Big changes to Colorado Preference Point fees

[ericF]

At the upcoming CPW commision meeting next week, they are going to be going over some proposals that will affect preference point fees in Colorado along with some other items. While there isn't a guarantee that these will all be adopted in this exact manner, there is a good chance that these will pass. The highlights are as follows.

1. Won't go back to charging fees up front because they just changed it and it costs $2 million to collect fees up front.
2. Application fees going up to $7 and $9 for residents and non residents to help defer costs.
3. They want to increase the bear harvest quite a bit and are talking about doing combo deer and elk/bear licenses
4. For 2019 will drop the non-resident bear license cost $410 to make it $250
5. Now the big one is increasing the preference point cost for both non-residents and residents if they haven't bought a license. See appendix 2.
5a. Increase pay to play fee for non-residents to $100 in order to incentivize them to buy a license instead if they haven't.
5b. Now require pay to play for Sheep, Goat, and Moose for both Residents and Non-Residents. Applications for these doubled to tripled this year without up front payment. Pay to Play will prevent people from just building up points without contributing each year.
6. Talk about separately buying a point every year like Wyoming does, but they can't get that ready for 2019.



http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Commission/2018/Nov/Item_10-W-0-Prices-Final-Nov2018-PWCmtg.pdf

 

[ChrisAU]

3. They want to increase the bear harvest quite a bit and are talking about doing combo deer and elk/bear licenses
4. For 2019 will drop the non-resident bear license cost $410 to make it $250

Yes please

 

[Chucklehead]

If they had a spring bear season, you'd see me in Colorado every year at that tag price.

 

[MuleyFever]

I have yet to see a bear in CO but for that price I would be tempted to buy the tag

 

[cnelk]

6. Talk about separately buying a point every year like Wyoming does, but they can't get that ready for 2019.

They dont need to have that ready for 2019.
Just have it coincide with the new BGSS that starts in 2020

Good talking point tho

 

[ericF]

Another huge change that they are talking about is changing the leftover draw that occurs when you are unsuccessful into a secondary draw which wouldn't require any points and it sounds like anybody could join in on. This would align with the 2020 BGSS changes, but the idea is to reduce the hit they take on the initial Leftover day and get rid of a majority of the tags before then with a secondary draw.

http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Commission/2018/Nov/Item_17-W-2-Big-Game-Issues-Nov2018-PWCmtg.pdf

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

As a non-resident who just hunted elk in CO for the first time this season, I’m fine with the application fees going up. It’s one of the few states that doesn’t require you to buy a ~ $120 license just to apply.

I ended up drawing a muzzleloader cow tag but I also put in for a bear tag as a backup so I could still go hunt if I didn’t get an elk tag. The elk tag was $496 and the bear tag was $350, so I turned it back in. Even with the OTC with caps programs, the bear tags are expensive enough as a secondary tag to be a distraction rather than opportunistic. Don’t see an elk for the first 2 days and you’re tempted to go bear hunting. If they were $150 or less I’d buy one every time I had another big game tag. I would pay the $350 for a spring hunt where they are the primary target.

 

[tdhanses]

If they discounted all bear licenses to $100 I bet they would sell out fast.

 

[Bulldawg]

It’s not necessarily the cost of the bear tag that is holding back it’s the amount of no tags available, if they just made them OTC rifle tags there would be a lot more bears killed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fromthedepths]

Wish they would have come out with this before you had to buy preference points this year .guess it’s time to cash out

 

[cnelk]

It’s not necessarily the cost of the bear tag that is holding back it’s the amount of no tags available, if they just made them OTC rifle tags there would be a lot more bears killed.

There's still 580 bear tags available on the Leftover List - Go get ya one.

 

[Savage99]

There's still 580 bear tags available on the Leftover List - Go get ya one.

Private land only.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cnelk]

My point is there has been lots leftover bear tags all fall. Even OTC w/ Caps.

If you want to hunt bear, the opportunity is there

 

[Trial153]

As a non-resident who just hunted elk in CO for the first time this season, I’m fine with the application fees going up. It’s one of the few states that doesn’t require you to buy a ~ $120 license just to apply.

I ended up drawing a muzzleloader cow tag but I also put in for a bear tag as a backup so I could still go hunt if I didn’t get an elk tag. The elk tag was $496 and the bear tag was $350, so I turned it back in. Even with the OTC with caps programs, the bear tags are expensive enough as a secondary tag to be a distraction rather than opportunistic. Don’t see an elk for the first 2 days and you’re tempted to go bear hunting. If they were $150 or less I’d buy one every time I had another big game tag. I would pay the $350 for a spring hunt where they are the primary target.

If you read the proposal you will see that the new fees are designed to be higher then a license sale. So in effect they will be encouraging you to buy a licence in lieu of paying a point or application fee on each app.

I have no problem buying a license in each state. It's pretty much a wash at this point anyway.

 

[Jimss]

Spring bear hunts would get some bears killed and spooked of humans!

 

[5MilesBack]

Another huge change that they are talking about is changing the leftover draw that occurs when you are unsuccessful into a secondary draw which wouldn't require any points and it sounds like anybody could join in on. This would align with the 2020 BGSS changes, but the idea is to reduce the hit they take on the initial Leftover day and get rid of a majority of the tags before then with a secondary draw.

http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Commission/2018/Nov/Item_17-W-2-Big-Game-Issues-Nov2018-PWCmtg.pdf

I'm not a fan if they change the leftover process. That day is like Black Friday for hunters. I don't know any hunters that would camp out for Black Friday, but they sure do it for leftover tag Tuesday. I love it.

But on the other hand, if they have a problem with that day, they could always just do all the reissue tags like they currently do for "5+ point tags" and call the next guy in line from the draw. They already have a "leftover draw" from all the leftover tags from the first draw, adding another certainly doesn't change that much. So their only issue is the reissue tags.......which could be solved easily. They could even install an extra "fee" for all reissue tags, and as money hungry as they are, I'm not sure why they haven't suggested that yet.

As for bear tags, I've had a bear tag in my pocket for the past several archery seasons, but I never see bears while elk hunting. I always convince myself that I'll sit on the elk carcass for the bear, but sitting isn't in my makeup......and by the time I pack out the elk, I'm ready to get it home. So I doubt I'll buy another bear tag, but I absolutely would buy a Spring bear tag if we still had the season.

 

[cnelk]

Spring Bear is gone everyone. No need to keep discussing it.

 

[Phaseolus]

Spring Bear is gone everyone. No need to keep discussing it.

Spring bear was killed by our voters. I don’t think it will ever come back. I don’t believe CPW can change that on their own.

 

[Jbehredt]

I’ve stopped buying fall bear tags for two reasons. 1) It’smostly a joke, hoping to stumble into a bear and then deciding if I want to burn a day of elk hunting dealing with it 2) I love seeing footage of the subarus (it’s always some hipster car) ripped apart from the inside.

 

[cnelk]

I’ve stopped buying fall bear tags for two reasons. 1) It’smostly a joke, hoping to stumble into a bear and then deciding if I want to burn a day of elk hunting dealing with it 2) I love seeing footage of the subarus (it’s always some hipster car) ripped apart from the inside.

Here ya go! - Steamboat bear breaks into Subaru, causes extensive damage