CO Rifle Bear - Smart Move?

GoChiefs

FNG
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Aug 3, 2018
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Yo - I have an OTC archery elk license and rifle bear tag in the same unit. Hunting the first week hard for a elk, bear tag opens the following week. The unit is pretty popular for archery and I've seen tons of elk sign while scouting. I hope to put an elk down within the first week, then pickup the rifle and blaze orange for bear.

I'm new to bear hunting - is it a dick move to rifle hunt bear in a popular elk archery unit? I spooked a monster boar a few weeks ago and hope to take him with the .308

Just curious how people will treat me if they bump into me in the woods with blaze orange and a rifle. If I were looking for archery elk and bumped a rifle bear hunter I personally wouldn't mind. What's mine is his in terms of public hunting land. I just don't know if everyone shares this outlook or what the etiquette is. Has anyone had experience with this?
 
The dick move would not be on your part, it would be on Colorado PWD for all the overlapping seasons. Archery elk, muzzleloader elk and rifle bear are all at the same time, how can anyone be mad at you for hunting your tag?
 
Yo - I have an OTC archery elk license and rifle bear tag in the same unit. Hunting the first week hard for a elk, bear tag opens the following week. The unit is pretty popular for archery and I've seen tons of elk sign while scouting. I hope to put an elk down within the first week, then pickup the rifle and blaze orange for bear.

I'm new to bear hunting - is it a dick move to rifle hunt bear in a popular elk archery unit? I spooked a monster boar a few weeks ago and hope to take him with the .308

Just curious how people will treat me if they bump into me in the woods with blaze orange and a rifle. If I were looking for archery elk and bumped a rifle bear hunter I personally wouldn't mind. What's mine is his in terms of public hunting land. I just don't know if everyone shares this outlook or what the etiquette is. Has anyone had experience with this?

Go for it. I don't think anyone would be any more annoyed than running into another archery hunter. In fact, the blaze orange may help them see and avoid you.
 
I don’t think anybody would be sad to see someone remove a calf elk terminator from the woods. Good luck!


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If you are polite enough, you might even be able to let those you bump into know how to find you or get a hold of you in case they kill something and you want to sit on the carcass.
 
Glad I read this, had no idea they overlapped the seasons like that and it'll be my first time out there so I would have been a little confused as to why the orange and rifle. I run into guys hunting rabbits with dogs all the time while I am bowhunting deer. You're not gonna be causing that kind of ruckus so I don't see any harm. Rather run into a bear hunter than a random hiker, and be glad to tell you about any bears I've seen !
 
Thanks for the replies. Heading out to the woods tomorrow. May be best mammal win!
 
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