New Record! Colorado elk…

[UncleBone]

Not at all.

I hunt in a OTC unit, and have a few areas figured out where I generally never see anybody else. I get a lil pissy when I do lol. That said, its public land. I wouldnt run somebody off just because I was there.

That guy didnt owe you anything. Almost sounds like he knew about that wallow too, and had the animals figured out. Good for him

Im not saying he couldnt be there. He had the right to be too. But to walk in on someone at 4pm who said they have been there all day, say youre leaving the area, and then just go out of sight is kinda bs. i didnt run him off, i just asked him if he was going to sit 80 yards from me and hunt the same exact spot. He didnt have to lie to me. its a 10 minute tops walk back to the truck bushwacking. He was there an hour later waiting. Im pretty much over it. Just wanted to share my experience. If the role was reversed I woulda hopped in the truck and headed a mile down the road.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

People can deny it all they want but its the Internet, Youtube, social media effect. When i got my start in the 80s you had to WANT to go hunt at this place or that it wasnt suggested to you as an option by nameless "influencers". Nor was the blueprint on how to go about doing it basically laid out for you.

The name of the game now is finding overlooked spots people wouldnt consider hunting then keeping your mouth shut once you find these spots. Adapt or quit, just the way it is. Oddly, i find myself most often closer to my truck, subdivisions, towns, and state parks off limits to hunting than id admit to anyone i personally know nowadays. Im asked where i killed a decent animal my response it often, "in the woods". There is good hunting to be had just not where the masses have been told where it is on Youtube.

 

[intunegp]

Im not saying he couldnt be there. He had the right to be too. But to walk in on someone at 4pm who said they have been there all day, say youre leaving the area, and then just go out of sight is kinda bs. i didnt run him off, i just asked him if he was going to sit 80 yards from me and hunt the same exact spot. He didnt have to lie to me. its a 10 minute tops walk back to the truck bushwacking. He was there an hour later waiting. Im pretty much over it. Just wanted to share my experience. If the role was reversed I woulda hopped in the truck and headed a mile down the road.

"Over it" is not the impression your posts give lol.

He didn't know you were there all day. Do you think he waited til 4pm and said to himself "well, might as well go find ol' Uncle Bone and sit his spot for the rest of the day"? You said he killed a bull like 400 yards away from you...sounds like he gave you plenty of room. You were upset that he was too close to you so you sent him packing and he setup in an even better spot because of it. You say you didn't run him off, but I think anyone in his shoes would have left after you approached them in that scenario. Why would the role have to be reversed for you to move if it's such an easy walk to the truck and there's more good hunting a mile down the road?

I'm not saying I like sitting just down the ridge from another pumpkin, but I've had more success and gotten more enjoyment from trying to get away from the others, not trying to get them away from me. If someone blows up a spot I'm hunting I make it a mission to find a better spot. And yes, sometimes I even do it with the thought "If anything is traveling this way I'll get a shot off before that other guy even knows it was here"

Anyway, welcome to public land OTC Colorado.

 

[raptor16]

View attachment 599661
These are the emails to the commission. This does not include participating round tables, focus groups, and zoom meetings. I have testified at commission meetings. I have a started dialogue with multiple legislators as I think that is the only place we will get any meaningful change.

Every time I hear someone spouting "what about the money" I laugh. Last year, CPW was $54MILLION in the black... $54MILLION... A government agency. This year Colorado rolled out a new license plate fee that is projected to produce $33-35MILLION that goes directly to CPW.

If you are curious, NR OTC tags come out to somewhere around $40million annually.

Then you would not be one of the ones with hurt feelings haha! Good for you actually trying to do something about it. Sucks that CPW doesn't seem to care what residents think/want.

Do you know what CPW is doing with that $54mm surplus (soon to be $87mm+ surplus)? I would imagine that either of those numbers are a sizable percentage of the overall budget for CPW.

 

[7sdad]

I had 13 local Colorado trucks at the trailhead I use. This is a draw unit that was once an OTC unit and a few years ago I may be the only one in the area. Everything is crowded now.

 

[Jbehredt]

Then you would not be one of the ones with hurt feelings haha! Good for you actually trying to do something about it. Sucks that CPW doesn't seem to care what residents think/want.

Do you know what CPW is doing with that $54mm surplus (soon to be $87mm+ surplus)? I would imagine that either of those numbers are a sizable percentage of the overall budget for CPW.

More sites with electric and water hook up in state parks and bike trails would be my guess. The parks now come before the wildlife.

 

[RyanWillis]

I

Its absolutely obscene the trucks,trailers, and toys people haul up on the mountain. I thought camping was a way to disconnect from modern day life.....now everyone brings their modern day crap with them everywhere they go.

If you need some WiFi just stop by our camp, it’s the one with the solar panels in a CO OTC Unit.

I do get your point though, that’s why we spike out.


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[D S 319]

Sounds like a zoo. Kinda wanna check it out for myself.

 

[Squarebill]

I hate the idea of further limitations on hunting opportunity, but OTC anymore is a goat rope to put it nicely. the social media combined with cheap, easy tags available to the whole world have turned it into a circus. I hope we can figure something out.

Where are these "cheap tags"?

 

[Dirtbag]

Where are these "cheap tags"?

In Colorado as a nonresident you're in it for about $854.77. I understand thats a lot of money, but in comparison to say Montana at $1055 and you can just show up and buy a tag at Walmart, it creates a bit of traffic in our state.

