Over crowded Colorado units getting worse

[Hnthrdr]

I'm.glad to hear he was willing to shoot it again. I'd imagine if he saw it on it's feet he would put a third arrow in it as well. I don't see why it's a negative that this other hunter was also willing to arrow that bull. It's the same intent from both parties; kill the living animal.

I don’t think it is, I think the negative is being unlucky enough to have that many people that your bull who will probably bed and die is chased by someone, I’ve hunted elk a bit and when you bump a bull especially when the thermals aren’t in your favor it’s dumb to run after it, it was the afternoon thermals were going up, so basically chasing a bull with your scent blowing to it, who knows if the bull lived or died, but it could have gone 2+miles or more on adrenaline when pushed like that

 

[roosiebull]

I think the wolf reintroduction will help ease some of the pressure in due time… the problem now is a lot of elk and a lot of people, wolves will help with the lots of elk and people will get discouraged and quit making the trip west… just have to be patient and tough out the next couple years of high elk populations, once the elk are thinned out, the crowds will too.

In all seriousness, I see a pretty clear pattern in states running wildlife populations, but I don’t want to bring political aspects in to the discussion because it will not help, but it’s a very frustrating trend

I am one who values otc opportunities, as long as the biological impact to the wildlife is sustainable, huge influx in people doesn’t equal a fluid amount of wildlife taken off the landscape, so there is always that.

It’s gotten absurd in my haunts as well, but there is still good hunting to be had, it just takes more work and time to dial in those scenarios that change every year and during the season… places I grew up hunting and have many great memories attached to I have had to abandon, lots of them, but that’s ok, I keep adapting and making it work… harder access areas in lower elk biomass areas is a good place to start, wanting uncrowded, easy access hunting with a big biomass of elk is unfortunately unrealistic these days, we all have to make compromise and make room for the increase in people, or wait for a draw tag, or stay home… thems be the options currently.

Regardless of what wildlife divisions do, those decisions will be beneficial to some and not to others, so we can all forget about getting our way, we never will again unless you have 50k to spend on elk hunting every year, then you can have your cake and eat it too, for the rest of us, we have to compromise and adapt…. What I think would be the perfect solution will be a terrible choice for someone else, so just forget about getting your way, none of us will in regards to otc hunting.

I would like to see residents with otc opportunities, non res have to draw, and don’t sell too many nr tags… states should take care of their residents, but most will say screw residents, we want money!!! Unfortunately, that’s how it is, even in the best country in the world

 

[MuleyFever]

What a joke. The dude didn't notice the blood pouring out of the side of the animal?

If blood was noticeably “pouring out” the elk would have been recovered.

 

[sndmn11]

I don’t think it is, I think the negative is being unlucky enough to have that many people that your bull who will probably bed and die is chased by someone, I’ve hunted elk a bit and when you bump a bull especially when the thermals aren’t in your favor it’s dumb to run after it, it was the afternoon thermals were going up, so basically chasing a bull with your scent blowing to it, who knows if the bull lived or died, but it could have gone 2+miles or more on adrenaline when pushed like that

I guess the solution is to kill the bull the first try or even the second try. If a double arrowed bull is traveling miles, you can't expect the thing to not pass a different hunter or for others to stop hunting. I disagree that the unlucky part is other humans were out hunting. I think the unlucky one was the bull who ended up getting stuck with two non-fatal arrows.

 

[JeffRaines]

If blood was noticeably “pouring out” the elk would have been recovered.

I guess "pouring out" was the wrong terminology, but if it was stuck twice there should've been at least one blood "line" - or at least the blood on the side of the animal should've been noticeable.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I asked my buddy who bumped into the younger hunter, kid did not notice the blood, I don’t fault him. It’s a crappy situation mostly for a bull that was wounded just commenting on over crowded otc units in Co