Colorado Overcrowding Elk Hunting

[Mykolaivka887]

I believe this is the podcasts that touches the surface of the year-round recreation (loving it to death) effect on elk:

The exact same problem we've had in Alaska the past 30 years - unrestricted, cancerous, unrelenting ecotourism.

 

[trophyhill]

No question, as I learned when I hunted over the Labor Day weekend once. I was fooled more than once thinking I had spotted some far off elk high above me, only to realize they were mountain bikers at like 11k feet!

How do you mistake a mountain biker for an elk?

 

[Magua]

i have to say, last years elk hunt in Colorado was the final straw for me. I saw more people than I could have imagined. I had a productive spot on private land. When the sun came up, blaze orange surrounded the property as far as the eye could see. For the time off of work and the effort, Colorado isn't good anymore.

The Elk numbers are here but the access is totally gone. Case in point, Large ranches own most of the properties surrounding elk habitat such as rivers and waterways. They can also make the habitat so the elk will stay on their land while they rent out guided hunts for top dollar. The general public gets bottle necked onto sub prime plots of public land.

Im sure Colorado residents see this and become jaded. Me for example, I go out of state because I find it has way better options.

 

[sylvest]

I see this but you can still find huntable areas. I saw deer every day last year and elk 3 days also including 2 shootable 4/5pt bulls and a 6x6 herd bull. Saw people every day too unfortunately.

 

[SirChooCH]

How come the numbers from ATA and the Co Bowhunters Assoc don't line up?

 

[Huntin_GI]

View attachment 536939

How come the numbers from ATA and the Co Bowhunters Assoc don't line up?

BAHAHAHA.

These are the numbers produced by CPW. If you watch commission meetings, these numbers are whats used when discussing Nonresident $$$. Emphasis on $ as that's CPW's primary cause.


See below
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/01/...n-20-more-revenue-plus-more-key-2019-numbers/

 

[SirChooCH]

BAHAHAHA. View attachment 536942

These are the numbers produced by CPW. If you watch commission meetings, these numbers are whats used when discussing Nonresident $$$. Emphasis on $ as that's CPW's primary cause.


See below
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/01/...n-20-more-revenue-plus-more-key-2019-numbers/

I figured it out I think this ATA chart is for archery deer hunters numbers only. So doesn’t include elk/pronghorn at all which is why it looks lower.

 

[Dejhavu]

Hunted from Steam Boat to Cortez, and have never been crowded. Do home work, use DOW Wildlife Atlas, and Google Earth. There are many places that hold elk in good numbers that aren't honey holes or hot spots.

 

[garrettcolvin41]

have been looking into otc options for co but was wondering if pressure is still over abundant when you pack in a ways too?

 

[Gerbdog]

have been looking into otc options for co but was wondering if pressure is still over abundant when you pack in a ways too?

yup. probably even more so than closer to the road these days, the whole backpack in elk hunt has been so romanticized that its what everyone does these days.

 

[garrettcolvin41]

yup. probably even more so than closer to the road these days, the whole backpack in elk hunt has been so romanticized that its what everyone does these days.

Understood. Will have to keep that in mind when looking, wouldn’t hurt my feelings to shoot a bull near the truck haha

 

[Andrewlonghi]

Ive heard next year could be the last year for OTC tags in colorado, is there any truth to this. would it be beneficial or just another reason to drive PP higher to get a tag

 

[ElDiablito]

Also, this is an example of making statistics say what you want them to say. Take this chart:
View attachment 434948

If you compare Utah to Colorado, Utah wins! More public land than Colorado! But this is a bogus comparison. You should be comparing land that it actually inhabited by elk, and total numbers of elk

In those categories, Colorado wins by a landslide. If you do that, I am sure Utahs number is much less than 305 acres/elk. That is because Colorado has much more actual elk habitat. Also, did you realize that Colorado has more land above 10,000 ft than all other states combined (excluding Alaska)

Are we overcrowded? Yep
Has quality of hunting gone down? Yep
Should NR numbers be reduced? Absolutely

But things are not as dire as some would make them seem. Colorado has enough elk to go around. If you make all tags limited with an 80/20 split, I feel sure all residents that want to hunt can hunt every year. And NRs should be able to hunt aprox ever other year. Seems reasonable to me. To make things so restrictive that NRs can only hunt every 4-5 years seems an overkill.

^^This^^