crowd in few areas. I guess it's because the terrain is so unforgiving there are only so many access points to go anywhere.

Agree with points people made about high consumer confidence meaning more nonresident hunters. That said, I don't think I'll ever blow $660 on a OTC CO tag. Too many leftover options.

 

[BigGriz]

We took to long to leave our tried and true area my buddies who introduced me to elk hunting had had well better then average success at for over 15 years. Looking back should have pulled the plug on that place several trips ago. Finally did it this year. After 3 days in the new to us area we all agreed never going back to it either. Sounds like we came closer then others we talked to but it still not going back. Problem is there's always that nagging feeling in the back of you're head about what you're missing back at "old reliable".
I'm really starting to get the feeling our big extravagant camp is kind of an anchor around our neck. Once it set up we're kind of pot committed.

I know exactly what your talking about! I started feeling this way about 2 years ago but...just couldn't let go. I think I am ready to move on now. I can also go back from time to time and see how it is.

 

[BigGriz]

This is my philosophy. Hunting should be fun so if that means exploring another area I say go for it. Another thought is that when an area starts getting additional pressure, those elk will sometimes only displace a few miles away and you may be able to have success in the general area you already love. I don't know if the area you described lends itself to that, but I remember when the area I grew up hunting became overcrowded (four hunters on the same ridge in a vertical line to the bottom) I moved several miles away and found the elk.

This is something I will for sure look into!

 

[Mallardsx2]

Overcrowding during OTC archer season is a major problem that they didn't address in the new changes. Looks like we are going to have to put up with it and hope that some people get out of the game.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Overcrowding during OTC archer season is a major problem that they didn't address in the new changes. Looks like we are going to have to put up with it and hope that some people get out of the game.

Good luck with CBA's head buried in the sand. Sorry folks it's not 2002 anymore.

In 2010 CO sold 225,017 total elk tags, in 2018 213,821. During that same time period archery tags went up by over 5,000.

Look at unit 82 in CO in 2005: 197 hunters for archery, in 2018: 592 hunters

Yeah I bet it feels crowded with 300% more hunters, but yes CBA let's whine about having OTC tags.

 

[bklotthor]

Good luck with CBA's head buried in the sand. Sorry folks it's not 2002 anymore.

In 2010 CO sold 225,017 total elk tags, in 2018 213,821. During that same time period archery tags went up by over 5,000.

Look at unit 82 in CO in 2005: 197 hunters for archery, in 2018: 592 hunters

Yeah I bet it feels crowded with 300% more hunters, but yes CBA let's whine about having OTC tags.

Do you think that anything will be done in the near future to address the crowding issues that people talk about? Is there a split among folks who hunt OTC year after year on whether something needs to be done? I have never hunted OTC archery so I have no first hand knowledge of the experience, and I'm a non resident so I do not have a dog in the fight on either side of the issue. If I do ever consider it the main hesitation I'd have would be the stories that others share regarding the number of hunters they run into. As a non resident who plans to go on one 7-10 day out of state hunt each year I'd gladly use a preference point or two every other year to hunt Colorado with a bow with less people in the woods, but if I were a resident or someone who is able to take multiple trips each fall I could see the argument for keeping archery season OTC.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Do you think that anything will be done in the near future to address the crowding issues that people talk about? Is there a split among folks who hunt OTC year after year on whether something needs to be done? I have never hunted OTC archery so I have no first hand knowledge of the experience, and I'm a non resident so I do not have a dog in the fight on either side of the issue. If I do ever consider it the main hesitation I'd have would be the stories that others share regarding the number of hunters they run into. As a non resident who plans to go on one 7-10 day out of state hunt each year I'd gladly use a preference point or two every other year to hunt Colorado with a bow with less people in the woods, but if I were a resident or someone who is able to take multiple trips each fall I could see the argument for keeping archery season OTC.

Honestly I would love to see the whole state go full limited, keep tag numbers high, but just give CPAW the ability to direct pressure with tag allocations. Sure some units might start to require points to draw and you might not be able to hunt your favorite spot every year, but it's not like all of a sudden you just wouldn't get a tag.

Plus it would help with point creep. Right now tons of people put a pref point in as their first choice and then hunt OTC. If you forced more people to have to pick hunting this year versus building points and waiting 10-15 years for a tag I think you would see more people shedding points. All dear hunting in CO is limited draw, lots of people get deer tags and tons of people kill bucks every year.

I do see it being addressed and changing in the near future. There will be another season structure overhaul in 5 years and and I can't remember exactly right now exactly what they said, but there is another mechanism they can use to look at going fully limited.

Full limited will help some, but there are lots of overlapping seasons, lots of folks from Colorado like being in the woods, and lots of greenhorns like to pile into the same couple of spots. So nothing the state will do will ever fix those issues.

