Colorado Sells More Nonresident Elk Tags than all Seven Western States Combined

[Behlftball]

I hope they go to a draw system to limit pressure and increase opportunity. I'd be happy to pay a bit more for the tag to compensate.

 

[justin davis]

And to think democrats want to ban lion hunting and they are introducing wolves Sad

 

[Still Hunter]

Garbage in, Garbage out....

Numbers are constantly manipulated to get the desired result. Anyone in Government, whether it be local, or State, or Federal all do it. Especially if dollars are involved or if there is a hidden political agenda (there is always a hidden political agenda) and always dollars going in someone's pocket somewhere. If you don't believe that, then you really you need to go buy some ocean front property in Arizona.

1 Timothy 6:10

 

[txjustin]

Time to double or triple the NR cost… I’ll wait for all the NR hate

And you’ll cry when they 10x the cost of resident tags, which will happen if they limit NR.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[akwchil]

View attachment 615730

It also has more than double the herd size of any other state, and more than the bottom 5 combined. If you normalize the tag sales against this, it doesn't look all that crazy.

It's easy to forget how vast Western states are, too. Despite complaints of over-crowding, I've spent plenty of time on the East Coast and you could fit ALL of New England into Colorado with room left over for a lot of NY and PA. I just wrapped up a trip on a tag that covers multiple GMUs and it took almost two hours just to drive from one unit to the next. A Northeastern hunter can get from MA to NH faster than that.

These kinds of things are way more complicated than they're often made out to be. A lot of smaller rural towns here get a large chunk of their income from supporting outdoor sports, mostly hunting and fishing. And people from out of state pay way more into that pool than locals because they're more likely to a) need something they forgot, and b) be willing to eat at a local restaurant or buy that ugly keychain off the rack. I think I remember somebody at the local Murdoch's near where I go say they make half their yearly income in prime big-game season.

I wouldn't mind lower pressure any more than the next guy, but I think this stuff needs to be approached very carefully and thoughtfully.

Great point of view, if you were to go extreme and take away all NR then those small towns that prosper wouldn't be so great for the residents to use. Then they would complain about loss of jobs, or less infrastructure. It's a vicious cycle but one that should be thought out.

 

[11boo]

We do have a lot of elk, but I would like to see the numbers of “un huntable” elk.

 

[Ucsdryder]

We do have a lot of elk, but I would like to see the numbers of “un huntable” elk.

Buddy hunts out of silverthorne, mainly due to the fact his dad has a “cabin” on the hill. The vast majority of the elk are on the private ranches just west of silverthorne, up in the hill. No hunting allowed. This happens all over Colorado and I’d bet a decent percentage of elk are completely unhuntable.

 

[pokethebear]

I think the point of the article is that the 7 other western states have 2.5 times as many elk as Colorado but those 7 western states combined, sell fewer nonresident elk tags than Colorado. Colorado is so overhunted and their residents should be frustrated. Here is an article that says Wyoming only sells 3600 to 7200 tags to nonresidents each year. https://billingsgazette.com/news/st...cle_9e4e838a-8d3d-11ed-9a36-0b3bb185af47.html

 

[pokethebear]

That is what I really like about numbers. They never lie. But they can't be manipulated to fit any narrative.

I could write an article with a headline "Co residents dont want more elk tags" and post a graph with several units with NR caps where not enough residents thought it "wasn't worth the points" so NR got a bigger percentage than the original percentage.

Now would I agree colorado needs to do a little more for the residents. Yes, and they are doing that. They already have a cap change coming up for NR.

