Agreed. Why have a 9 day ML season. First rifle is 5. Do the same with ML and start it on a Wednesday. It’ll disperse the ML guys and keep them out of the woods for half of the archery weekends.
My problem is the overlap; the ML's I've seen while out treat it more like a noisy hike. I just don't think that methods of take overlapping with varying methodologies of how to approach success is a good idea. If it would present that much problem for moose hunters, I'd rather see ML get the first week of September and leave archery for the last 3 weeks than ever see an orange vest in the woods again while I'm out.
They run antelope during moose already.
I actually laughed at that. I don't recall seeing Antelope in boggy moose country let alone in the timber in the mountains. Sage flats in the mountains yes.
The unit I hunt for first season elk, I see both out hunting together while I scout each year. Obviously more antelope hunters based on the tags. Their range overlaps quite a bit in Colorado. I guess it could be seen as funny
That sounds dangerous to split the archery season, like the state would end up trying to nail people for 1 or the other season and leave them A-list thus effectively shortening time a la 1st and 2nd archery. Success % would likely go way down. I'm unsure if that would result in a bullwhip effect of messing up management numbers and then they open up areas to more tags to mitigate it, and get a bad cycle of weirdness. I doubt they would split it and not find a way to do the opposite of the intent. It would be better to change when ML are there than overlap or split one season. I see no reason for ML to exist right smack dab in the middle of September. They would be just as well off in the first week of September.
I think your completely missing the point of having a deer and elk ML season running the same time as a Moose rifle compared to an antelope season at the same time as Moose. You will have more overlap from ML hunters where the Moose hunters are than you'd have with antelope hunters. I've never in my 30+ years of hunting in the mountains ran into an Antelope hunter in the timber asking me if I've seen any Antelope.
Why shouldn't the ML season run the last week of September? No overlap and no split seems good to me.
Probably would only happen if you were hunting moose or scouting 1st week of Oct. Caught me off guard as well, but you learn something new each time out, don’t think the antelope season overlaps with deer/elk. There is a limited amount of moose tags, over abundance of moose and ML is draw. Think it would be fine.
I think arguments could be made for either first or last week.
If you actually look there's a ton of overlapping seasons in September. With a Moose X license you get ML and Archery choices then Rifle. There's bear season and high country deer (some units) in September. There's an early season deer in the first week of October in some units that have Moose seasons too.
Unfortunately those experienced people aren't commissioners for the CPW. The CPW doesn't care if you or I have a crowded hunt or not. They stick with the seasons as they have been for a long time, it's up to us to find what works for us.
Spoken like a true ML hunter, has the best 9 days of the entire year, with a gun and still needs more time to get it done! If you’d turn off your atv when you’re bugling off of it, you might be able to hear the other ML hunter around the corner bugling out of his Jeep! Just kidding, just kidding!
