Colorado to much hunting pressure for my comfort .

[5MilesBack]

Can you imagine how the deer hunting would be if it was unlimited OTC buck tags?

I can only imagine it from my perspective having hunted it for years with OTC tags available, and having 300K hunters descend upon the state every year with those tags. It was pretty awesome back then, seeing several shooter bucks every day and waiting for the one we wanted. But I have no idea what it would be like these days.

 

[TexasCub]

Can you imagine how the deer hunting would be if it was unlimited OTC buck tags? Thank goodness it’s all draw.


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Can you imagine how good the deer hunting would be if you didn’t have to hunt your draw tag at the same time that the masses flock to the woods for OTC elk!

 

[cnelk]

Can you imagine how good the deer hunting would be if you didn’t have to hunt your draw tag at the same time that the masses flock to the woods for OTC elk!

There are deer seasons in place for that

 

[TexasCub]

There are deer seasons in place for that

Archery and muzzleloader deer overlap with OTC Elk
2nd,3rd rifle Deer overlap OTC Elk

What season besides private land doesn’t overlap OTC Elk? Serious question?

 

[Newtosavage]

Pretty sure it's like that everywhere. Despite what we hear from advocates, I just cant believe hunter numbers are down. I continuously see more and more people....and not by a road.

When I see more and more people, g&f set new application records every year, I dont buy the "less hunters" story.

I've been thinking this same thing for years now...

I was in those units for 1st rifle. Yes there were a lot of hunters but that's life in those units, especially in 2nd rifle and especially if the weather is halfway decent. I didn't have any trouble getting away from hunters, and my buddy killed his bull with hunters on either ridge beside him. So, the reason there are so many hunters in those units is because there are so many elk also.

I hunted SW Colorado for a couple years and saw far fewer of both hunters and elk. If I want solitude, I know where to find it. If I want to see a lot of elk, well I'm going to probably see a lot of hunters too. Just how it is.

 

[cnelk]

Archery and muzzleloader deer overlap with OTC Elk
2nd,3rd rifle Deer overlap OTC Elk

What season besides private land doesn’t overlap OTC Elk? Serious question?

There are Early rifle Deer Seasons, Plains rifle deer seasons, High Country rifle deer seasons and 4th Season rifle deer seasons

Its all stated in the Regs

 

[Seth1913]

This is definitely a tough topic. Colorado is probably one of the most hunted western states, $40 res otc tags/$600 non res and you can practically hunt the whole state during archery season. With the increase in online resources (goHUNT, Toprut, Rokslide, etc.) the number of hunters will only increase. Even with this I only crossed maybe 3 other archery hunters in the area I hunted, all nice people, but what I did see is a massive amount of other recreational users and although they mostly stay to the trail, they definitely add to the pressure animals experience. In an approximately 100 sq mile range I saw zero elk in places where i found them on prior scouting trips. It's frustrating to say the least but I am thankful for the opportunity hunt every year. Ultimately though the health of the herd is most important thing, otherwise we are all just taking our bow/rifle for hike. IMO capping the OTC tags, altering season lengths, and doing something to curve other recreational use would help. And in regards to the article about SW Co its full of shit and to think there is any political party in the interest of hunters is bs too.The only groups in the interest of hunters are hunters.

 

[Jqualls]

Nope I can't imagine it. I have been tagging along and or hunting SW Colorado pretty much since I was about 5YO. We have always hunted deer and elk together. If hunting pressure is a major factor for decline in herd numbers having seperate seasons would likely make it worse with a more extended total season length and probably more hunter hours in the woods. Lots of residents would be hunting 2 seperate seasons instead of 1 combined.

 

[chindits]

I don’t understand the we don’t see elk because of all the other recreationists mentality. Do you think the elk just moved to Kansas, stopped breeding or have spontaneous still births because some OHV, mnt bike, or hiker went by. There are a few elk left in Rocky National Park and Estes Park, and there is that herd on the hill overlooking that OHV pass to Aspen all summer and there is the biggest bull I ever got above a dirt bike trail and there are those elk herds that drop in on Lacy Ranch with dump trucks refueling every day and there is that herd on the Castleton ranch watching the cars drive by on the county road all summer. I guess there must be sensitive elk somewhere that can’t stand the sight of some Front Ranger hiking in her yoga pants wearing sandals and puffing on her vape pen. Poor things.

 

[Seth1913]

I don’t understand the we don’t see elk because of all the other recreationists mentality. Do you think the elk just moved to Kansas, stopped breeding or have spontaneous still births because some OHV, mnt bike, or hiker went by. There are a few elk left in Rocky National Park and Estes Park, and there is that herd on the hill overlooking that OHV pass to Aspen all summer and there is the biggest bull I ever got above a dirt bike trail and there are those elk herds that drop in on Lacy Ranch with dump trucks refueling every day and there is that herd on the Castleton ranch watching the cars drive by on the county road all summer. I guess there must be sensitive elk somewhere that can’t stand the sight of some Front Ranger hiking in her yoga pants wearing sandals and puffing on her vape pen. Poor things.

The elk in Rocky Mountain national park aren’t shot at. And yeah some of the biggest bulls and bucks I’ve ever seen have been on the side of the highway but to think that other recreational users don’t affect game but hunters do is asinine.

 

[juan trueno]

I guess there must be sensitive elk somewhere that can’t stand the sight of some Front Ranger hiking in her yoga pants wearing sandals and puffing on her vape pen. Poor things.

