Colorado wilderness crowding

[RockinU]

Why are the antis way more organized? Because we can't stop eating our own long enough to get organized...

 

[5MilesBack]

Why are the antis way more organized?

Could be because they have an actual agenda, whereas we just want to be left alone and hunt.

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

Guess we just evolve.... more of a hunter army the better to keep us legally in the woods

 

[browning2480]

Why are the antis way more organized? Because we can't stop eating our own long enough to get organized...

Exactly. I doubt they are out making posts on a public form about them having too many people supporting them. I have moved areas in Colorado 3 or 4 times. When things start getting crowded, just move on to something new. I am always able to find places to hunt and I am glad we have people out using the land that our country has provided. If you have an issue with overcrowding, go somewhere else or buy/gain access to some private property.

 

[isu22andy]

Another classic sky is falling internet ruined everything post - end of the day only thing you can do is get with it or get out of it .

 

[RockinU]

Could be because they have an actual agenda, whereas we just want to be left alone and hunt.

Good thing there are some hunters out there with an agenda and a will to fight for what we have. Good thing TR and Grinnell didn't just want to be left alone to hunt.

The antis are passionate about their agenda, and they work together for it's attainment. We resent perceived intrusions by those with similar passions because it affects how we wish to experience something.

I know it's not all hunters, there are a lot of guys out there busting their tails to protect what we have...but there are a lot of the others as well.

 

[gbflyer]

Grew up in CO. The wilderness was crowded 30 years ago. It’s still crowded. I still see about the same amount of assholes now in OTC units as I did then.

 

[MallardSX2]

Exactly the reason why I lobby'd for Colorado to go to draw for ALL elk hunting. Nobody wanted to hear it.

 

[Rich M]

Yup - split the archery season and make em a draw. Sure will cut down on the whining. And allow just as many guys to hunt. And double the archery tag income. Win-win-win.

But they took the easy way out and we'll hear the complaining for the next 6 years

 

[5MilesBack]

If you have an issue with overcrowding, go somewhere else or buy/gain access to some private property.

That's the reply of the liberals that have moved into Colorado and ruined it.......they come here from another liberal place, ruin our once fine state, and then have the audacity to tell us to "go somewhere else if you don't like it". Within legal bounds.......sadly that may be our only option if we want to keep our sanity.

 

[*zap*]

If you have 4 seats in a movie theatre and sell 10 tickets people have a right to complain about that and telling the folks that are standing to buy their own theatre is not a good solution. I am not sure of the situation there but common sense should be used by dnr when they sell tags.

 

[All American Boy]

And therein lies the problem with DOW overselling tags and diminishing the hunt quality by overcrowding.

 

[Newtosavage]

Man, I love hunting and fishing and do everything I can to get people into it. But man, I’ve heard that mantra for years and I sure wish I could see a little bit of those dwindling hunting numbers in the places I hunt in CO, NE and MT. In all the places I’ve hunted regularly, I’ve seen more and more people compared to 5-10 years ago.


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I think that overall hunter numbers are dwindling but I also think that western hunting and big game hunting has become more popular. More information than ever combined with more disposable income has folks going out west for that experience. Hardly anyone hunts small game anymore. Eastern whitetails have become so mundane to a lot of guys - including myself - who have spent the last 30-40 years chasing them. But I think the info about how to hunt out west is the big thing. Used to seem like an insurmountable challenge to many, but now they turn on the TV and see guys fatter than them taking elk and mule deer and think, huh, I can do that. LOL

I'm not sure this level of pressure is sustainable though. There are a lot of baby boomers who won't physically be able to hunt the mountains that much longer.

 

[mooretitan]

I was thinking the same thing this weekend. Had my son out for his 1st dove hunt and was telling him to enjoy because in 20 years this will all be houses and you will have to find another place. At some point there just wont be enough space for people to hunt. It will become who has the money to afford places to get away from the crowds. Heck its happening now and will only get worse. I am glad that I should have the money to get away from the crowds in the near future but worried that the next generation will find themselves screwed.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Thanks to CPW there will be five more years of increased hunter numbers in Colorado. Elk should have gone to OTC w/caps. If anyone thinks it's crowded out there now, dig up this thread in 2023 and let us know how much you miss the good ol' days of 2019.

 

[Gobbler36]

Just having this conversation today with a fng employee here in Idaho on how exactly we have come up with nr tag allocations...... never could get a straight answer, is it a percentage? Is it a magic formula? Is it fairy dust? Best answer I could get is it’s the fish and game commission that comes up with the number. 12k elk tag, 15k deer and another 1500 whitetail tag. It’s nuts. Cut the allocation in half and charge double the price... problem solved
Feel bad for CO dudes. Just take refuge in the thought that you’re not alone

 

[orionthehunter1]

Just wait until the wolves get dumped off. It's funny that CPW knows the elk numbers are down but still don't limit tags. I was checking in a bear this morning and so were five other guys, three other locals and two non residents. They were all complaining about no elk and too many people. They all shot bears though so it wasn't doom and gloom. CPW did say that everyone has been complaining about no elk and crowding.

 

[Mike Islander]

Makes me oh so slightly less jealous. I do appreciate our 2500 acre club with only 20 members, but 2D whitetail terrain will never excite me as much as the mountain hunting of my youth.

I think it will still be good there for a while, but will take deeper hikes to enjoy the solitude.

 

[rob86jeep]

I came elk hunting (OTC Archery) last year when I was a non-res. Found a trial head in the general area e-scouted, and in the woods I went. Even camped at a nice lake/campground only about 3 miles from the trail head. Ran into a few people into/out of the area (on the trail), but not a single person while hunting. My buddy shot a cow and we had to stop hunting due to the time it would take to get another elk off the mountain and our date we needed to be home. I keep hearing the woods are overcrowded, but there are still plenty of secluded areas in CO. I think the problem is people all want to hunt in the same area they've been before and aren't willing to explore new spots.

Scout new areas and get off the trails and I guarantee you can find secluded hunting spots in CO OTC areas.

 

[johnhenry]

There are still wilderness areas in Colorado???
The push to get more folks involved in hunting or any outdoor recreation is not about saving teh public land and its not about saving the wilderness its about GREED. its about the folks that make and sell the gear making more and more money all the while talking about how they are saving the wild places - I call BS