Colorado resident hunters are down by 8000 since 2014, nonresidents are up by 10,000 in OTC since 2014. Colorado's population has doubled in the past 30 years from 3 to 6 million. All good numbers that should represent an increase in resident hunters, not a decrease. Lots of residents are choosing to get out of OTC because of the overcrowding, I have talked to many, it's sad. They have been sold out for the $. Here is a petition for residents in Colorado to save OTC . https://www.change.org/p/preserve-otc-archery-elk-hunting-for-colorado-residents-only

 

[MallardSX2]

Colorado resident hunters are down by 8000 since 2014, nonresidents are up by 10,000 in OTC since 2014. Colorado's population has doubled in the past 30 years from 3 to 6 million. All good numbers that should represent an increase in resident hunters, not a decrease. Lots of residents are choosing to get out of OTC because of the overcrowding, I have talked to many, it's sad. They have been sold out for the $. Here is a petition for residents in Colorado to save OTC . https://www.change.org/p/preserve-otc-archery-elk-hunting-for-colorado-residents-only

Colorado's population has doubled in the past 30 years and the people making that population double are NOT the type of people who support your hunting in the state....

So instead of bitching about the NR hunters and pushing these bullshit petitions you should be thanking all of the NR hunters for supporting your state over the years. Instead, by signing this (instead of coming to a mutually agreeable cap for R AND NR on OTC units) you are showing your teeth and biting the only hand that has been on your side supporting/feeding your system for years. Love it.

By signing this, you admit that you truly don't want NR dollars or any help from the outside world. You just want less pressure from NR hunters and the same number of tags for yourselves. Which, to be honest, is pretty selfish based on the financial support that you have received from NR hunters over the past 100 years to keep your tags costs low and your opportunity high.

I say burn the whole system down and let resident hunters have it all and fund their own system without non-resident dollars. I mean why not. Since its obvious that NR hunters are causing all of the problems in Colorado. Or at least that's the picture that has been painted for the last several years.

Man, the river of tears will be deep when every trailer-living Colorado hunter has to buy a $750 elk tag to make up for the lack of NR dollars coming in. I hope I live long enough to see the day as I am so sick and tired of residents complaining about NR hunters instead of coming to a mutually agreeable OTC allocation.

NR hunters need to be restricted this, NR hunters need to be restricted that.......NR hunters have given too many inches over the years and the CPW and the resident hunters have taken miles of ground from us NR hunters. We pay 13X more for a tag. Either pony up and pay more as residents to reduce NR hunting pressure or sit back and enjoy your cheap tags.

 

[wytx]

Wow.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Colorado's population has doubled in the past 30 years and the people making that population double are NOT the type of people who support your hunting in the state....

So instead of bitching about the NR hunters and pushing these bullshit petitions you should be thanking all of the NR hunters for supporting your state over the years. Instead, by signing this (instead of coming to a mutually agreeable cap for R AND NR on OTC units) you are showing your teeth and biting the only hand that has been on your side supporting/feeding your system for years. Love it.

By signing this, you admit that you truly don't want NR dollars or any help from the outside world. You just want less pressure from NR hunters and the same number of tags for yourselves. Which, to be honest, is pretty selfish based on the financial support that you have received from NR hunters over the past 100 years to keep your tags costs low and your opportunity high.

I say burn the whole system down and let resident hunters have it all and fund their own system without non-resident dollars. I mean why not. Since its obvious that NR hunters are causing all of the problems in Colorado. Or at least that's the picture that has been painted for the last several years.

Man, the river of tears will be deep when every trailer-living Colorado hunter has to buy a $750 elk tag to make up for the lack of NR dollars coming in. I hope I live long enough to see the day as I am so sick and tired of residents complaining about NR hunters instead of coming to a mutually agreeable OTC allocation.

NR hunters need to be restricted this, NR hunters need to be restricted that.......NR hunters have given too many inches over the years and the CPW and the resident hunters have taken miles of ground from us NR hunters. We pay 13X more for a tag. Either pony up and pay more as residents to reduce NR hunting pressure or sit back and enjoy your cheap tags.