This is more or less why Accept the crowds, I don’t mind glassing for lulu lemons

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Colorado Residents, myself included, all seem to think that every year there are more and more hunters in the woods than the last. CPW is providing data indicating otherwise? If this is true, could it just be that today's hunters are venturing further into the "backcountry" and making it "seem" like there are more hunters? Every hunting article and online forum stresses the need for hunters to get away from roads and trailheads to find success, so maybe that's what people are finally doing. Popular television shows about people who like to meat eat, and ultralight gear marketed towards hunters may actually be pushing people farther afield (though many do NOT belong) creating the illusion of more hunters to those who were already hunting this way. Or maybe there are just more hunters.

 

[westrnwild]

Are they, though? By population the elk herd in Colorado has grown each of the last 3 years and is higher than its ever been recorded. I don’t see how that’s a decline.

In general I’m just not a fan of arm chair quarterbacks acting like they know better than biologists that spent years studying this stuff in school and on the job. They study the herds year round throughout their units, yet a bunch of people are acting like they know what’s best for the herd because they spent one week in a relatively small location in the unit and saw more dudes than elk. Sounds anecdotal to me.

Where has all the wildlife gone: CPW officials cite 50 percent drop in Eagle Valley’s elk population | VailDaily.com

Here is an article citing information from from CPW that contradicts what your saying. I'm letting the biologist do there jobs. And they are admitting there is a problem..

 

[wannakillabigbull]

Where has all the wildlife gone: CPW officials cite 50 percent drop in Eagle Valley’s elk population | VailDaily.com

Here is an article citing information from from CPW that contradicts what your saying. I'm letting the biologist do there jobs. And they are admitting there is a problem..

http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/Statistics/Elk/2015ElkPopulationEstimates.pdf

http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/Statistics/Elk/2016ElkPopulationEstimates.pdf

http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/BigGame/Statistics/Elk/2017ElkPopulationEstimates.pdf

These reports off of CPW’s website show that the herd has grown, and where I was getting my info from. Whether those reports are right or not I’m not sure.

 

[Mosby]

I saw a lot more hunters in Idaho in archery, then I did in Colorado during the first week of rifle. In fact I only saw one other hunter the whole week in Colorado. The trail heads in Idaho were full of trucks and I saw a ton of guys 4 and a half miles back in. Outfitters had camps further back. We hunted all week but never were able to get completely away from the other hunters. My spot in Colorado is tough to get to. Where we hunted in Idaho had elk but was too easy to access. Figuring this stuff out is fun though.

 

[ckleeves]

Colorado Residents, myself included, all seem to think that every year there are more and more hunters in the woods than the last. CPW is providing data indicating otherwise? If this is true, could it just be that today's hunters are venturing further into the "backcountry" and making it "seem" like there are more hunters? Every hunting article and online forum stresses the need for hunters to get away from roads and trailheads to find success, so maybe that's what people are finally doing. Popular television shows about people who like to meat eat, and ultralight gear marketed towards hunters may actually be pushing people farther afield (though many do NOT belong) creating the illusion of more hunters to those who were already hunting this way. Or maybe there are just more hunters.

I see more and more people archery hunting which the stats back up. Rifle less people in certain areas which the stats also back up.

I think your exactly right about people getting further in. It’s the cool thing to do right now for sure. 6 bubbas driving around in a suburban doesn’t create much pressure, 6 guys backpacked into your favorite wilderness elk spot sure does.


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[5MilesBack]

I would always see a bunch of hunters camped down off the roads, but I'd rarely ever see another hunter once I actually got to hunting. I think 2003 was the first year that I started seeing people way back in there. In 2007 I archery hunted a new area and I was literally the only guy in there until ML week and then met a guy and his 70+ year old dad that came up, and then it was just the 3 of us. The next year was more crowded and then in 2011, I didn't even stop to set up camp. There were people camping 1/2 on the road and 1/2 off because there was no room anywhere for all the people. I thought some sort of mountain Woodstock had formed, so I left. But after talking to a couple of them, they were all hunters apparently. Never seen anything like that. The next year there were several camps around, but nothing like the year before.

In 2013 I hunted a draw unit and saw one other bowhunter and camp the entire 2nd and 3rd weeks. Then the 4th week, it was as if every hunter that got a tag waited until the last week to show up. It was a zoo. Then two years later that unit was the opposite. Crowded all season until the last week......and then only saw one other base camp there besides mine.

The crowds seem to go in waves, and it seems to change up every year. But that's why I usually have a dozen different plans for hunting, even in a single unit. Analyze, adapt, and adjust.

 

[chindits]

“to think that other recreational users don’t affect game but hunters do is asinine“

If you are in the woods year round in my area you would know the difference is night and day between elk reactions to other recteationists and hunters. The herd above that OHv pass might stop chewing their cud for a moment but they are still lying there out in open alpine as the next 20 OHVs drive by. The examples I gave were OTC units, but you only noticed ROMO Park. So how did that affect calf recruitment, I would focus your rage on predators rather than other user groups unless you want to open the shed hunting can a worms and that still is nothing compared to bear calf predation.

 

[cnelk]

Like this - YouTube

 

[Seth1913]

“to think that other recreational users don’t affect game but hunters do is asinine“

If you are in the woods year round in my area you would know the difference is night and day between elk reactions to other recteationists and hunters. The herd above that OHv pass might stop chewing their cud for a moment but they are still lying there out in open alpine as the next 20 OHVs drive by. The examples I gave were OTC units, but you only noticed ROMO Park. So how did that affect calf recruitment, I would focus your rage on predators rather than other user groups unless you want to open the shed hunting can a worms and that still is nothing compared to bear calf predation.

Not disagreeing on predators taking a toll as well. And CPW put a shed season in affect for the same reasons we are talking about now, so how come other users don't affect the elk/deer especially during crucial survival time?