2020-2024 Colorado Big Game Season Structure Info

[Campo]

That's the best option right now, and I fully support that.

Seriously, Mike? Them grey hairs getting to you?

The change in the five-year structure is going to have to address the decrease in calf recruitment in the elk population. Every single biologist is very concerned about the amount of hunting pressure during archery. Something is definitely going to be done to the tag allocation for archery elk. I was told it’s not even an option to keep it the way it is right now. We are going to have to expect that tags are going to be harder to get and will have to pick a unit and dedicate ourselves to the unit rather than having the ability to just jump around.


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[cnelk]

False, you can put in for a PP for your first choice and then draw a tag with your second choice, thus not using your points.

Yes, for now. But that would change

 

[Campo]

Yes, for now. But that would change

Why?


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[cnelk]

I also made this suggestion:

Make ALL moose tags OIL [Once in a Lifetime] Bull AND Cow.

 

[Campo]

I also made this suggestion:

Make ALL moose tags OIL [Once in a Lifetime] Bull AND Cow.

What reason? Populations are growing, some rapidly.


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[cnelk]

Because the applicants outweigh the commodity - by A LOT.

 

[LandYacht]

I would be really curious to see what the nonresident numbers have become over the years. DOW has done an amazing job recruiting for their unlimited in number elk tags, both archery and rifle.

The number of out of state plates that I see is easily 10x what it used to be even 10 years ago. Out of state plates outnumber Colorado plates at most trail heads. Couple that with the increased population in Colorado and there’s just flat out more people than ever before that want to be in the woods.

Something has got to give, but I sure don’t want to lose a week of archery during the rut. The muzzleloader advocates will not give up that peak week ever. There are not that many tags issued for muzzleloaders to make that big of a difference. It’s the vast increase in archery hunter numbers.

I would much rather have a quality hunting experience versus a quantity hunting experience. Elk have adapted to the thousands of hoochie mama squeezers and bugle a minute hunting tactics. A high pressure unit hunts so much different than a draw unit. Archery hunting isn’t the same as it was even 5 years ago in that regard.

Lastly, it seems to me that there are a lot more spotted calves later and later in the year. I am just speculating here, but it seems that we are messing with their rut to such a degree that cows aren’t getting bred until their second cycle causing these cows to have calves later in the year than traditionally. The winter mortality rate has to increase on these calves causing a further stress on them.

I would have been the last guy that would have proposed a limited draw archery hunt, but my eyes have seen enough evidence that we are loving our elk to death. Running them ragged for all of archery is the reality with the increase in number of archery hunters. After archery it doesn’t get much better as we send in the orange army for 4 or 5 different goes at it too.

There could be units in the state with different hunter numbers than what I have experienced in the ones I hunt. I am sure the hunter surveys would give the DOW an idea of hunter numbers in units. Easy enough to try to curb the numbers if warranted.


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[Campo]

Because the applicants outweigh the commodity - by A LOT.

Again, very ignorant statement. The commodity is tag allocations, and CPW could set them high enough that (if they wanted) almost everyone could get one. They could also curtail if they needed to for whatever reason.

And, you are basically making my point for draw tags. There are way more hunters than there used to be and way more pressure on elk populations and their biological components.


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[cnelk]

LandYaught

Of the 48,000 archery elk hunters each year, the % is 52 Res / 48 NonRes

 

[LandYacht]

LandYaught

Of the 48,000 archery elk hunters each year, the % is 52 Res / 48 NonRes

What’s the historical rates on those numbers? Does it show an increase?


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[cnelk]

Again, very ignorant statement. The commodity is tag allocations, and CPW could set them high enough that (if they wanted) almost everyone could get one. They could also curtail if they needed to for whatever reason.

Are your serious? Did you see what happened this year with the $3 applicant fee? Moose applicants went up ~800%!!!
That means in 2 more years that pool will be HUGE.

BTW. The commodity is MOOSE TAGS. If there wasnt that, there wouldnt be applicants. Simple 'Supply & Demand'

 

[cnelk]

LandYaught

20 years ago there were ~24,000 archery hunters. I saw lots less NonRes then...

 

[LandYacht]

LandYaught

20 years ago there were ~24,000 archery hunters. I saw lots less NonRes then...

I would have guessed less than that, but a 2x increase is fairly substantial.




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[vanish]

I heard that there were only THREE people at the BGSS meeting in Denver the other day. I thought it was invite only or I would have been there ... damn.

 

[cnelk]

Vanish

That meeting was for the CBA input. We had one in FoCo last week too.
At this time ideas are being presented that can be taken to the Commission in January

 

[5MilesBack]

Seriously, Mike? Them grey hairs getting to you?

Nope.........but I know that completely removing the ML season in September will most likely never happen. So the next best option is leaving it, and changing archery to Sept 1st through the 30th. It's crazy in a year like this year when the season ends early right when the rut is firing up. Making it consistent every year makes much more logical sense.

 

[durangobrad]

Nope.........but I know that completely removing the ML season in September will most likely never happen. So the next best option is leaving it, and changing archery to Sept 1st through the 30th. It's crazy in a year like this year when the season ends early right when the rut is firing up. Making it consistent every year makes much more logical sense.

From a selfish standpoint I wouldnt mind seeing the archery season a little bit later. That last week of August has not treated me well in the past....

 

[Bulldawg]

So what affect is archery hunting having on calf recruitment? That time of year there is more feed and elk are in the top physical condition, could it not be effects of the 8x more hunters during the seasons that are later in the year in times that are more crucial to their winter survival? Is poor calf recruitment not possible to be linked to surplus of predators keying in on animals during calving season?

Yes I believe that one day that tags will have to be put to a draw, but I’m asking why do we think that archery needs to take the hit first when rifle hunters outnumber them drastically and spend more time hunting and definitely chase these animals around more. and I don’t buy it that more animals are wounded in archery season than in rifle season. I have seen many elk shot at from long distances multiple times and guys walk the other way or hit multiple elk.

Something needs to be done, but I hate for a small group of hunter take the brunt of the punishment.

Seriously, Mike? Them grey hairs getting to you?

The change in the five-year structure is going to have to address the decrease in calf recruitment in the elk population. Every single biologist is very concerned about the amount of hunting pressure during archery. Something is definitely going to be done to the tag allocation for archery elk. I was told it’s not even an option to keep it the way it is right now. We are going to have to expect that tags are going to be harder to get and will have to pick a unit and dedicate ourselves to the unit rather than having the ability to just jump around.


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[tdhanses]

Campo you sound like your restating what someone you think is in the know told you but you sound ignorant.

 

[Ucsdryder]

nope.........but i know that completely removing the ml season in september will most likely never happen. So the next best option is leaving it, and changing archery to sept 1st through the 30th. It's crazy in a year like this year when the season ends early right when the rut is firing up. Making it consistent every year makes much more logical sense.

this!!!!