 

[stanginthe11s]

Common decency is to respect everyone's right to the outdoors. When you run dogs during a one week limited entry Elk season you are being selfish. You have 50 other weeks you could be doing that. Everyone has decsions every day in life to do what they are legally allowed to do but respect other people when doing so.

while I agree with you I'm going to ask a question. did you spend any time talking to the guy? or were you just angry and made a comment?

I'm going to tell you story from a few years ago that is very similar to your situation.
it was elk opener, a local guy was out hunting grouse. he was heading up the trail and many guys were upset, a few made comments to him and pissed him off. his response was the same as what you encountered except, he then proceeded to head in the woods towards the other hunters. I cut him off and spent 10 min. with him just bullshiting and since I had been there for a few days scouting, I told him where a ton of grouse were laying up in the opposite direction. he was not an elk hunter and had no idea it was elk season, he made his plans based on the time he had. from all of this he was able to get his limit, avoid others and I was invited to a grouse dinner where elk just happen to wander in his back yard.

the point of this story is simple, never expect that everyone in the world knows when or where you will be hunting. sometimes being understanding and helpful as well as being nice will get you further than just being pissed off. who knows, maybe you'll gain a friend and some local knowledge.

on another note, there seems to be a common point in all these threads with people complaining.
I always see the word "trailhead" or "trail" along with the complaining. I personally am glad the trails are packed with you guys, for me it just means I don't have to worry about guys in the woods lol. thank you trail hunters.

 

[Mcribs]

Interesting thread. I rolled up to my C option yesterday, around 2:30, as it’s easy to get to, and has deer. I’m archery hunting. Planning to do a quick evening and morning hunt in the basin (popular trails also cross basin, but deer are there). Always people there, and a guy is camped with his ATV, at the trail head. Has rifle case, which means he has the above tree line early season rifle tag or muzzle loader. I don’t spot orange so I assumed he was high in the upper part of basin. I set up lower around tree line, out of respect. Storm comes in and I see him barreling down. I eventually escape the storm and when I see him putting stuff in his tent, I walk over to saw hello and ask what his plan was for later and in AM. He totally ignores me.

Now, personally I think it’s annoying to have muzzle loader and rifles during archery season. But I can’t control it. This dude totally acted like it was his basin even though it was ridiculously easy to get to. I wanted to stay to “ not let him win” but decided I’m not in the woods to deal with guys like him, and he won. A little later he packed up his stuff and passed me a mile down the road. I don’t really understand this owning a basin stuff. Sure nobody likes the crowd but come on.

 

[mattferg84]

I went and dropped my wife off last week and picked my nephew up for his muzzleloader hunt. Got back to find 6 trailers from sheboygan parked in my tiny campspot next to my trailer. They ran generators all night and had ladder stands strung out all over camp. They weren't even hunting the unit they camped in and there was plenty of other campsites that were not on top of mine. They have 0 respect and I cannot wait til the day we're not over run by them.

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[jcmupar]

I went and dropped my wife off last week and picked my nephew up for his muzzleloader hunt. Got back to find 6 trailers from sheboygan parked in my tiny campspot next to my trailer. They ran generators all night and had ladder stands strung out all over camp. They weren't even hunting the unit they camped in and there was plenty of other campsites that were not on top of mine. They have 0 respect and I cannot wait til the day we're not over run by them.

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[Mcribs]

I'm rather anti-social to start with.... But if I had just been rained off the mountain only to end up with some stranger in camp wanting to know my plans. I'm not sure how I would have handled that, wouldn't have been much info shared though.

Wasn’t trying to make buddies. Just saying hello seemed appropriate if we were at same trail head. Didn’t get to that part about sharing plans since he totally ignored me with his attitude.

For example, on opener, ran into 2 other guys hunting the same basin and a few really nice deer within. Sure I wanted the whole thing for myself as I scouted all of August for these big deer. But neither one of us were leaving. We shared plans mainly so we wouldn’t step on each others toes. Just common communication imho. Works out better that way.

 

[Chris B]

This is my mountain, there are many like it but this one is MINE !

 

[Gerbdog]

I always try to be friendly when i get to the parking spot, wherever that is. Sure, i'd love to have the whole area to myself but ive long since given up that notion here in CO. I've gotten great info from folks just chatting before light and just this weekend i was standing and talking to a gentleman who had grown up in the area.

Gave me a new location to check out and then a bull bugled just down the hill from us. He said go after it and he went on his way. Underestimated how fast the bull was coming up hill to me and we basically ran into each other, he bugled right on top of me, must have seen me and bolted, but, i was thankful the guy let me have the encounter and i hope he bagged a bull later that morning!

 

[Backyard]

In Colorado as a nonresident you're in it for about $854.77. I understand thats a lot of money, but in comparison to say Montana at $1055 and you can just show up and buy a tag at Walmart, it creates a bit of traffic in our state.

It also creates quite a bit of revenue along with keeping the cost of your tag down.


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[Hnthrdr]

It also creates quite a bit of revenue along with keeping the cost of your tag down.


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Oh boy here we go again… NR chest thumping about keeping poor little Co solvent lol yes the tag is a still cheap as heck, and available for this year… going bye bye in a year or two though

 

[mattferg84]

It also creates quite a bit of revenue along with keeping the cost of your tag down.


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That revenue didnt do a whole lot to help out the populations last winter. The only people who benefit from the revenue spent is Lebbat's blue.