Colorado Elk Supply Demand

[Mcribs]

What do you guys think, as non-residents, you would pay to hunt elk in CO? Not talking OTC, but some easy to draw units. Would you pay more to have a better elk hunting experience?

Secondarily, does anybody have the breakdown of what it actually costs to come from east coast to hunt CO? My thought is the tag is the cheap part, after factoring for gear, gas, travel, vacation time, etc.

What has had me thinking, is that part of the discussion with CPW married to OTC is a funding issue. Less tags sold equals less money. What I don’t often see brought up is the price of a tag. If a tag price is doubled for example, you can sell half as many, and in the process address crowding issue in CO OTC. The difference between hunting otc and other states can often be night and day.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

All of this is going to change with the wolves taking over CO elk herds. What I mean by that is non residents demand to come hunt I see dwindling in the next 5-10 years as these predators knock elk populations down. Just my guess.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Don’t worry in the next 5 years OTC will be completely gone. As wolves start cutting down herd sizes crowding issues will go away as well.

Tag prices are discussed every single year and go up every single year for non residents, it’s expensive to come out already for non residents, non residents foot the bill for all wildlife in CO. I know some would pay double for a OTC tag some wouldn’t. If CPW Made all tags draw for every unit resident and non residents and managed the amount of hunters to match herds they could raise all prices, help control overcrowding issues and manage herds. With most units having low success rates better quality and quantity of hunts would justify higher prices for tags. But soon people aren’t going to want to pay the prices for the limited number of elk or deer.


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[Mcribs]

Good point on the wolves.

However, people are dropping massive money for the CO OTC experience currently, which sucks. No wolves, yet. Still very low success rates, tons of other hunters.

I’m thinking most hunters (maybe not the ones on this site) come out for the experience of being in the mountains. With success being close to zero for dudes that are new, it’s not about killing elk. The tag is a fraction of the overall cost of gun that shoot over 100 yds, gas, trailer, gear, and time off. Wonder what that number is.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Good point on the wolves.

However, people are dropping massive money for the CO OTC experience currently, which sucks. No wolves, yet. Still very low success rates, tons of other hunters.

I’m thinking most hunters (maybe not the ones on this site) come out for the experience of being in the mountains. With success being close to zero for dudes that are new, it’s not about killing elk. The tag is a fraction of the overall cost of gun that shoot over 100 yds, gas, trailer, gear, and time off. Wonder what that number is.

Well let’s add it up

Efficient gun with scope $1200 on average, I mean you can get by I bought a old 338 with a vortex scope for $1000 could shoot 450 yards easily.
Gear- for clothing you could be $500-3000 depending if what route you’re gonna go, if ur planning every year I’d go the higher quality. Now camp gear, 3 options and will depend on ur hunting style, lightweight back pack gear, truck camping wall tent or camper gear or hire a drop camp outfitter. All have pros and cons, back pack gear could be $1500 for quality lightweight, campers well you can guess what those cost and wall tents on average are minimum $2000, drop camp outfitters are $1800-2500. Outfitters can save you a trailer coming out with camp gear, but you pay every year and I’m sure it’s not going to be $1800 in fuel but takes off some gear off ur list and storage of that gear year round so could save money. Backpack gear is Easy to store but you are doing everything off your back, truck camping is either ur camper or setting ups and taking down camp, hauling it, storing it, etc. so on average I guess they all 3 are eventually going to add costs regardless.

Time off work is dependent on the job some use vacation some just take off so could be getting paid could be losing money. When it comes down to that I guess it’s time hunting, vs driving, setting camp etc which could benefit with an outfitter as you show up pack in hunt and pack out and go home. I’ve seen camps take hours to set up for guys with real elaborate setups, others setup in and hour and go, but you also got to find the spot to camp.

Once you purchase the hunting gear, that’s no longer a yearly expense minus upgrading if needed, same with the camp gear or camper, unless you have to pay for storage. Fuel is yearly and includes there and back, plus all the camp fuel for generators, propane, etc. food is obviously yearly and can be easy as dehydrated meals or elaborate home cooked meals depending on how much time you want to spend on cooking unless you have a buddy that just wants to be the camp jack.


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[Phaseolus]

Good point on the wolves.

However, people are dropping massive money for the CO OTC experience currently, which sucks. No wolves, yet. Still very low success rates, tons of other hunters.

I’m thinking most hunters (maybe not the ones on this site) come out for the experience of being in the mountains. With success being close to zero for dudes that are new, it’s not about killing elk. The tag is a fraction of the overall cost of gun that shoot over 100 yds, gas, trailer, gear, and time off. Wonder what that number is.

Colorado is still the cheapest otc elk hunt for non residents

 

[Jbehredt]

The thought of hunting OTC again makes me sad and it only costs me 60 some odd dollars and a quarter tank of gas. It’s bad. Only going to get worse. The influencer boom has to taper off and they’ll be hard pressed to justify higher tag prices once most guys have had a taste of reality vs the gram.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Would you pay more to have a better elk hunting experience?

I would but it's not necessary, the elk experience is great just the way it is.

If a tag price is doubled for example, you can sell half as many, and in the process address crowding issue in CO OTC

Sure that would address the funding for CPW but 1/2 people would also mean less money for gas stations, motels, grocery stores and ect.....

