CO Elk Structure, 2025+

[trophyhill]

No matter what option "we" suggest, the CPW will still do what makes their wallet fat.

It's really a double edged sword, hunters want a better, less crowded hunt and CPW wants the cash flow, who will win in the end? Hunters will whine if the status quo stays the same and Hunter's will whine if their opportunities to hunt go away.

From what I've seen across the spectrum of public comment regarding game depts and politics in general, by the time public comment is requested, said game depts already have their agenda in place regardless. The comments are only a formality so the various depts can say they followed the rules. Whatever the outcome ends up being is already a foregone conclusion......

 

[Westensee]

I have a few thoughts, with the first one being that CPW doesn't likely have enough concrete data to really get this right with any scenario. If the budget does end up decreasing, then like other businesses so should their expenses. CO does not require that a harvest be registered or the area a hunter is in be noted, unless it is a draw hunt. The survey they send or call at the end of the season is optional. Information given is assumed to be correct, but what stops someone from making it all up. Hard to have an idea of how many hunters are in a given unit and what the tag allocation could or should look like without that knowledge. Nothing will ever be fool proof, but this leaves a lot of gaps.

Regarding my choice, I would go with option 5. Biggest reason is that I want to hunt my own state each year and not have to worry about that. I also want that for my kids as they are getting to that age. If you are a NR hunter, I think it would be safe to assume you hunt your own state and appreciate the opportunity to do so. Elk aren't everywhere, and I get that, but a state should be taking care of their own first and foremost.

Another thing that I think could help, at least for the archery season; keep the OTC for residents as is, but require a NR to choose either the first or second half of the month and have each season capped. Similar to NM with 2 separate seasons in September.

With CO being the last western state to really look into changes to their systems and seasons they should be able to take pieces from all the other states that seem to be working and implement them to hopefully make it the best combination of opportunity and quality hunting.

 

[Teaman1]

Surprised how many people are for the A5/R5 and A6/R6 option. As a Colorado NR I totally agree. Should be a draw for each “otc” unit though.
Idaho should do the same with their otc tags

 

[tdhanses]

Don't recall anywhere that said it was all about me, that's why I said I prefer people get to hunt every year. Residents or Non residents it makes no difference to me, just hunt, build points or both I'm not one for pushing what I think is the only way.

I spend 3 1/2 months guiding non residents in 2 states and helping them to fulfill their dreams of an Elk hunt, but yeah it's all about me.

If it changed to where you had to decide to build points or hunt every resident would still have the option to hunt but they may decide building points is more important but they still have the option. NR potentially will not have the option to hunt every year and that’s ok, we can still come out and be in the woods scouting on years we don’t draw.

You don’t have to have a tag to be in the woods exploring.

 

[Holycross07]

As a resident, I think that A6/R6 are the way to go. Every OTC unit in CO is crowded. Yes you can “get away” from the crowds to an extent, but the pressure that is put on the animals during hunting seasons is probably too much (I’m not a wildlife biologist, just a guy who has spent some time in the woods). The pressure from general human recreation in growing a lot as well. Parks and Wildlife needs to adapt its wildlife management philosophy to the fact that the human population in CO is affecting wildlife and there is no stopping the development/influx of people, so…

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

I just want to ask you guys, what’s your priority when it comes to elk? Is it proper herd management? Quality and quantity of game? Or doesn’t have nothing to do with herd management but just long as you can get a tag?

Seems to me that the only thing every one here cares about is me, me, me and my tag. Just like a lot say CPW is just out for money, hunters are all about their tag. There’s nothing about how will this affect the herds, what will make better quality hunting. You guys need to make this an educated decision and look at it not only for the tag in ur pocket but for the elk herds to. Everyone says 10 yrs ago it was so much better, 20, 30, 40 yrs ago elk/deer were every where now I can’t find them. So to me what option is going to bring back herds? We know the northwest part of the state should probably be shut down for 10 yrs to recoup, but alls that does is pushes everyone south, those herds get over hunted and diminished or pushed out to. Maybe elk hunting should be shut down completely in the state for 5 yrs until someone figures out what is causing the herds to decline even with low success rates…. Oh wait could it be the huge loss of winter habitat? Could it be winter recreation pushing the elk around?

Trust me as a resident I want to be able to hunt every year, and yes I draw a cow tag in my unit and pick up an OTC bull tag every single year. My best friend comes out every year from Indiana for a cow, and we hunt together. He wants to hunt every year but we’ve also discussed pressure and herd quality. He’d rather come out every other year and kill than every single year but go 50%.

