colorado cow moose

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

WKR
Rokslide Sponsor
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Messages
4,763
Location
Thornton, CO
Are CO moose anywhere close to carrying capacity? I wouldn’t expect so but I’m no expert. Before this wolf aspect in the mix I sorta wondered why do we even have cow hunts vs just letting the population grow?
 

30338

WKR
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
1,988
Actually a lot of moose get killed on I-70 around Eisenhower. So perhaps selectively increasing cow tags in areas with high moose/car collisions makes sense. Otherwise I am 100% with you. I guess the wolves will handle things in short order though.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

WKR
Rokslide Sponsor
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Messages
4,763
Location
Thornton, CO
Actually a lot of moose get killed on I-70 around Eisenhower. So perhaps selectively increasing cow tags in areas with high moose/car collisions makes sense. Otherwise I am 100% with you. I guess the wolves will handle things in short order though.
Wasn't aware of that, hitting a moose is a bad day...!
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Messages
2,691
Location
Florida
These prices are getting outrageous, 2700 for a cow tag. At what point do you save and go on a British Columbia or Alaska bull hunt.
I’m not sure when the last time you checked those hunt prices but $2700 would likely just cover your travel there and back with gear/meat/hotels. Add another 10-20k for the hunt itself.
 

Woitey

FNG
Joined
May 19, 2021
Messages
78
I drew with 3X1. Went guided in the middle of the drought outside of Paonia. Saw one at 1100 yards. And that was as close as I was able to get as she was on top of the mountain, and I wasn't. If you are as old as I am, you're going to need someone to help get the animal out, they make an elk look small.
 

Maverick1

WKR
Joined
Jun 1, 2013
Messages
1,867
Should not need a guide for hunting moose in CO. Unless it is for meat packing or camp accommodations. CO DOW makes it pretty easy to pinpoint exactly where to kill moose.
 
Joined
Mar 20, 2024
Messages
12
I’m not sure when the last time you checked those hunt prices but $2700 would likely just cover your travel there and back with gear/meat/hotels. Add another 10-20k for the hunt itself.
Yeah I understand, I personally think I'd rather save and go for a chance at a nice Alaskan bull moose then pay for multiple preference points/license and tag for a draw cow hunt. To each their own. Sure you can pay 20,000 for a hunt if you like, but there are certainly diy options well under 10,000 too
 

HiMtnHntr

WKR
Joined
May 13, 2016
Messages
629
Location
Wyoming
For some reason I was thinking 3 + 3, but now that I think on it, anyone with 3 + 1 is eligible. Yeah, I think that’s how it works….
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2017
Messages
1,933
Location
Oklahoma
What explains is 3+3 or 3+1?
You mean 6 point or 4 ?
Just a couple years ago it was a point or two for non resident.
 

bobco

FNG
Joined
Jul 19, 2023
Messages
26
Buddies wife hit a moose outside crested butte… some folks showed up and cried about the dead moose… basically sums up Co these days
I would have been Quartering it!!! that would have been a big hit
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
1,043
Location
Colorado
Hardest part on a cow is finding one without a calf. Sadly, that won’t be an issue in 10 years.

Looking at how fast the wolves have traveled in just 4 months, I too thought it would be 5-10 years before their impact would be felt in areas I’m familiar with.

Well, they’ve already been through one area I hunt, and only the snow pack on the divide stopped them from another.

The wolves will have a huge impact on moose populations, and in my opinion it’ll take much fewer years than 10
 
Joined
May 8, 2018
Messages
12
Location
Ft Collins, Colorado
I'm not sure I totally understand the draw in Colorado on moose. The odds show that you could draw a cow moose tag with 3-5 points in a lot of units as a non resident. Seems I must be interpreting them wrong or does the high price of the tag keep people away?
It's absolutely possible to draw a cow moose tag with 3-5pts in CO. I drew as a resident three years ago (16pts for a bull) and two non-residents I ran into both drew with less than five points, one of which was a cow and the other a bull. As a resident you are screwed for years but the coins from out-of-state put you quickly to the front of the line.
 

Beendare

WKR
Joined
May 6, 2014
Messages
9,080
Location
Corripe cervisiam
Yeah I understand, I personally think I'd rather save and go for a chance at a nice Alaskan bull moose then pay for multiple preference points/license and tag for a draw cow hunt. To each their own. Sure you can pay 20,000 for a hunt if you like, but there are certainly diy options well under 10,000 too
I'm guessing you haven't been moose hunting in AK.....

yeah, you can find DIY hunts under $10k....the question is do you want that?
Essentially you get dropped off with your own gear in a spot. What you may not realize, it can be difficult to get around in some of those areas. Most require a raft or boat. Some are swamp- moose love that swampy ground. Then the cut rate guys I've gone with are nowhere to be found when you need them- one guy tried to put me on a broken plane with an unlicensed pilot that owed him some money.

My fault, I should have done more research.

Just saying, be careful
 

Brimel

FNG
Joined
May 8, 2024
Messages
27
The high price of the tag, combined with the challenging hunt and limited access to prime habitat, likely deters many hunters, despite favorable odds.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
16,191
Location
Colorado Springs
The high price of the tag, combined with the challenging hunt and limited access to prime habitat, likely deters many hunters, despite favorable odds.
This hunt is generally about as easy as it gets, with more prime habitat access than anyone could hunt in a season.
 
Top