How many archery hunters hunt during ML season in Colorado?

[5MilesBack]

I can't wait for the day when the bowhunters gripe so much about the "cannon cockers" that we end up getting the last two weeks of September all to ourselves

I think the ML lobby is pretty strong in CO.....obviously. Otherwise they would have changed it years ago.

 

[11boo]

I can't wait for the day when the bowhunters gripe so much about the "cannon cockers" that we end up getting the last two weeks of September all to ourselves

Never going to happen.

 

[orionthehunter1]

Never say never CPW already said that would be the arrangement if they split the seasons. 5Miles the CBA doesn't have as much pull as they thought either with the way the meetings have gone

 

[ckleeves]

Never say never CPW already said that would be the arrangement if they split the seasons. 5Miles the CBA doesn't have as much pull as they thought either with the way the meetings have gone

CPW isn’t ready to lose the money from 20k tags when half the bow hunters walk away if it goes to a 2 week season or a season that doesn’t encompass the majority of the rut. Those MZ tags are gonna get real hard to draw if they get the peak rut to themselves.


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[orionthehunter1]

This is how it was worded at the last meeting about this issue

Any recommended change to the Commission, needs to be coordinated with both the ML and bow hunter user groups so they are on the same page. And that is only the first step. Once the CPW staff reviews any issue and recommendations, and after they conduct their statewide CPW regional meetings, they also will have input into the process and usually the Commission follow the staff recommendations. I highly doubt they would recommend any change and maintain the current 30 day Early Season, which involves the 9 day ML rifle season. The last time this same issue/possible recommendation came up to move the ML season in a different place, the DOW at that time, stated they were not willing to make any change and that if this was a big issue, they would recommended that the bow hunters would get the first 21 days and the ML season, the last 9 days.

 

[ckleeves]

I see. So basically this year archery would end on the 14th with that plan?If they were to do that and still maintain the same # of hunters the crowding would get way worse then it is now. Time for capped or draw general archery! I doubt they are willing to lose that revenue either.


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[orionthehunter1]

I agree that statement was from the last meeting after the incident in Grand Junction where the young bowhunter was shot. I don't think the CPW even cares about the crowding issue I mean look at archery season you have muzzleloader, fall limited bear, above timberline rifle deer, fall turkey, rifle sheep and goat hunts. You can't eliminate every group out of archery. It was more of a move for safety and to try to find a solution the family would look so it didn't go to legislature.

 

[MtnOyster]

Ran into a ML hunter last year first time ever, he had orange on, I didn't and that bothered me for the next few days until it was over.

 

[KsRancher]

This will be my first time hunting during the muzzy season. My dad drew a muzzy tag in the Co. OTC archery unit we usually hunt. I will have a archery either sex tag and he will have a bull only muzzy tag. Don't know what to expect this year

 

[oldgoat]

I use my decoys less if at all during ML and I have a big blaze orange handkerchief tied onto my lid all season, there's modern rifle seasons open during archery.

 

[5MilesBack]

The last time this same issue/possible recommendation came up to move the ML season in a different place, the DOW at that time, stated they were not willing to make any change and that if this was a big issue, they would recommended that the bow hunters would get the first 21 days and the ML season, the last 9 days.

That just tells you where the DOW stands. IF that would be their recommendation, then giving the ML's the first 9 days and the bowhunters the last 21 would make even more sense.......if they really were interested in what makes more sense. Or even better, change the bowhunting season to go through Sept 30th every year.

 

[geriggs]

Never seen a bear hunter

The week before ML is when i normally hunt and i appear to be the only one hunting bears....with a bow. I never hear a shot. Not a lot of bears where i hunt...I just have a tag for that rare occasion. We have seen a few.

How do the bear hunters factor in all Sept in many areas?

 

[CoHiCntry]

That just tells you where the DOW stands. IF that would be their recommendation, then giving the ML's the first 9 days and the bowhunters the last 21 would make even more sense.......if they really were interested in what makes more sense. Or even better, change the bowhunting season to go through Sept 30th every year.

Curious why you think this makes "more sense"? Not sure who gets to decide that? After the very unfortunate incident that happened with the youth, I'm pretty sure the CBA said they weren't interested in any changes to the current season structure or regulation changes. I'm assuming they are the biggest lobbying group for archery hunters?

 

[5MilesBack]

Curious why you think this makes "more sense"? Not sure who gets to decide that? After the very unfortunate incident that happened with the youth, I'm pretty sure the CBA said they weren't interested in any changes to the current season structure or regulation changes. I'm assuming they are the biggest lobbying group for archery hunters?