Sorry guys done ranting but I wanted to throw out the herd management aspect vs money or me me me,


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[Overdrive]

From what I've seen across the spectrum of public comment regarding game depts and politics in general, by the time public comment is requested, said game depts already have their agenda in place regardless. The comments are only a formality so the various depts can say they followed the rules. Whatever the outcome ends up being is already a foregone conclusion......

100% agree

 

[COHunter33]

As a resident I agree with A6/R6. The OTC strategy is arguably not wildlife management at all when they don’t conduct mandatory post hunt surveys. They have no idea how many people are hunting a given unit and have no idea how many elk are being killed. Would prefer CPW to do what they are paid to do, which is to manage our wildlife.

 

[camelcluch]

Maybe I’m off a bit but 3 seems to be like a very good option IF (notice it’s big) they don’t just place ridiculously high tag numbers. Make sure the herd is healthy and there are opportunities to hunt.

 

[MuleyFever]

.

I just want to ask you guys, what’s your priority when it comes to elk? Is it proper herd management? Quality and quantity of game? Or doesn’t have nothing to do with herd management but just long as you can get a tag?

Seems to me that the only thing every one here cares about is me, me, me and my tag. Just like a lot say CPW is just out for money, hunters are all about their tag. There’s nothing about how will this affect the herds, what will make better quality hunting.

You must not be reading because the majority posting here are for going to a draw for all units. That would allow the CPW to manage the tags and elk and reduce pressure. Then your issue is the CPW is all about the dollar so will they actually manage the tag numbers for less pressure and better herd health or for a money grab?

 

[ReaptheHeat]

A6 and R6 is obviously the best choice!!

Best way to decrease point creep is to use points. No point creep for deer and antelope as the masses can’t hunt and gain a point.

Also it’s only fair for residents to retain a minimum of 80% of the returned and reissue tags. Same for all lo tags…

I would love if the leftover list tags gave CO residents at least the first few hours at first pick.

With how the system works, a CO resident can put in for a tag on 1st and 2nd draw and it still ends up on leftover. I would like to hunt my own state without a leftover tag swiped out from under me by thousands of other people at 9:00 am and 1 seconds.

 

[KsRancher]

I would love if the leftover list tags gave CO residents at least the first few hours at first pick.

With how the system works, a CO resident can put in for a tag on 1st and 2nd draw and it still ends up on leftover. I would like to hunt my own state without a leftover tag swiped out from under me by thousands of other people at 9:00 am and 1 seconds.

That sucks as a resident and nonresident. My brother had a 50/50 chance to draw an elk tag this year. He didn't get it. Then several showed up on the list for the secondary draw. My son as a youth put in for it and got one.

 

[5MilesBack]

Personally, I've gone without an elk tag 3 out of the last 4 years......because I've been hunting with buddies or my daughter that have tags in good units. If I have to burn points for any tag, then I'll build points until I draw the units I want. I'm not wasting any of my points on tags that aren't worth using points on.

This won't eliminate or even reduce point creep, especially for those OIL tags. Unit 201 has 7 archery elk tags every year. With only 7 tags available, most top point holders will still hold out versus wasting their points elsewhere........unless they're really far away from drawing it. And that mentality will go right down the line with every unit from the top down. It will take lifetimes to clear out all the point holders for even the top 5 units.

 

[trophyhill]

I just want to ask you guys, what’s your priority when it comes to elk? Is it proper herd management? Quality and quantity of game? Or doesn’t have nothing to do with herd management but just long as you can get a tag?

Seems to me that the only thing every one here cares about is me, me, me and my tag. Just like a lot say CPW is just out for money, hunters are all about their tag. There’s nothing about how will this affect the herds, what will make better quality hunting. You guys need to make this an educated decision and look at it not only for the tag in ur pocket but for the elk herds to. Everyone says 10 yrs ago it was so much better, 20, 30, 40 yrs ago elk/deer were every where now I can’t find them. So to me what option is going to bring back herds? We know the northwest part of the state should probably be shut down for 10 yrs to recoup, but alls that does is pushes everyone south, those herds get over hunted and diminished or pushed out to. Maybe elk hunting should be shut down completely in the state for 5 yrs until someone figures out what is causing the herds to decline even with low success rates…. Oh wait could it be the huge loss of winter habitat? Could it be winter recreation pushing the elk around?

