OTC coming to an end in COLORADO???

[Buckvoodoo]

Have read a couple opinions stating that something is afoot with OTC out of state hunts. Can someone with more knowledge care to shed some light on the subject?

 

[Coveyleader]

Buck,

This is all "hearsay" for the moment. I'm not sure what state you reside in, but plan away! There will not be any changes to elk hunting in CO for some time to come in my opinion. There is a new 5 year structure plan that will be out soon but what you have is a bunch of "Pine squirrels" making racket. Enjoy CO for what it is.

 

[md126]

OTC out of state hunters bring in way too much money for them to make any drastic changes in my opinion.

 

[justin davis]

Would be nice in my opinion. I think if everything was draw it would really promote better quality bulls and better opportunities. But NR bring way too much money in. And that’s all they care about is money.

 

[TexasCub]

Would be nice in my opinion. I think if everything was draw it would really promote better quality bulls and better opportunities. But NR bring way too much money in. And that’s all they care about is money.

At some point they are going to have to manage the wildlife , not the states purse, or they’ll end up with neither in the long run. It’s no secret that Colorado is the low hanging fruit out west for guys who want to hunt elk, but at some point they are going to have to follow the other western states in tag issue and management of non-res tags. Colorado can’t offer every hunter in the US with a quality and successful hunt experience if they never close the tap. Or they’ll just continue to sell as many tags as possible and then realize the error of their ways when it’s too late then no one will hunt elk. Not to hard to figure out.

 

[cnelk]

IF [and thats a big 'IF"] there are any changes to the OTC licenses, it will change to OTC with CAPS

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I agree, OTC with caps will likely be the next step if any. If this is the case, hopefully the tags would be sold on a unit by unit basis so people don't stack up in the most popular OTC units like they seem to right now.

 

[Jimss]

Just because Colo elk units go to all draw doesn't necessarily mean that they issue fewer tags. They could issue the same exact tags they currently issue but on a draw basis. The nice thing about all draw is that hunters would be faced with burning rather than building pref pts on their first choice tag. Only a fraction of the current elk units are limited. All Colo deer went to draw quite a few years ago. The deer herd has responded favorably! Look at how many B&C bucks have come out of scattered units across Colo the past 10 to 15 years!

The biggest positive to "all draw" is the CPW could actually manage hunter and game numbers (which is impossible in the current OTC structure). With the present all draw deer structure it's possible to draw incredible tags every year.....some of which can be drawn 2nd choice! All draw would certainly help the dreaded point leap that is going on in the few limited elk units that exist. I look forward to the day all Colo elk plus deer tags are limited!

 

[JD619er]

Some decent points

 

[JD619er]

At some point they are going to have to manage the wildlife , not the states purse, or they’ll end up with neither in the long run. It’s no secret that Colorado is the low hanging fruit out west for guys who want to hunt elk, but at some point they are going to have to follow the other western states in tag issue and management of non-res tags. Colorado can’t offer every hunter in the US with a quality and successful hunt experience if they never close the tap. Or they’ll just continue to sell as many tags as possible and then realize the error of their ways when it’s too late then no one will hunt elk. Not to hard to figure out.

totally disagree with this statement. For one the money being brought in is funding a HUGE part of the wildlife management in that state. Like seriously huge. Secondly Colorado has more elk than any state by a long shot, and those numbers aren't dropping because they issue OTC tags. The harvest percentages arent increasing either. So say that OTC tags are going to come back and bite states in the ass is a pretty big ovetstatement. The people making the decisions about seasons tags and quotas do so with the wildlife in the forefront of their mind and yes it just so happens that it takes money to manage it. No one's getting rich off of selling more tags in a state like Colorado.

 

[orionthehunter1]

That may have been true a few years ago, but now that they merged with parks it seems like parks is taking a majority of the funding. Something needs to change. I know plenty of residents who would pay more for their elk tag for better quality and less crowding. Make it a hard 80/20 split and draw and then they can actually manage the units and post correct harvest stats.

 

[chasewild]

Secondly Colorado has more elk than any state by a long shot, and those numbers aren't dropping because they issue OTC tags. The harvest percentages arent increasing either.

This is a gross oversimplification and incorrect. Numbers are dropping, calf recruitment is dropping, bull quality is dropping, cow to bull ratios aren't sustainable, and harvest percentages alone (without accounting for increase in OTC archery hunters) is bad math. CPW biologists literally disagree with nearly everything in your statement. That's why OTC season will be modified in one way, shape or form.

 

[chasewild]

. Something needs to change. I know plenty of residents who would pay more for their elk tag for better quality and less crowding. Make it a hard 80/20 split and draw and then they can actually manage the units and post correct harvest stats.

Agreed here.

 

[durangobrad]

That may have been true a few years ago, but now that they merged with parks it seems like parks is taking a majority of the funding. Something needs to change. I know plenty of residents who would pay more for their elk tag for better quality and less crowding. Make it a hard 80/20 split and draw and then they can actually manage the units and post correct harvest stats.

count me in

 

[gbflyer]

As a NR that grew up in CO, I agree with curbing the OTC situation. I think we’ll see it, the sooner the better. If CO needs more money they can raise the tax on the potheads. Also need to shoot some more bears and open a season on beef cows.

 

[TheHardWay]

I can see OTC with caps coming into play, and would be ok with that.
FWIW, here is an article that was published a couple of weeks ago in the local paper. Might be an interesting read for some of you.

Where have all the elk gone?

 

[Jbehredt]

I can see OTC with caps coming into play, and would be ok with that.
FWIW, here is an article that was published a couple of weeks ago in the local paper. Might be an interesting read for some of you.

Where have all the elk gone?

Oh boy, here we go again with the durangoherald. Hunters killed them all and lions, bears and coyotes have lost their taste for elk calves. We read it

 

[orionthehunter1]

Yeah that article is a joke. Can CPW seriously not correlate the huge increase in bear numbers to a decrease in elk calves. Not to mention our joke of lion quotas we have down here.

 

[jmez]

Just because Colo elk units go to all draw doesn't necessarily mean that they issue fewer tags. They could issue the same exact tags they currently issue but on a draw basis. The nice thing about all draw is that hunters would be faced with burning rather than building pref pts on their first choice tag. Only a fraction of the current elk units are limited. All Colo deer went to draw quite a few years ago. The deer herd has responded favorably! Look at how many B&C bucks have come out of scattered units across Colo the past 10 to 15 years!

The biggest positive to "all draw" is the CPW could actually manage hunter and game numbers (which is impossible in the current OTC structure). With the present all draw deer structure it's possible to draw incredible tags every year.....some of which can be drawn 2nd choice! All draw would certainly help the dreaded point leap that is going on in the few limited elk units that exist. I look forward to the day all Colo elk plus deer tags are limited!

This will only work if they limit OTC tags. If the OTC are a draw but unlimited why would anyone put in for them first choice? You can put in a hard to draw unit that you have little to no chance of drawing as a first choice and OTC as a second. You get your PP and your OTC tag. I do it every year in MT and WY.

It has actually made the better units harder to draw because most everyone does the same thing.

 

[CorbLand]

I will state the same thing I state every time I hear that everything should be based on a draw system. Please, before you advocate for this take the time to look at Utah and see what will come of nearly every tag only being available via a draw system.