How crazy will CO Archery OTC be 2021?

[Gerbdog]

That’s just crazy talk right there. I enjoyed calling in 12 hunters and not seeing any elk last year. I enjoyed seeing trucks, cars, motor homes, 5th wheels, travel trailers, suv’s utv’s, atv’s horse trailers, mule trailers, llama trailers, treehuggers, carpet munchers and more parked at every nook and cranny on every forest road in 80-81 otc last year. Unbelievable pressure!

Yea those two units had some serious pressure last year, think i saw all of the above as well in the valley / trailhead i was hunting from

 

[timekiller13]

No deer hunters, but goat, sheep, moose and elk hunters a plenty in first rifle...

Just find a unit(s) that don't have goat, sheep and moose.

I did my first ever rifle in hunt in Colorado last year. 1st rifle, leftover tag, NOT a Flattops unit. I saw more hunters than I ever did during my archery OTC elk ventures. But, I also saw WAY more elk than I have ever seen as well. Hunting pressure is not necessarily a bad thing.

It was actually amusing to watch 3 bulls walk within 100 yds of another hunter and he never knew they were there. If he would have just turned around, he would have had a chip shot. I watched it all unfold from 1500 yds away. Those bulls walked right past the dude. Then bedded down in a little draw less than 300 yds from an ATV trail. The hunter was in between me and the bulls, so I had no way to get to them without walking right by him. I closed about half the distance and then set up, hoping he would bump them my way when he left. Unfornately, he bumped them when he walked out and they doubled back and went onto private.

 

[commandoNate]

I must have the perfect OTC spot, I saw exactly two hunters in the last two seasons. I have the thick brush scars to prove it.

I've got this prototype pack i'd like to send you to use this season and give me your feedback. I SWEAR it doesn't have a GPS tracker in it....

 

[Phaseolus]

I've got this prototype pack i'd like to send you to use this season and give me your feedback. I SWEAR it doesn't have a GPS tracker in it....

I already have a Seek Outside pack...

 

[gretch6364]

Really need eastern whitetail to become a thing and CO to double the price of non-res tags and follow the allocation laws that are on the books.

I live in CO and do everything I possibly can to hunt elk in Amy other state possible. CO is literally the worst tag option and I drive past elk standing in fields almost every time I drive into town.

 

[gretch6364]

I mean seriously...name a non-coastal western state you wouldn’t rather have a tag in them CO? Especially OTC. It is bottom of the barrel for elk.

Resident tags should be $350...MINIMUM. Less hunters show up...within 5 years people will be begging to pay it. Make non-res tags $1250. CO has enough growth, they have plenty of resident hunters.

 

[Mdfowlman2]

I mean seriously...name a non-coastal western state you wouldn’t rather have a tag in them CO? Especially OTC. It is bottom of the barrel for elk.

Resident tags should be $350...MINIMUM. Less hunters show up...within 5 years people will be begging to pay it. Make non-res tags $1250. CO has enough growth, they have plenty of resident hunters.

Do you really think raising the price will keep people home? The cost to hunt elk is high with gear, time off work, fuel. I highly doubt raising the price keeps people home. I don’t know many people that would say that extra $600 is where I draw the line, they’ll pay it

 

[bozeman]

I think you would be surprised.......double the non-resident tag costs and other options become more attractive........

 

[gretch6364]

If you double the price, you can sell half as many tags and make the same amount of money. This will improve the quality of the experience and provide better value for the hunters.

Obviously, it does no good to just double the price and try to sell the same number of tags.

 

[NateK]

Increasing non resident tag cost won't help much since CO is about the only true OTC option left. might cut down some of the resident pressure by upping that cost though. Limiting tags would be the only way to truly reduce pressure. I can imagine it sucks to live in everyone's "back up" state when we don't luck out in the draws elsewhere!

 

[NateK]

And if you raise prices it will only be a matter of time until the surrounding states do as well (already have in some cases) and Colorado is once again middle of the road price wise. Us eastern guys typically hunt in groups (the guys who do it solo won't be scared off by price) and while a group may have a guy drop out over cost you will still have the same number of trucks at the trail head and groups of hunters in the woods.

 

[Fatcamp]

I think you all are wrong about cost. Only a matter of time until a bunch of people lose interest. Hunting is hard and most don't work at it enough to be successful. Add in massive cost increases and numbers will go down.

 

[orionthehunter1]

Name one western state that has increased prices and seen a huge downfall in apps? Colorado needs to go to an 80/20 split across the board and raise the prices accordingly both resident and non.

 

[cnelk]

I say make applicants buy their OTC tag during the application process.
No tag sales after the deadline.

 

[CoHiCntry]

I say make applicants buy their OTC tag during the application process.
No tag sales after the deadline.

That would undoubtedly weed out a lot of people!

 

[sndmn11]

I say make applicants buy their OTC tag during the application process.
No tag sales after the deadline.

I'd be down for that, and make them pick a DAU at that time as well.

 

[dacd4134]

I say make applicants buy their OTC tag during the application process.
No tag sales after the deadline.

I'd be down for that, and make them pick a DAU at that time as well.

As a Non-Res from Texas... I'd be ok with both of these ideas.

 

[cnelk]

There’s really no reason this wouldn’t work.

The CPW isn’t limiting any licenses (although that is also a good idea)

The CPW gets the money earlier in the year.

The Pref Point system is still in place if applicants want to apply.

Change my mind

 

[Dirtbag]

Really need eastern whitetail to become a thing and CO to double the price of non-res tags and follow the allocation laws that are on the books.

I live in CO and do everything I possibly can to hunt elk in Amy other state possible. CO is literally the worst tag option and I drive past elk standing in fields almost every time I drive into town.

I rarely OTC elk hunt in Colorado and I'm a resident. I can head to Kansas, Nebraska, the dakotas, montana for archery deer in September, be the only person on public ground, be in deer every day and have a much higher success rate than <13%.

 

[Dirtbag]

There’s really no reason this wouldn’t work.

The CPW isn’t limiting any licenses (although that is also a good idea)

The CPW gets the money earlier in the year.

The Pref Point system is still in place if applicants want to apply.

Change my mind

Not a bad idea. You'd have to hit them with a 20% turn in fee like Montana otherwise I don't know if it would change much.