At this point I've never had a tag that you couldn't get every year in CO, aside from an archery hunt in 53 I never felt crowded, last two years I haven't seen a hunt while I was in the woods. Two of my buddies hunted the flat tops this year during second season, an area notorious for crowding, neither of them saw anyone once they left the trail head.

Long rambling way of saying, yes there is localized crowding in CO and yes I think some of it will be alleviated in the coming years, but I still think the hunting is great and there is plenty of room for anyone who wants to come here and hunt.

 

[Pelican]

Good luck with CBA's head buried in the sand.

I wouldn’t worry about CBA. About the only thing they accomplish anymore is shooting themselves in the foot.

Do you think that anything will be done in the near future to address the crowding issues that people talk about?

The logical first step to decrease the perceived crowding in OTC archery units (at least in my shriveled mind) would be to limit NR tags and leave the resident opportunity as is.
Unfortunately, money talks and the CO wildlife commission tends to listen to it. I’m still able to avoid the crowds, but I also recognize this issue isn’t going away, even if I don’t think crowding is that big of deal. As the commission tends to screw residents in favor of the outfitters, landowners, and nonresidents, they will probably continue to add limited archery units to maintain the NR funding stream while appeasing those that think it is too crowded. This has been already been occurring (Flattops, Bears Ears, Gunnison Basin) for years and hasn’t solved anything, but I’ll bet we see proposals to do just this again soon. Units 53, 62, 65? Same thing over and over because we can’t give up that NR money and will continue to let everyone on planet earth buy and elk tag.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

@Pelican I think you nailed it, and I agree those three units are likely going limited soon... maybe the sangres as well.

It's been asked a couple of times and my informed WAG is that going to a WY system for CO would cost the state around 20 million dollars. So a 15% cut CPAW's total budget.

 

[Pelican]

@Pelican a WY system for CO would cost the state around 20 million dollars. So a 15% cut CPAW's total budget.

15% is a big hit at once, but we/CPW are going to have to take the bullet at some point. Before long NR hunters will be the majority of archery elk hunters in this state. Limiting NR elk tags is long overdue here and is not going to be an easy sell.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

15% is a big hit at once, but we/CPW are going to have to take the bullet at some point. Before long NR hunters will be the majority of archery elk hunters in this state. Limiting NR elk tags is long overdue here and is not going to be an easy sell.

Yeah it’s already like 44% NR in the OTC seasons.

I’m just not sure the effect it will have on a national scale. Selfishly I want to hunt CO and occasionally WY or MT. If CO drops to like 15-20% NR it will have a cascading effect on pressure and a general season WY tag will take 8pts to draw, same thing with MT.

CO provides 50% of all NR elk hunts in the west and we have to think about what that means.

Also... not sure I’m ok shutting out other’s, I love reading post from guys like @Hatchie Dawg...

I am keenly aware that CO is far more generous than others states, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. I’d give up hunting elk here every single year if it meant lots of other folks from around the country got to come out and make memories. I know that sounds corny...

 

[thusby]

This bowhunting facepaint thing is getting out of hand.

 

[Steelhead]

I sounds like there is no joy in that experience.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Colorado needs to go to an OTC tag that is unit specific.

That would solve a lot of the issues we face. You want to hunt unit 71? thats fine. Here is your tag for that unit. You may now hunt unit 71 and NO others.

It would cut down on these guys who go blasting across units and jumping from units to units. Hunt 4 days here 4 days there. Running every elk onto the private land.

This in itself would help the archery situation immensely.

 

[mplane72]

Colorado needs to go to an OTC tag that is unit specific.

That would solve a lot of the issues we face. You want to hunt unit 71? thats fine. Here is your tag for that unit. You may now hunt unit 71 and NO others.

It would cut down on these guys who go blasting across units and jumping from units to units. Hunt 4 days here 4 days there. Running every elk onto the private land.

This in itself would help the archery situation immensely.

I actually think I would like that.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Two people agreed on something. This has got to be a first for any internet website. lol

 

[sbhooper]

One thing that has aided in the over crowding of the back country, is the proliferation of forums like this that glorify it. There are publications, tv programs, blogs, forums etc., etc., that do nothing but convince people to go to the back country. It is the way of the world and people had better get used to it-especially in over-the-counter areas. Sometimes, I think it is better to hang out in the areas between the road and two miles in. Everybody thinks that they have to go miles in to find animals and I think some of the animals are figuring that out.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

One thing that has aided in the over crowding of the back country, is the proliferation of forums like this that glorify it. There are publications, tv programs, blogs, forums etc., etc., that do nothing but convince people to go to the back country. It is the way of the world and people had better get used to it-especially in over-the-counter areas. Sometimes, I think it is better to hang out in the areas between the road and two miles in. Everybody thinks that they have to go miles in to find animals and I think some of the animals are figuring that out.

True story, the biggest 6x6 bull I have seen in CO was .5 miles from the trailhead in an OTC unit, I put some NR on him as I had filled my tag... they muffed it up which given it was rifle season was epically sad.