The CBA gave that statement because the DOW outlined some bad choices other than keeping it the same. It's almost as if they are intentionally giving bad alternatives as the ONLY other options. (roll eyes)

As far as making more sense.........bowhunters are generally more reliant on calling and the rut for their hunting of elk because they need to get closer for their shots. Ending bowhunting the 14th, which is generally before the rut really kicks off would never be in bowhunter's best interests. I.E.......kind of like putting bowhunters into the middle of rifle season would make no sense either. So "most" early archery hunting is sitting water, glassing, spot and stalk, ambush, etc. Of which, the ML hunter would still have a marked advantage in those situations over bowhunters. So it makes more sense to put them in that first week rather than bowhunters........IF the DOW was actually going to separate them.

And that is why the CBA gave the response they gave, because the DOW's options weren't better than what we currently have. Better to keep it the same than change it to a bad option. And I'm sure the ML hunters feel the same way. So here we are, back to where we were.

 

[Foldem]

The bowhunters groups will not be happy with any of the outcomes or solutions that the muzzy groups would be happy with or vice versa. For the guys that don't get their animals consistently it's nice to have someone else to blame.

Yes I'm a bow hunter. Yes I'm a muzzleloader hunter. Yes I'm a rifle hunter. And I find solitude an animals in all of those seasons.

 

[Thunder head]

We ran into several Muzz guys when we hunted the last 2 weeks a couple of years ago. They didn't cause us any more problems than the Bow hunters we ran into.
On two different occasions we saw local guys hunting with scoped centerfire rifles. That gave me more pause than anything else.

 

[CoHiCntry]

The CBA gave that statement because the DOW outlined some bad choices other than keeping it the same. It's almost as if they are intentionally giving bad alternatives as the ONLY other options. (roll eyes)

As far as making more sense.........bowhunters are generally more reliant on calling and the rut for their hunting of elk because they need to get closer for their shots. Ending bowhunting the 14th, which is generally before the rut really kicks off would never be in bowhunter's best interests. I.E.......kind of like putting bowhunters into the middle of rifle season would make no sense either. So "most" early archery hunting is sitting water, glassing, spot and stalk, ambush, etc. Of which, the ML hunter would still have a marked advantage in those situations over bowhunters. So it makes more sense to put them in that first week rather than bowhunters........IF the DOW was actually going to separate them.

And that is why the CBA gave the response they gave, because the DOW's options weren't better than what we currently have. Better to keep it the same than change it to a bad option. And I'm sure the ML hunters feel the same way. So here we are, back to where we were.

Thanks for the reply! I can see from a bow hunters perspective where your opinions make the most sense. They definitely hold some merit. I'm wondering if the CBA even gave any recommendations or if they just saw the possible alternatives the CPW offered and decided to just say "we're good with the way things are"? I haven't heard where they gave any alternatives. Would be interested to hear if they did.

I always pay attention to these types of posts that end up being a Archery vs. ML thing. I can totally understand promoting and lobbying for where your interested lie... in this case bow hunting. I don't have a problem with that as I would do the same thing for ML hunting since muzzleloader is my weapon of choice even though I do bow hunt and rifle hunt. For some reason though it isn't enough for some bow hunters to only promote their interests. They feel the need to put ML hunters down every chance they get. In this post I have heard that ML only stick around the trail head, they have been "invading" the archery season for decades and called derogatory names "cannon cockers". This doesn't really do anything except further divide hunters. I know not all bow hunters do this and I like to think it's the minority, but if you look back through all the threads where this is discussed the common theme is some bow hunters loath ML hunters and go out of there way to disrespect them any chance they get.

 

[jmez]

I've hunted during the ML season a few times. Have never run into any ML hunters where we go.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I typically only run into other hunters during archery/muzzle-loader season at trail heads and on designated trails.

 

[NHRedleg]

I Bow hunted an OTC Archery/easy draw ML unit last season and 2015 during the ML season. Didn't hear a single shot either year, didn't see a single ML hunter more than a few hundred yards off an ATV trail or Trailhead where I was. It seems like the ML hunters like certain trailheads and camp there and use the ATV trails or horse trails mostly. I was able to find a couple/few different trailheads with little to no hunters/camps and saw very few hunters at all both times. Going back in 2019 and will be hunting the last two weeks of the archery season.