Can Colorado OTC Elk Last Forever?

[Thunder17]

I’d like to see it stay OTC, but making it an easy to draw system would probably be better

 

[trophyhill]

To answer the question can otc last forever? No

 

[Laramie]

To answer the question can otc last forever? No

Why not?

 

[Southforkguy]

Its this easy....If they limit vehicular access the elk herd will forever be sustainable.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I've been hoping for Non-Res OTC with caps for a long time. Still hoping as I type this. Any minute now CPW...

 

[CoStick]

The increase in recreation in general is the real impact. Elk just go to private land to avoid hunters.

 

[cnelk]

Ive said it before and Ill say it again.

OTC within specific DAUs.
The CPW can monitor hunters numbers AND herd impacts within each DAU.

Its just too easy.....

 

[Ucsdryder]

I don't want to start a firestorm here (sure it will anyway), but as we lose habitat and Elk hunter numbers continue to increase, how much longer will Colorado be able to offer large swaths on its units as OTC rifle tags? These elk herds are amazingly resilient, and many somehow grow despite insane hunter pressure, harvest, tough winters, and natural predation. But on a decades-long timescale, are we just counting down slowly to all of these units eventually going to draw? Is this level of hunting sustainable in the long run? Will a day come when this old reliable option is no longer in the back (or front) pocket? Looking for informed answers based on conservation models etc.

One word… WOLVES

 

[Betta1208]

Ive said it before and Ill say it again.

OTC within specific DAUs.
The CPW can monitor hunters numbers AND herd impacts within each DAU.

Its just too easy.....

 

[Betta1208]

I agree with Cnelk on this. Buy for a unit and stay there and purchase license early in the year would be a start. Think they have to start somewhere. I'm a NR and would be happy with a NR quota. If I could draw every other year I would be happy with that. Keep resident sales as is. The learning curve and success rates doesn't seem to phase the numbers. Money talks tho.

 

[Indian Summer]

If it does last it will need modified in some ways. Application deadlines would help. But you can’t hold back the hands of time and elk hunting keeps on getting more and more popular so I don’t think true otc can last. Game management plans have to look at supply and demand of a resource. Otherwise the elk will become extinct in those areas.

 

[Btaylor]

Ive said it before and Ill say it again.

OTC within specific DAUs.
The CPW can monitor hunters numbers AND herd impacts within each DAU.

Its just too easy.....

Kinda sorta what they did with the SW units. It's a draw but at this point only in name and you are good to go for the unit. That may be their test kitchen for the next 5 year plan.

 

[tdhanses]

I personally think it is sustainable, success rates will remain low and tags will still sell. I’m all for it as it gives an opportunity to hunt even if odds aren’t great on years you don’t draw a better area.

 

[tdhanses]

They could also in theory raise the price of the tags to price out a lot of NR from coming every year. It would maybe be a one in a lifetime thing. Therefore making the same $ but reducing hunting pressure. At my salary I don't mind spending $700 on a tag right now (still way cheaper than finding a private deer lease close to home), but if that shot up to 1200+, I may be trying to switch to more mule deer, antelope, and grouse in various mountain states and waiting for a decent draw for elk. I'm not a fan of significantly raising the price though, I'd rather they go to easy draw limited (0-1 pts) or OTC with caps and the normal working guy can still afford to go hunt. But if current pressure levels continues to increase, at some point they would have to change (at least in areas like the south where populations are below objective).

That theory doesn’t hold as both MT and WY sell out every year their tags that are $1100-$1300, people will still pay, I know I will.

Personally hunting is my only hobby I really invest $$ into and I’m sure many others are the same and most have an issue of time vs $$, not all but time is usually harder to come by.

Also they have already started making changes in the south with a bunch of otc archery units becoming draw units last year.

If the do change to all draw many units will be easy to draw but you’ll have to decide to hunt or gain pts, many will hunt CO and build pts elsewhere.

 

[tdhanses]

haha, good point, It's a high basin where it's easy to glass elk over many square miles, almost impossible to get to them.

It would make it so Colorado OTC units wouldn't be an overflow/bonus option for everyone who failed to draw in every western state, you would have to pull a non-refundable capped tag when OTC becomes available before other states draw results come in. and yes, I think the slightly more technical aspect would at least weed a small percentage out. Less guys buying a OTC tag then telling their 5 best friends to also do the same two weeks before the season.

To do that resident fees would have to increase drastically to make up for fewer NR tags issued, capping the NR would be a big hit to the rev funding.

There are many easy to draw limited units, we make the choice to hunt otc or not, can’t complain if you prefer to hunt otc areas when there is pressure.

 

[tdhanses]

If it does last it will need modified in some ways. Application deadlines would help. But you can’t hold back the hands of time and elk hunting keeps on getting more and more popular so I don’t think true otc can last. Game management plans have to look at supply and demand of a resource. Otherwise the elk will become extinct in those areas.

Thats assuming a decent amount of hunters are successful, fact is most just walk around the woods and see nothing and as numbers increase the % successful keeps going down.

 

[tdhanses]

Kinda sorta what they did with the SW units. It's a draw but at this point only in name and you are good to go for the unit. That may be their test kitchen for the next 5 year plan.

Would be nice if they also moved 2nd and 3rd rifle to this, provide a slam dunk draw but make people plan.

 

[gbflyer]

The increase in recreation in general is the real impact. Elk just go to private land to avoid hunters.

Indeed. The Uncompahgre NF as an example is now a year ‘round ATV course, and it was always bad during season anyway because of all the roads. The critters don’t get a moment’s respite.

 

[CJF]

I personally think OTC with caps is a better system, weeds out some folks who are less serious about making the trek to Colorado. Also could cut down on the number of exceedingly large and concentrated groups of NRs that come in. I ran into a backcountry camp of 20 DIYer last year in my preferred basin in my unit (which isn't a secret honey hole by any means), blew out every elk for a 5 mile radius. I don't think we should be pricing out folks who want to come hunt, but maybe some sort of pricing gradient on different OTC with cap zones.

Sounds like a spinoff series of Brokeback Mountain!

 

[StillBald]

Indeed. The Uncompahgre NF as an example is now a year ‘round ATV course, and it was always bad during season anyway because of all the roads. The critters don’t get a moment’s respite.

There have been a few comments along these lines and I 100% agree.

Sure, more OTC hunters, but the state population was 3.3M in 1990 and is 6M today. That's year round stress and probably way more impact than hunters showing up every fall.