Colorado 21,22, 30-32

GeoHunter

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Dec 14, 2016
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Hey All,

I got sick of waiting for Nevada to give me a bull tag and decided and wanted to get one this year. I went in for this one with a guy from work first season and we both got it.

Just curios if anyone on here has hunted it before and can give me a general idea of what to expect. As this is my first ever bull tag (I have harvested a couple cows) I'll be fine with any legal bull, but wondering if I could expect to see one more on the mature side if I pass on a few. What is the hunting experience like overall? Good accessibility? Thanks for any info.
 

Bar

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Your first bull elk hunt and you're talking about passing on legal bulls? Are you aware the success rate is 20% for all elk? Lower for bulls.
 
OP
GeoHunter

GeoHunter

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It could be quite a bit different in Colorado, but I have had quite a bit higher success rates than those reported on my hunts in NV. Interesting that the success rate is 20% overall for all elk in the unit, since it is 27% for bulls in the first rifle season.
 
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Colorado and NV are nothing a like, just keep that in mind. Lots more hunters, lots more pressure. And if any one is claiming 20% in Colorado there in the top 2-3 units that require a ton of points. The state will always report 20% cause they dont want the bad PR, but last year the state avg was like 5% most likely due to weather. Best advice i can give you is drive roads and glass country you can hunt. pick out at least a plan A, B and C at a minimum and try to get away from the rds. Lots of BLM in those units, and lots of places to get away from folks. If your in a lot of elk and are seeing smaller bulls but no the big one is close, then its your call what you do. But a legal bull is a legal bull.
 
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I would be careful how you're grabbing stats for that hunt. The total success rate for those 5 units on first season bull add up to 26.6685% like you say, but they're carried by high success rates in units 31 and 32 which have a ton of private land where many of those elk are taken. Unless you're hunting private land that you know has a number of good elk then that 27% doesn't reflect your chances. They're closer to 20%. And even then Colorado doesn't survey every hunter, and many people think they pump up those numbers.

That being said if it were me, and I'm from that area and familiar with the bulls taken in those units, I wouldn't pass a 5x5 bull. Especially not on my first time there. Good luck!
 
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Bar

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It could be quite a bit different in Colorado, but I have had quite a bit higher success rates than those reported on my hunts in NV. Interesting that the success rate is 20% overall for all elk in the unit, since it is 27% for bulls in the first rifle season.

I was talking about all of Colorado not any specific unit. As was said though. I think the numbers are pumped up some.
 
OP
GeoHunter

GeoHunter

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10-4 Bar.

I knew something wasn't adding up there. Seems like the consensus is pretty much take what you can get.

Thanks for the input, everyone.
 
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