Trust me as a resident I want to be able to hunt every year, and yes I draw a cow tag in my unit and pick up an OTC bull tag every single year. My best friend comes out every year from Indiana for a cow, and we hunt together. He wants to hunt every year but we’ve also discussed pressure and herd quality. He’d rather come out every other year and kill than every single year but go 50%.

Sorry guys done ranting but I wanted to throw out the herd management aspect vs money or me me me,


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I’ve seen what being “managed for oppportunity” means for deer in NM. And our system is a draw. It means way too many tags during muzzy and rifle and by the time bow season rolls around the deer are still running for their lives as soon as they see their own shadow. I’ve been out there for rifle, muzzy and archery seasons whether hunting myself or support for my buddies. Managing for opportunity is no better than a CO otc unit. You are hard pressed to find game, but expect to see a grid of hunters everywhere you go……and when there is an opportunity it’s typically for a forky or some raggy little 3x3 with very little opportunity for a true shooter buck

 

[tdhanses]

I’ve seen what being “managed for oppportunity” means for deer in NM. And our system is a draw. It means way too many tags during muzzy and rifle and by the time bow season rolls around the deer are still running for their lives as soon as they see their own shadow. I’ve been out there for rifle, muzzy and archery seasons whether hunting myself or support for my buddies. Managing for opportunity is no better than a CO otc unit. You are hard pressed to find game, but expect to see a grid of hunters everywhere you go……and when there is an opportunity it’s typically for a forky or some raggy little 3x3 with very little opportunity for a true shooter buck

Once CO went to 100% draw for deer the quality across the state vastly improved in my view, you have an op at some older bucks in 0-1pt units. Hopefully the same would happen with elk but they’ll have to limit the number of tags to a point where people can hunt every other year and not every year to do this probably.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

I’ve seen what being “managed for oppportunity” means for deer in NM. And our system is a draw. It means way too many tags during muzzy and rifle and by the time bow season rolls around the deer are still running for their lives as soon as they see their own shadow. I’ve been out there for rifle, muzzy and archery seasons whether hunting myself or support for my buddies. Managing for opportunity is no better than a CO otc unit. You are hard pressed to find game, but expect to see a grid of hunters everywhere you go……and when there is an opportunity it’s typically for a forky or some raggy little 3x3 with very little opportunity for a true shooter buck

I agree, I think you may have partially misunderstood how I was putting it. I’m more of a less tags more animals type of guy, pressure to me is needed in areas but also to much. My unit this year we seen 8 hunters in 7 days, unfortunately none of those hunters went anywhere but the super easy areas, this in turn had elk sitting in the nastiest spots they could be. We seen several people blasting away from over 1000 yards as we were trying to make a long move on the elk then never even had the balls to walk in and check for hits on the elk. That pissed me off. But also OTC unit with way to many draw cow tags available and herd numbers not growing. The next day those elk were on private land and not leaving.

Resident tag prices need raised, non residents have had enough raises over the past 10 years. I’m all for a fully draw only season, cut archery down to 3 weeks, give muzzy their own week, cut 4th rifle out and make 1st, 2nd and 3rd rifle 7 day seasons. Or make 4th a deer only season with very limited tags and point restrictions on all bucks through all the seasons.


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[BigAntlerGetter]

Once CO went to 100% draw for deer the quality across the state vastly improved in my view, you have an op at some older bucks in 0-1pt units. Hopefully the same would happen with elk but they’ll have to limit the number of tags to a point where people can hunt every other year and not every year to do this probably.

Put an antler point restriction on deer!!!


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[tdhanses]

Put an antler point restriction on deer!!!


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I agree, I do see many forkies killed each year but they are a good eating deer and the does are what matter for herd health. But even with a bunch of younger deer killed many make it to maturity still, at least where I hunt.

I almost wonder if there was an antler restriction if fewer would make it to have decent racks once legal since so many shoot the first thing they see.

 

[camelcluch]

The deer draw worked until they made it as close to OTC numbers you can get. I have seen what they did in my area and the older age class is gone. Numbers are way down and everyone gets a tag. Archery, muzzy, rifle it doesn’t matter. Everyone gets a tag.

 

[tdhanses]

The deer draw worked until they made it as close to OTC numbers you can get. I have seen what they did in my area and the older age class is gone. Numbers are way down and everyone gets a tag. Archery, muzzy, rifle it doesn’t matter. Everyone gets a tag.

They probably need to reevaluate each unit, maybe they will for 2025.