CPW officially recommends fully limiting NR Archery- OTC Resident

LostArra

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Its a good question. Colorado is still the most NR friendly Western state for an elk tag. How married are archery hunters to hunting with a bow that they will participate in a draw and be limited to one unit vs. taking up a later season just for the sake of OTC?
It depends. I find Wyoming plenty friendly. If I strike out in archery season I can return for rifle season with the same tag. Not happening in Colorado.
 

def90

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Don't worry, they will issue 10,000 NR tags in the draw so it will be a sure thing anyway.

You'll just have to buy them ahead of time in the spring vs going in to a store the day before the season starts.
 

Mish-pop

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I like it so people do have to plan ahead and can't just make it their fall back plan last min. It should help thin things out a little with people having to plan more
 

cnelk

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Don't worry, they will issue 10,000 NR tags in the draw so it will be a sure thing anyway.

You'll just have to buy them ahead of time in the spring vs going in to a store the day before the season starts.
Here ya go


CO Wildlife Commision gave final approval for 2025-2029 big game hunting seasons today:
In short, ALL of CPW's recommended alternatives were approved

Rifle: The 5-9-9-5 day seasons for the 4 rifle seasons were approved. OTC for both res and non res hunters available for 2nd & 3rd season

Archery: Elk & Deer seasons remain unchanged. Non Resident Archery OTC licenses were eliminated. Non Residents will have to draw. NR licenses will be capped at 25% of the previous years participation.

Muzzleloader seasons unchanged

All bear seasons and eastern plains deer seasons remain unchanged

Antelope seasons unchanged, but an additional rifle season will be added in units where additional harvest needed.

You can view the recommendation that were approved for all big game seasons on the meeting web page

This came from the CPW rep who prepared the recommedations to the commission.”
 
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NR licenses will be capped at 25% of the previous years participation
Does this mean 25% of total participants (resident + non-resident) or 25% of previous non-resident participation? Assuming the former.
 

Archer86

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I would guess they will go off of resident participation following the limited tag quota guidelines they can only issue 25 percent of the tags to nr of a limited tag.

So they will take the resident numbers from previous years and take 25 percent of that and issue that number of licenses to nr I hope anyways....
 

RyanT26

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Eliminating NR otc archery tags was a needed change. I would be shocked if NR otc rifle tags don’t get taken away.
Neutral point though if tag allotments are set so high.
 

traildust

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please explain…
Not 100% sure of his point, but it's common knowledge that more elk and deer are killed with firearms than archery equipment.

Seems like they are managing the people during archery season instead on the overall deer and elk herd.

Having too many boots on the ground isn't gonna stop that bull from chasing kitty, and every cow is gonna get bred. I'm not buying that ideology
 

Jethro

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Sounds like another case of a wildlife agency not doing what’s best for the resource and instead what’s doing best for the people.
I don't see it as a people pleaser at expense of resource decision at all.

At the very least it is just a change in how tags are distributed. But provides the ability to thin out a hunting mob that has completely over run the OTC units.
 

Jethro

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Seems like they are managing the people during archery season instead on the overall deer and elk herd.
That is exactly what they are doing and it was not any hidden agenda. Archery OTC is crowded, and NR are the huge increase. That is undeniable. By far the # 1 complaint heard about CO. Whether they cut tag #'s and actually decrease pressure is yet to be seen, but this new rule makes it possible.
 

Will_m

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I don't see it as a people pleaser at expense of resource decision at all.

At the very least it is just a change in how tags are distributed. But provides the ability to thin out a hunting mob that has completely over run the OTC units.
I was really speaking more to still allowing OTC for residents after they got push back for all draw.
 

Scoot

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This makes good sense to me and will result in a much better experience for residents during the archery season (if they cut the tag numbers to a reasonable number). Can someone explain to me why they wouldn't make the same move at the same time for the rifle season? Do they not experience the same overcrowding during rifle season? Are NRs not largely responsible for the increases in overcrowding that I assume are happening during rifle season? Don't way more elk get killed during the rifle season than the archery season? Why focus on archery when I assume the same issue happens during rifle season, but with bigger ramifications on the elk herd. I don't get it...
 

Ucsdryder

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I was really speaking more to still allowing OTC for residents after they got push back for all draw.
Thought this is what you were hinting at. Another nonresident veiled complaint.

Limiting tags isn’t good for the resource? Thats laughable.

Just tell the truth. You’re angry non residents don’t have unlimited otc.
 
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