Lots of great points here. I think OTC with caps is a probably reasonable compromise. A lot of the formerly OTC units that went limited don’t issue a significant portion of their tags in the initial draw. That tells me it is not as much about opportunity as it is the ability to use Colorado OTC as a last ditch, backup. Folks have to plan and be deliberate in this day and age, just a reality. As a Colorado resident, I truly believe the anti-hunting movement in this state is the greatest threat to the future of hunting in Colorado, not non-residents. The CPW draw process working group will kick off shortly and I am optimistic for some thoughtful recommendations from that.

 

[pokethebear]

I hope they go to a draw system to limit pressure and increase opportunity. I'd be happy to pay a bit more for the tag to compensate.

I would agree with you if residents were actually contributing to the overcrowding, see these numbers. Game is a Colorado resource per the Colorado Constitution our resourses should be managed for residents just like every other state. If residents are down by 8000 why should we lose OTC elk hunts because of overcrowding by nonresidents. No state treats its residents like this. See https://www.change.org/p/preserve-otc-archery-elk-hunting-for-colorado-residents-only

 

[taskswap]

Because as was said earlier, NonRes dollars subsidize Res tag fees. Knock out all the non-res, and res tag fees would have to zoom up to $600+ to make up for it.

It's a delicate balance. In the end, honestly, I doubt anybody would be 100% happy with any system.

 

[Gerbdog]

Where does CPW funding come from anyway? Surely not just tag sales? (legitimate question here, i have no idea) I feel like i must pay for my elk tag all year long here in CO as a resident... comes out of every one of my pay checks....

 

[Wyo_hntr]

Time to double or triple the NR cost… I’ll wait for all the NR hate

I'm a non-res. I personally think Colorado should increase prices and end NR otc archery tags.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I'm a non-res. I personally think Colorado should increase prices and end NR otc archery tags.

Funny how agreement usually only comes from fellow westerners… I have hunted Wyo on occasion and will in the future when I draw but it’s so dang silly for folks to think they it’s their right to hunt other states every year and not a privilege that should be a once in a while thing

 

[taskswap]

Where does CPW funding come from anyway? Surely not just tag sales? (legitimate question here, i have no idea) I feel like i must pay for my elk tag all year long here in CO as a resident... comes out of every one of my pay checks....

They actually have a page on this believe it or not.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. The agency manages 42 state parks, all of Colorado's wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs. CPW issues hunting and fishing...

cpw.state.co.us

Note that this is "CPW funding." There's a broader pool that applies to more things, like management of our open spaces (most of which are multi-use and a good thing for hunters) and so on. Colorado has tons of little assessments that all pile up and go various places - .003% extra sales tax goes to X, .010% goes to Y, etc. It sounds like death by a thousand cuts but at least of all the states I've lived in there's a chance to vote up or down all these little things. Many stupid things that fly in other states do get voted down here, and I like that. No system is perfect.

 

[LuvsFixedBlades]

First, as some have said, the figures in the data tables posted are inaccurate....I only use data pulled directly from state wildlife agencies.

Second, change is coming.
There is 100% chance NR OTC tags are changing (likely going away) in 2025. Very likely there will be changes to resident OTC tags as well. The specifics of those changes are not finalized, but they will be significant. There are other threads and info available as to what could, and what is likely to happen if you look.

I agree, it's has been getting more challenging to avoid pressure in CO. But, I still bow-kill a bull almost every year on an OTC tag. Not to brag, but to set the table for my next comment, which is....the reintroduction of wolves and possibly the banning of lion hunting are bigger problems than non-resident hunters. CPW can't adjust the number of tags issued to them based on herd objectives, winter kill, disease, loss of wintering ground or overdevelopment.

I don't have the answers. But, I do know without a doubt that fracturing our cumulative voice as hunters only progresses the anti-hunter agenda. We have to stop hating each other for living on the other side of an imaginary line on a map and focus on preserving what we all love. NR bitch threads are penny-wise and dollar foolish.

 

[pokethebear]

Petition to save Resident OTC elk tags in Colorado https://chng.it/fTnbWTKnhS