However, people are dropping massive money for the CO OTC experience currently, which sucks.

speak for yourself, I think it's very very affordable for what you're getting, and I don't think the experience sucks. We go almost single year (unless tags in other states are conflicting) and our success rate is very high on some pretty damn good bulls

The tag is a fraction of the overall cost of gun that shoot over 100 yds, gas, trailer, gear, and time off. Wonder what that number is.

Not true, in my opinion the tag is the largest cost. I'd guess a large percentage of people already have the gun & gear. Why you need a trailer to elk hunt? I'd also guess most people are using PTO.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

The thought of hunting OTC again makes me sad and it only costs me 60 some odd dollars and a quarter tank of gas. It’s bad. Only going to get worse. The influencer boom has to taper off and they’ll be hard pressed to justify higher tag prices once most guys have had a taste of reality vs the gram.

The thought of hunting CO OTC makes me happy and it only cost $817ish and a couple hundred in fuel$. Its awesome. Over the last handful of years, we are only 8/11 on bulls.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Why you need a trailer to elk hunt?

Because it's to cold to drink whiskey outside. Many people use ''hunting'' as an excuse to get away from their wives for two weeks a year and then just sit around drinking.

 

[Mcribs]

I would but it's not necessary, the elk experience is great just the way it is.

Sure that would address the funding for CPW but 1/2 people would also mean less money for gas stations, motels, grocery stores and ect.....

speak for yourself, I think it's very very affordable for what you're getting, and I don't think the experience sucks. We go almost single year (unless tags in other states are conflicting) and our success rate is very high on some pretty damn good bulls

Not true, in my opinion the tag is the largest cost. I'd guess a large percentage of people already have the gun & gear. Why you need a trailer to elk hunt? I'd also guess most people are using PTO.

My observation is that lots of hunters bring a lot of toys to the trail heads. I don’t but dudes do. The threads here indicate that dudes spend 1000s for their hunt gear.

If you are regularly successful in OTC, means the majority are not killing anything. 10% probably kill 90%, which means 90% don’t kill anything for 10 years.

Back to what I was playing around with: what would you pay extra to hunt a draw unit in CO vs OTC. My gut is that there is a number there for lots of hunters.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

My observation is that lots of hunters bring a lot of toys to the trail heads. I don’t but dudes do. The threads here indicate that dudes spend 1000s for their hunt gear.

If you are regularly successful in OTC, means the majority are not killing anything. 10% probably kill 90%, which means 90% don’t kill anything for 10 years.

Back to what I was playing around with: what would you pay extra to hunt a draw unit in CO vs OTC. My gut is that there is a number there for lots of hunters.

Are you hinting at something like what Wyoming does with their special draws?

 

[tdhanses]

My observation is that lots of hunters bring a lot of toys to the trail heads. I don’t but dudes do. The threads here indicate that dudes spend 1000s for their hunt gear.

If you are regularly successful in OTC, means the majority are not killing anything. 10% probably kill 90%, which means 90% don’t kill anything for 10 years.

Back to what I was playing around with: what would you pay extra to hunt a draw unit in CO vs OTC. My gut is that there is a number there for lots of hunters.

There is always a number

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

Guess I'm in the minority that thinks a $800 tag plus $100 liscense is not chump change.

 

[Mcribs]

Are you hinting at something like what Wyoming does with their special draws?

For sure. Guys pay 2k plus for avg landowner tags (CO and NM) and special draws (WY). Would you guys pay that for less crowded units is CO?

Maybe the online response will be closer to “hell no, too expensive!” Wonder where reality would actuality end up.

* I know some of us can hunt on the cheap and are successful. I’d argue that most of us, spend a but load of money on western hunting experiences.

 

[LFC911]

Would i pay more? Yes if the quality is there. I paid $2k for a general elk tag in WY last year, which i would have gotten on the regular (less than half price) w/4.5 pps. I'm still glad I got the tag and very little regrets for spending more than I needed to. As the OP states, "tag is the cheap part" compared to the other investments into this hobby. My fear is NW CO is going to end up being like NW ID and relatively barren of elk in the next 5-10 years. I won't pay $800 to hunt NW ID let alone double that.

 

[db3445]

If you want to do DIY then you should probably budget $2,500

Qualifying License + Tax = ~$100
Elk License + Tax = ~$900
Fuel (Obviously this varies) = ~$500-$750 from east coast?
Food and other gear = $750

This assumes you have made all of your one time purchases like a pack, tent, sleeping bag, etc

 

[PathFinder]

If we're looking for a real upside to a massive increase on tag prices, hopefully it will make it so that all of the unemployed morons making YouTube videos out of everything won't be able to afford to hunt Maybe then they'll get it.

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[LFC911]

If we're looking for a real upside to a massive increase on tag prices, hopefully it will make it so that all of the unemployed morons making YouTube videos out of everything won't be able to afford to hunt Maybe then they'll get it.

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[Shot7wads]

There is always a number

$803.00 for non res elk, draw or OTC. If you draw a tag (unlikely without preference points) you get some of your money back. You can buy a preference point too. Just hunt OTC and leave the draw for residents. Limited has been over pressured for years anyways. Come out, scout for a bit, buy an OTC fill your fridge and go home. CPW has already started limiting OTC archery to residents only, rifles next so get em while you can.