CO hunter numbers.

[Scooter90254]

I wonder when Colorado will make archery season a limited hunt. Just read the Statistics from last year and there was 50k+ archery hunters. Almost 10% increase.

Which is awesome. But how long can that last? Are other states seeing the growth Colorado is?

 

[txhunter581]

That statistic was debunked on Bowsite. It is more like 35,000 bowhunters.

 

[ahlgringo]

That statistic was debunked on Bowsite. It is more like 35,000 bowhunters.

Not on Bowsite, please explain. Seems like a lot to be off. Also seems pretty easy to figure out how many tags were sold


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[Scooter90254]

I would be interested to see how it could be off. That make a huge difference.

 

[cnelk]

48,000 bowhunters in Colorado - 52% Residents/48% Nonres

 

[ericF]

Not for at least another 6 years. They have finalized the next 5 year Big Game Season Structure and it didn't include limited draws.

 

[txhunter581]

It was a major player/spokesman in the Colorado Bowhunters association that discovered this error. I think it had to do with counting one group of people 2 times. I will research it and post the explanation when I have time

 

[txhunter581]

I was wrong, he projects closer to 41,525 bowhunters. Here is his explanation:



If you look at the May quota recommendations on the commission web site, they put the quota for either sex limited archery LIST A tags at 6525 in 2019. The link is from CPW on OTC participation, those are LIST A licenses(roughly 35,000 List A elk bowhunters). https://drive.google.com/open?id=18OtQ--h1pIN_WebdPZ_TfHwap_O9TXuc
There is list B licenses. I have asked CPW to give me a report that shows how many list B cow tags are used by bowhunters who also hold list A licenses. Basically, I asked them to give me a headcount breakdown. If the list B tags sold are primarily a second tag in the hand of the same bowhunter or not. I told them my working assumption is most list B archery cow licenses are sold to the same person. If they are not, and we are getting rifle hunters coming into archery season - those are the first tags should be the first to get cut when "crowding complaints" are the justification to limit list A archers. I am still waiting for them to give me that report, likely I will never get it. Not sure how they put out a 50,000 number. It is obviously a licenses sold number, but if we have 41525 List A OTC and limited licenses holders....I really do not think they are selling 8500 list B archery cow tag licenses. I do not trust their reporting systems or their IT systems.
The problem comes when you look at the list B unit maps in the brochure. Most are in the NW. The NW has really high calf/cow ratios, and indicates growing herds. They are challenged to get harvest, some of it compounded by private lands, and we just put more and more guys in the field assuming they will kill the elk the need killed.

 

[txhunter581]

So the real number of actual people in the field with a bow hunting elk is somewhere between 41-50,000. Probably closer to the lower end?

The contention is that someone was using the inflated numbers of "hunters" in the field to serve the purpose of cutting back on bowhunters? Just a theory, but may have some validity

 

[trophyhill]

It’s really pretty simple. Limit the tags and you limit the hunters which will increase the $$$ of a tag. And about 20,000 less of you will be hunting every year

 

[spike camp]

48,000 bowhunters in Colorado - 52% Residents/48% Nonres

Oh Wow...I had no Idea.
Yikes!

 

[BrokenArrow]

Not for at least another 6 years. They have finalized the next 5 year Big Game Season Structure and it didn't include limited draws.

The commission has shelved the discussion about limited draws until September when all the bow hunters are out in the field.
This is not over yet. Changes to the plan can definitely still be added or subtracted.

 

[txhunter581]

There is no way they are limiting all archery tags. They would lose too much money. They have just left an option to make some areas bull only where the population is low.

They have already done that with rifle tags in some areas.
In the area I hunt, they went from 800 E/S tags to 800 bull tags and 80 cow tags for 1st rifle

 

[Rich M]

They don't issue tags based on revenue.

If you get a bunch of whiners who expect the solitude and elk bugling without any hunter competition, then they will go to the 2-week archery seasons and limited draw.

 

[trophyhill]

There is no way they are limiting all archery tags. They would lose too much money. They have just left an option to make some areas bull only where the population is low.

They have already done that with rifle tags in some areas.
In the area I hunt, they went from 800 E/S tags to 800 bull tags and 80 cow tags for 1st rifle

Exactly! The parks dept would go bankrupt again......

 

[chasewild]

Not for at least another 6 years. They have finalized the next 5 year Big Game Season Structure and it didn't include limited draws.

THis issue is tabled until September. So, no, it's not OTC for the next six years yet.

 

[chasewild]

According to a Colorado Open Records Act (“CORA”) request filed by BHA members, 41.2% of the OTC Archery tags are going to nonresidents. CO issued 37,746 OTC bull/either sex tags in 2018 to nonresidents and 53,866 to residents. Colorado’s gross allocation of licenses to nonresidents is approximately 32% – the next closest state allocates 19%.

 

[txhunter581]

They don't issue tags based on revenue.

Hahahaha

And I have some ocean front property in AZ. Interested?

 

[Grasshopper]

Cody - Sounds like your CORA request was not very specific, and does not drill into where the true issue is or where it should be resolved. Your numbers suggest 90,000 archery licenses sold, that is wrong.

The best numbers are attached. Limited licenses are 65/35 based on first choice demand for any method of take. That is a no brainer calculation for the most part.

OTC list A for archery is 52/48. No doubt about it.

B tags don't really matter in any allocation discussion, there is little to no NR demand, and they are only used when overpopulation allows for additional take. Not sure why any allocation policy would ever be implemented for B tags given the objective.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=18OtQ--h1pIN_WebdPZ_TfHwap_O9TXuc

 

[txhunter581]

According to a Colorado Open Records Act (“CORA”) request filed by BHA members, 41.2% of the OTC Archery tags are going to nonresidents. CO issued 37,746 OTC bull/either sex tags in 2018 to nonresidents and 53,866 to residents. Colorado’s gross allocation of licenses to nonresidents is approximately 32% – the next closest state allocates 19%.

Double edge sword there. Residents are totally Ok with NRs high tag costs where NRs produce 70% of license revenue. But that means that if CO reduces NR numbers, they cut their own throat financially. As they say, Be careful what you ask for....