How crazy will CO Archery OTC be 2021?

There's a good chance that millions of acres of burn areas - in OTC units- wont be opened for hunting seasons.

That alone will divert hunters to other already crowded OTC areas
That would suck. I've been thinking about this lately as well for Idaho. If it gets really over crowded again this year I may sit tight and go for the december seasons.
 
Quote from a CPW officer at a meeting in Durango in 2019.
“Our sales numbers indicate that otc archery has increased over 100% in 10 years. Otc rifle has decreased 20% over the same period of time.”
I checked, he was basically correct.

This year, it will be a complete Sshow. I’m booked to guide elk/deer 2nd and 3rd season.
after draw, I will have booked an archery, 1st, and 4th deer without question.
While I appreciate the boost to our economy and folks recreating, it’s getting a little ridiculous out there.
be safe
 
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Quote from a CPW officer at a meeting in Durango in 2019.
“Our sales numbers indicate that otc archery has increased over 100% in 10 years. Otc rifle has decreased 20% over the same period of time.”
I checked, he was basically correct.

Wow, that’s interesting but not surprising. The popularity of western archery hunting has exploded the last 20 years or so.

I’ve never looked but it would be interesting to know the total amount of OTC archery hunters vs. OTC rifle hunters.
 
Quote from a CPW officer at a meeting in Durango in 2019.
“Our sales numbers indicate that otc archery has increased over 100% in 10 years. Otc rifle has decreased 20% over the same period of time.”
I checked, he was basically correct.

This year, it will be a complete Sshow. I’m booked to guide elk/deer 2nd and 3rd season.
after draw, I will have booked an archery, 1st, and 4th deer without question.
While I appreciate the boost to our economy and folks recreating, it’s getting a little ridiculous out there.
be safe
Doesn't Colorado have a archery and rifle or archery and ML season same time as well? Going off of memory. That would be scary😬
 
Yeh that could be scary. Stay safe and good luck fellas, hopefully the pressure doesn't ruin it.
I always picture myself catching a ML bullet in the back because ill often have my elk head decoy strapped to my pack in the back. Would it happen? Almost certainly not, i have some faith in most hunters, but i know of a guy who had a broadhead skipped off his skull out hunting, the hunters who let it fly just ran off and didnt even help the dude. Lucky guy.
 
I always picture myself catching a ML bullet in the back because ill often have my elk head decoy strapped to my pack in the back. Would it happen? Almost certainly not, i have some faith in most hunters, but i know of a guy who had a broadhead skipped off his skull out hunting, the hunters who let it fly just ran off and didnt even help the dude. Lucky guy.
Man you have way too much faith in folks. You couldn’t pay me to walk around a CO OTC unit with a decoy strapped to my pack!
 
There was 110k more applicants this year vs last year, something tells me those zero point units will be filled I’m up this year
They are filled up every year... the point is there are only “X” amount of tags for draw areas which relieves the amount of pressure versus an OTC unit which has no cap in the amount of tags issued.
 
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Its getting out of control everywhere in the west
Last archery season in Idaho was nuts!
I had more encounters with newbies that were tramping around miles into the backcountry all willy nilly, I called quite a few of them in it was freaking stupid.
Idaho NR tags sold out immediately again this year, I might actually go back to rifle to escape all the morons who watch too many Cameron Hanes videos..
 
"Must be nice" 😂😂🤣 I dont see Cam hunting any OTC units he's been hunting with celebrities on Utah ranches😂🤣
 
That 100% increase is just a statewide average, many OTC units have seen much larger increases. The units that get name dropped routinely on places like this google-linked forum or easily identified in YouTube videos are simply seeing unsustainable pressure. Insta-bros like Aaron Snyder get followers similarly by documenting every damn place they have success. OTC archery in Colorado is such a money maker and most archery hunters are new enough (read:low harvest) that I dont see CPW changing much for a while. Enjoy the crowds, they arent going anywhere but up. I for one see a silver lining to the wolf coming back, I hope that when they take their cut and elk numbers drop that then perhaps this will force the commission to adopt OTC caps.


Quote from a CPW officer at a meeting in Durango in 2019.
“Our sales numbers indicate that otc archery has increased over 100% in 10 years. Otc rifle has decreased 20% over the same period of time.”
I checked, he was basically correct.

This year, it will be a complete Sshow. I’m booked to guide elk/deer 2nd and 3rd season.
after draw, I will have booked an archery, 1st, and 4th deer without question.
While I appreciate the boost to our economy and folks recreating, it’s getting a little ridiculous out there.
be safe
 
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