Can Colorado OTC Elk Last Forever?

[Ultraheight]

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.

 

[sndmn11]

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.

You scoured a 74 square mile area on foot in a few hours? You are a machine.

How would caps weed out less serious hunters?

 

[Laramie]

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.

So what is the difference between OTC with caps and all the LQ areas everywhere else?

Come out and say what's on your mind. You don't like all the pressure so are hoping Colorado goes to LQ for elk. Why not apply for one of the LQ areas?

If they make your area LQ or OTC with caps, or whatever you want to call it, it will immediately become more challenging to get a tag and you likely won't be able to hunt it as much as you would like.

Sorry if this is coming across harsh but your just beating around the bush.

 

[DCT1983]

I think the reintroduction of wolves will have a larger effect than the increase of elk hunters in the next 10-20 years.

I was wondering when this was going to be brought up.

 

[Ultraheight]

You scoured a 74 square mile area on foot in a few hours? You are a machine.

How would caps weed out less serious hunters?

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.

 

[Ultraheight]

I was wondering when this was going to be brought up.

the shoe has officially dropped

 

[Poser]

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.

20 guys in a backcountry camp together?
That’s insanity.

 

[WRM]

20 guys in a backcountry camp together?
That’s insanity.

Around here we call that methheads.

 

[Ultraheight]

So what is the difference between OTC with caps and all the LQ areas everywhere else?

Come out and say what's on your mind. You don't like all the pressure so are hoping Colorado goes to LQ for elk. Why not apply for one of the LQ areas?

If they make your area LQ or OTC with caps, or whatever you want to call it, it will immediately become more challenging to get a tag and you likely won't be able to hunt it as much as you would like.

Sorry if this is coming across harsh but your just beating around the bush.

Woah there cowboy, hadn't even given this issue much thought until today, and was convinced by some other folks' posts about OTC caps. I try to keep an open mind, and beat around the bush for a living. Don't even know much about LQ. Hope I didn't offend you

As an aside, if it meant I could only hunt every other year in Colorado, but saw less hunters and got to actually hear bulls, I might take that option. Also wouldn't mind the trophy quality improving in my preferred unit.

 

[sndmn11]

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.

OK, I'll buy that explanation.

 

[Ultraheight]

20 guys in a backcountry camp together?
That’s insanity.

Some gentlemen from the midwest, who I believe were under the impression that elk were as plentiful as cornfield whitetails and didn't have noses. I may add that they were all on foot, which doubled the insanity

 

[Laramie]

Woah there cowboy, hadn't even given this issue much thought until today, and was convinced by some other folks' posts about OTC caps. I try to keep an open mind, and beat around the bush for a living. Don't even know much about LQ. Hope I didn't offend you

As an aside, if it meant I could only hunt every other year in Colorado, but saw less hunters and got to actually hear bulls, I might take that option. Also wouldn't mind the trophy quality improving in my preferred unit.

Sorry I came across like that. In reality you want these to be limited quota. That's what a cap is.- it limits the number of permits that can be purchased.

Colorado intentionally allows these to be purchased after all the other draws. They want to make that extra money and could care less that the hunt experience isn't great for most. The elk population is being maintained at, or in some cases above, carrying capacity. They have zero reasons to make a change unless their jobs fall in jeopardy due to resident hunter pressure.

If you want a different experience, start buying preference points and apply for LQ areas.

 

[Poser]

Some gentlemen from the midwest, who I believe were under the impression that elk were as plentiful as cornfield whitetails and didn't have noses. I may add that they were all on foot, which doubled the insanity

Even if they split up into 5 groups of 4, that makes no sense that they would hunt out of the same area. Also, for a backcountry camp, the impact of 20 guys shitting in a concentrated area over the course of a couple of days could be pretty considerable… hopefully, they dealt with that appropriately, but the fact that 20 guys decided to go elk hunting together doesn’t imply much of a degree of thoughtfulness with regards to details.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Maybe OTC with caps could be a solution. A certain amount of OTC tags and once they are all sold no more. But that would probably more chaotic than leftover day when they go on sale lol

There are a few Idaho units that are otc with caps in high demand. Functionally they are a random draw that you have to be present to win. They go on sale one day at 10 am. You log on at 9:45 and get assigned a random number. If there are 500 tags, persons 1-500 get to log in and buy a tag. It's not really chaotic as long as the software behaves.

 

[Billy Goat]

Could always say once you have an A list tag your points go to zero, OTC or Draw.


That would make some changes.

 

[WRM]

Some gentlemen from the midwest, who I believe were under the impression that elk were as plentiful as cornfield whitetails and didn't have noses. I may add that they were all on foot, which doubled the insanity

The Midwest held the methhead capital record for many years. So, maybe they were....

 

[Laramie]

Could always say once you have an A list tag your points go to zero, OTC or Draw.


That would make some changes.

I think that is a great idea and would definitely result in lower hunter densities. However, what motivation does the state of Colorado have to do this?

 

[Billy Goat]

I think that is a great idea and would definitely result in lower hunter densities. However, what motivation does the state of Colorado have to do this?

Little more than zero.

 

[Wapiti16]

How would caps weed out less serious hunters?

The beauty of an OTC tag is that it can be bought literally over the counter at any point before or during the season. Meaning, lots of guys make last minute decisions and show up to hunt and buy a tag. If you limit it to first come, first serve, you're limiting tags to hunter who are planning ahead to make that trip, i.e. more serious hunters, vs the "hey I think I'll go elk hunting tomorrow" guys who show up and buy tags. Just a thought.

My dad has hunted OTC Colorado the past 40 years, and I've hunted the past 5 years (we're NR). We always bought our OTC tags way ahead of elk season during the lottery period. Our unit switched over to lottery last year with all of the other SW OTC units, but nothing has really changed for us as the lottery is almost 100% odds. BUT now, requiring us to apply for it instead of just showing up whenever to buy it OTC has weeded out all the "last minute deciders" and guys who didn't draw elsewhere so settled on Colorado OTC.

 

[Coveyleader]

Pretty simple, make NR draw for said number of tags, OTC status quo for residents.

One of the issues that is, and will steady make the system tougher is as neighboring states are tightening up there NR quotas, people that "Need to hunt elk" only really have one option when that happens. Starts with a "C" ends with an "O"