Colorado Elk Supply Demand

[Netherman]

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.

I think you're asking the wrong crowd. Rokslide seems to have a heavy lean towards DIY, public land, and the ideology that people shouldn't be priced out of hunting.

Personally, I would not pay 2k for a less crowded unit. We already pay for less crowded units when using points and my strategy has been to build points in a few states so I can hunt draw units only. I try and do two out of state hunts a year and keep the total cost under 5k for points, tags, travel, and new gear.

600-800 in fuel
/2 with double occupancy
300-400 fuel
500 food/travel incidentals
400-1200 tag
total on average 1600 each trip
x2 3200 for two trips
+500 in points (gonna get worse when the kids get older)
3700
1300 left for gear/expensive tag years

If/when tags go up hopefully I'll be having more as well, but if its not in the budget I'll be cutting bottom up. Less gear, less points, less hunts and more sadness. Luckily the gear needs are at an all time low so hopefully I can save up for some big ones and reallocate to kid points in the future.

 

[tdhanses]

$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.

Yeah no clue where you are coming from, my reply is there is always a number people will be willing to pay or a threshold where they’ll stop.

 

[Maverick1]

Oh, good. Another thread that will finally solve the draw/NR/OTC issue.

 

[Maverick1]

 

[Behlftball]

Wyoming went to $2k for a special tag and they had no issue selling them

 

[cnelk]

The new CPW Regs will be coming out late Feb.
Be sure to read them

 

[Shot7wads]

Yeah no clue where you are coming from, my reply is there is always a number people will be willing to pay or a threshold where they’ll stop.

Ok. It doesn’t matter how much you pay they that’s my point. if the OTC is there, let em buy it. They paid $1600 to fill their freezer. Colorado does not overall allocate tags

 

[InkedElkSlayer]

Idaho has sold most, if not all, Nonresident Lolo and Selway elk tags over the last several years…Proving that money grows on trees and huge portions of the population went clinically insane during The Corona.

Colorado will not “price out” Nonresidents anytime soon.

Add up 1 weekend of skiing at Big Sky, the hotel, dinner. Not to mention travel expenses or the ugly sweater. People are willing to spend boo koo dinero on “recreation”.

 

[Shot7wads]

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.

Idaho has sold most, if not all, Nonresident Lolo and Selway elk tags over the last several years…Proving that money grows on trees and huge portions of the population went clinically insane during The Corona.

Colorado will not “price out” Nonresidents anytime soon.

Add up 1 weekend of skiing at Big Sky, the hotel, dinner. Not to mention travel expenses or the ugly sweater. People are willing to spend boo koo dinero on “recreation”.

$2k for nr draw OR a OTC. No refund on no draw. 1 preference point. NR can then buy 1 $2k OTC and get awarded another point. They will spend it.

 

[Shot7wads]

Idaho has sold most, if not all, Nonresident Lolo and Selway elk tags over the last several years…Proving that money grows on trees and huge portions of the population went clinically insane during The Corona.

Colorado will not “price out” Nonresidents anytime soon.

Add up 1 weekend of skiing at Big Sky, the hotel, dinner. Not to mention travel expenses or the ugly sweater. People are willing to spend boo koo dinero on “recreation”.

I’m poor, I hunt to fill my freezer.

 

[KY_coop]

We came from ky this year to hunt otc 3rd rifle. Tag cost was around 800, spent about 500 for fuel there and back, 130 for 1 night hotel on way to co, airbnb rental was 450 a person for the week, mostly ate food from home and cooked each night. A few dinners while traveling added up to around 200 for me and my wife. Definitely not a cheap trip but we had a blast. We will do it again

 

[bene-201]

I’m poor, I hunt to fill my freezer.

Seems to be fewer and fewer places where that’s even possible anymore…

 

[Winchester]

I live in Colorado.
CPW has already brought in a few wolves and their goal is 30-50 over the next five years.
They will begin hurting elk, deer, moose, etc populations but will take while before it’s noticeable.

Overcrowding is real during seasons with OTC elk tags and CPW is working on the problem.
Last year CPW removed all Non-resident OTC Archery tags but not resident tags. They are beginning to discuss OTC Rifle tags as well but those tag numbers are enormous as is the revenue generated from them. It could be awhile before CPW decides what they are going to do.

 

[Dave0317]

Tag is biggest cost for me. I would own the rifle and most of the gear anyway. It’s all stuff I would use for other camping trips, military stuff, or it overlaps with my local deer hunting equipment.

My costs to hunt are literally just food, fuel, and tag. I get more vacation than I can usually use at work, so that’s no concern. I may spend one night in a hotel depending on how the drive is going.

I don’t want to see tag costs go up. But I do actually want it all to be draw-only. Would make a given unit’s pressure more predictable. Would probably help the herd. If it was managed right, I think you could go all draw and still hunt every year.

 

[Mcribs]

I live in Colorado.
CPW has already brought in a few wolves and their goal is 30-50 over the next five years.
They will begin hurting elk, deer, moose, etc populations but will take while before it’s noticeable.

Overcrowding is real during seasons with OTC elk tags and CPW is working on the problem.
Last year CPW removed all Non-resident OTC Archery tags but not resident tags. They are beginning to discuss OTC Rifle tags as well but those tag numbers are enormous as is the revenue generated from them. It could be awhile before CPW decides what they are going to do.

The narrative always stops at revenue is the reason CPW doesn’t do away with NR rifle OTC. But this assumes tag costs have to stay the same (for residents and NR alike).

Yes, Rokslide is not the best assortment of people that will agree, as success rates here are way higher than for the average hunter in OTC. With less people in OTC units, success would increase for the average person though. At least until the wolves…

 

[Laelkhunter]

I live in Colorado.
CPW has already brought in a few wolves and their goal is 30-50 over the next five years.
They will begin hurting elk, deer, moose, etc populations but will take while before it’s noticeable.

Overcrowding is real during seasons with OTC elk tags and CPW is working on the problem.
Last year CPW removed all Non-resident OTC Archery tags but not resident tags. They are beginning to discuss OTC Rifle tags as well but those tag numbers are enormous as is the revenue generated from them. It could be awhile before CPW decides what they are going to do.

I wonder if CPW has taken into account the Outfitters that make a living guiding mostly NR? If they take away the NR OTC during rifle season too, not many locals will be booking guided hunts with an outfitter.

 

[cnelk]

.......not many locals will be booking guided hunts with an outfitter.

Outfitters dont rely on many locals

 

[Laelkhunter]

Outfitters dont rely on many locals

That's what I'm saying. If CPW does away with NR OTC for rifle (like they did for archery), the Outfitters will really be hurting. I hunt a private ranch in 78/81 which is OTC, but if CPW does away with OTC, I won't be able to hunt there anymore unless I can draw a tag.

 

[cnelk]

That's what I'm saying. If CPW does away with NR OTC for rifle (like they did for archery), the Outfitters will really be hurting. I hunt a private ranch in 78/81 which is OTC, but if CPW does away with OTC, I won't be able to hunt there anymore unless I can draw a tag.

Dont worry.
The CPW will have such high tag allocations you'll probably draw on 2nd or even 3rd Choice.

Thats ONLY if OTC goes away for rifle [2nd&3rd]

 

[Soj51hopeful]

That's what I'm saying. If CPW does away with NR OTC for rifle (like they did for archery), the Outfitters will really be hurting. I hunt a private ranch in 78/81 which is OTC, but if CPW does away with OTC, I won't be able to hunt there anymore unless I can draw a tag.

Circling back to the wolves, look what happened to the outfitters in ID MT WY.
They are a fraction of what they were 20+ years ago.