CO Archery Limited, 3rd Wk Pressure?

[swNEhunter]

This is my first time hunting a limited season in Colorado. There's 170 archery tags in my unit. What would you say the breakout of those hunters looks like by week during the 4 week season? Do you think there's only half of the hunters still hunting the last two weeks of the season? Or do you think 80% of the hunters will wait until the last two weeks to hunt?

We are going out the 3rd week after MZ season ends, and I'm just curious as to how many hunters we can expect to run into.

 

[Hnthrdr]

It’s a crap shoot man, I’ve hunted almost the entire season the last 3 years, been in a drainage opening weekend that looked like a broncos parking lot on Sunday, then 3 weeks later it was ghost town, also had the reverse. Open weekend I thought my honey hole was safe, last week there was a small army from Illinois mixing it up in the same spot. Post muzzy depending on where you are it might be quite for a few days if it got real shook up that week but it depends on the year, the weather, and how many dudes are out there popping off with smoke poles and bugling their brains out. “I’m hunting with the smoke pole this year in a limited unit” I really hope the archers stay home that week, but you never know

 

[Jethro]

No way to tell you how many of those tag holders will be hunting the same days as you. I can say unless the unit only has a small % of hunt worthy public land, I would not expect people to be a problem. Not saying you'll be alone but should be manageable pressure. Last time I hunted a LQ unit in CO it was a 2 pt unit and didn't see another hunter in the woods. Hunted the 10 days after muzzy ended.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

Deer hunters, bear hunters, cow hunters, hikers, bikers, tree huggers, tree gazers.

Just because it's a draw unit doesn't mean there won't be pressure

 

[GunsAreFun]

I’ve seen both ways. First time the unit seemed to clear out with the muzzle loader hunters. Last year, we hunted the same time frame and seemed to see more new camps every day. Weather was nice both times.

While I haven’t tried it yet, I suspect the last 7 days may be the least crowded, but there are trade offs to waiting that long even if my theory is correct.

 

[Jbehredt]

Opening week= Zoo + Campers
2nd week = Zoo + Muzzleloaders
3rd week = Zoo with everybody who wanted to wait until after muzzleloader
Last week = Fewer people, hammered elk.

It’s CO.

 

[Dos Perros]

Last year I hunted a unit with ~90 tags and I thought there were plenty of folks the first week and I thought still plenty of folks the last week, maybe even more. I do think I had the place to myself on the last day, everyone had picked up and gone home.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Last year I hunted a unit with ~90 tags and I thought there were plenty of folks the first week and I thought still plenty of folks the last week, maybe even more. I do think I had the place to myself on the last day, everyone had picked up and gone home.

New strategy: just hunt the last day?!

 

[Keith Stone]

In that unit in particular I’d guess there will be a spot that will have pressure bout the whole season. Lots of public though so should be able to get away from folks. Good luck might see ya on the mountain out there

 

[camelcluch]

If you mean pressure like Dr Shaq doing your prostate exam, then yes there will be pressure. Good Luck!!

 

[swNEhunter]

I totally realize "pressure" may not have been the right word here. 170 tags is nothing compared to OTC.

Just trying to prepare some backup plans if some of the hunters are hunting my plan A.

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Hnthrdr]

I totally realize "pressure" may not have been the right word here. 170 tags is nothing compared to OTC.

Just trying to prepare some backup plans if some of the hunters are hunting my plan A.

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

Just have those plans ready man, pressure or not. You might show up to an empty trail head and hike in only to find out there haven’t been elk in there for a week, be like water go with the flow

 

[IrkedCitizen]

Your Plan A/B/C/Z could all have someone eating lunch in it

 

[cnelk]

Look on the bright side, you only have to worry about 169 other people.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Look on the bright side, you only have to worry about 169 other people.

And the leaf lookers, bear hunters, rifle deer hunters, archery deer hunters, and hikers.

 

[JK_CO]

As others have said, it is CO. On the other hand, new moon is over the 15th so I'd sort of expect potentially more action (hunters and elk) over the 2nd and 3rd weeks than the last week. First week will always be crazy since it is a holiday weekend. By the last week, the light isn't in your favor but other hunters will have packed up. Some of us don't have a lot of flexibility and will get in whatever we can but for those with a plan/flexibility I'd say you'll see some pressure at that point of the season since it should be optimal weather and light.

 

[sodaksooner]

It really is a crap shoot. Our unit had 100 tags. I hunted during muzzy season and the week after and saw two muzzy hunters, no other archery hunters that week and none the week after that. Crazy thing is we got into elk down low and it was an easy area to hunt. I figured the pressure would be really high and it just wasn't. I saw more hikers than hunters. We hunted another unit a few years ago, right next to this one and during the same post muzzy week. It was like a circus. I kid you not, one trailhead had 20 trucks parked at it and it was limited draw as well.

 

[Arbutusbucks]

I've never hunted CO but have a limited muzz tag, my cousin has the same unit but his tag is limited archery. We kind of had no choice but to pick the Muzz week.. We'll see how it goes. Low tag numbers but very small unit. I am preparing my mind for a circus level campers and hunters, if I get there and we find a spot away from pressure that'd be great, but not counting on it.

 

[dtrkyman]

There will still be elk there, they will adjust their habits so you should to.