Colorado Backcountry crowds

[Ucsdryder]

Haha good luck in your crusade. Colorado will always pack in the people because it's one of the few last true over the counter elk tags.

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Trust me, I get it. The truth is there are better options but Colorado is easy. Having hunted some different western states, there’s no chance I would come from 1000+ miles away to hunt Colorado otc. I’ve scouted multiple summers and still haven’t found that diamond in the rough everyone dreams about. I can’t imagine picking a spot on a map and heading in from 5 states away. We all know Colorado has some amazing hunting, but we’re talking 1% of the area.

 

[Scottyboy]

This: "Something to remember, the guys with the Podcasts and YouTube channels are getting revenue for their 'promotions' 'and discussions' at your expense."
And laughing on the way to the bank.

much the same as this website.

granted Rokslide doesn't actively promote anything (other than their sponsors), it is however in their best interest to be promoting said sponsors - - so we buy gear, talk about in discussions...in turn more/renewed sponsorship's and we get to enjoy this site free of charge...

 

[rayporter]

say it aint so!

 

[rayporter]

Add in the fact that we have gone a long stretch without a bad Fall and the potential for people dropping out is even greater. Bluebird weather in the Fall for years now and once people have to leave camps and vehicles until spring they will realize how bad things can get, and decide this isn't really that much fun.

ya baby!!!

 

[SoDaky]

Yeh Scottyboy you're right.It's all free.But there is a 'cost' that hurts.Hurts existing hunters,seasons and the resource.We are only starting to see it in point creep,limited opportunity and inevitably 'season' changes.Wonderful.

 

[jspradley]

What if this is all a conspiracy to push elk back to within a mile of the trail? lol

 

[WeekendWarriorHunting]

Dang, leaving for CO from MI this Friday on my first elk hunt, this thread took some wind out of that sail lol.

For me, the experience of being in the mountains and living with camp on my back would be sufficient enough. But the fact I get to do nothing but hunt for 2 weeks is just icing on the cake. Although this thread makes it sound like all doom and gloom, I'm looking forward to a good time and am just crossing my fingers that we get into some elk. I've been applying for an elk tag here in MI, but with it being a OIL tag that many haven't drawn in 30+ years of trying, I may never hunt elk here in my home state.

I will certainly be looking to other states for future elk hunts. CO was just one of the cheaper states that afforded the opportunity and also has the highest population of elk in all of the 48 states I believe. I guess I'll see for myself how crowded it is once we get out there and have to adjust accordingly. Good luck to everyone this year, hope you all find enjoyment in pursuing one of the greatest game animals there is.

 

[orionthehunter1]

A few grizzlies would alleviate some of that backcountry pressure. In all seriousness when I was growing up hardly anyone would hunt the backcountry. I remember my dad and I going for weeks and never seeing a soul, back then people would always ask why we went "so far" to shoot an elk. I think gps and cell phones are a huge cause as well. Before those most guys were too afraid to travel deep.

 

[ElkElkGoose]

I question the dedication of the newcomers to really figure it out. I'm on year 5 with no elk but this year have been consistently in the elk the past two weeks in a couple different spots OTC here in CO. I've had to figure out everything on my own and I spend probably 8-10 weekends before the fall scouting the backcountry for mule deer and elk.

I think a lot of people like the idea of backcountry hunting and all the gear research/buying. The better I've become the less I care about those things. I tossed a Kuiu hat in the trash this last weekend because it always fit too high and I randomly came across a Columbia camo fishing hat with a stiff brim all around that actually kept me from getting sunburned above tree line. I now care more about training consistently and how many trail cams I have out in prime spots.

I also think that there is a perceived equation of how far you hike = the number of elk you get. Ive overheard many conversations at the bow shop and people always seem to have the need to throw in "I was 8, 10, 12 miles in" as if that shows how hard they hunted or how good of a hunter they are. Kinda reminds me of people with dogs they got from the shelter always having to say " His name is Fido......he's a rescue" How far you elk hunted doesn't mean anything without results. If you hike 25 miles and don't find elk, the elk don't give you a participation ribbon.

Anyways, I digress. Point is, I don't think the new batch of hunters are that big of a deal. I don't think most of them know what they are doing and wont stick with it long enough to figure it out. Especially someone from out of state because they just physically be here for all the scouting and on the job training.

 

[sndmn11]

I also think that there is a perceived equation of how far you hike = the number of elk you get. Ive overheard many conversations at the bow shop and people always seem to have the need to throw in "I was 8, 10, 12 miles in" as if that shows how hard they hunted or how good of a hunter they are. Kinda reminds me of people with dogs they got from the shelter always having to say " His name is Fido......he's a rescue" How far you elk hunted doesn't mean anything without results. If you hike 25 miles and don't find elk, the elk don't give you a participation ribbon.

I think there is more of a focus on the Backcountry part than the Hunting part because there is no aimed result in the former.

 

[S.Clancy]

To be honest, I think it's more of a d*** measuring contest than anything. Same thing as some guy telling you he benches 350, squats 450, pull 80lbs, hikes 20 miles, etc. If you ain't eating elk, you're still failing.

 

[elkyinzer]

As an Eastern invader I feel for you guys. But you can't hide such an awesome product. Elk hunting is amazing. I get annoyed by the over promotion of it too. I grew up in Western PA motivated to try it, way before social media was a thing. Starting in my later teen years, social media got rolling and the chronicles of guys on forums especially bowsite really nudged me along to give it a try and pursue it as a passion. I strongly considered moving out West and we talk about some day doing it, but life happened and here I am.

Comparing pressure out West to pressure here in Western PA is insane however. In some areas our public land will have 30 or 40 guys bowhunting ONE SQUARE MILE, and 2 or 3 times that in rifle season. Obviously the dense forest vs. open space, and fact that the target animals aren't bugling at 100 decibels factors in. But largely in discussing hunting pressure, sorry, our thought is "have a little cheese with you whine"

The mapping resources these days are incredible too. There are no overlooked spots. I see that at home and out West. I am 3 for 3 picking out awesome OTC elk areas while I drink beer beside my laptop 1,500 miles away. That is all self taught just messing around with maps, so I don't know if social media is to blame there or not. I know I don't have some magical wizardry skill to do it, so others guys are too.

GPS gives people confidence. Backcountry camping gear is far better than it was a decade ago.

Just my thoughts...I don't have a solution...sorry.

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

The never ending news cycle pushes me as deep as I can get. Some day I think I might just stay.

 

[sneaky]

What if this is all a conspiracy to push elk back to within a mile of the trail? lol

Progress lol

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[Mark]

Ive overheard many conversations at the bow shop and people always seem to have the need to throw in "I was 8, 10, 12 miles in" as if that shows how hard they hunted or how good of a hunter they are.

... I don't think most of them know what they are doing and wont stick with it long enough to figure it out.

In my experience, the people who talk the most about their journey are typically the people that are the least successful. They like to talk up the game just to hear their own voice. And that's what they do with every aspect of their life - they exaggerate the situation.

The people that are humble in regard to their personal journey are typically the most successful. That's the 10% crowd.

If hunting were shut down, that chatty bravado group would never set out in the backcountry.

Some of us would still find that connection with the land in spite of not being able to hunt. We would still find the time to be in the backcountry.

I know for a fact that I would still make the time to be away from the crowds and finding solitude in the mountains. And where I go, if you get two miles from the road, you're all alone.

Maybe I'm over-generalizing here, yet I think there's some truth in there. It's just my personal opinion based on the experiences I've had with the 8, 10, 12 mile types.

 

[WesG]

This is coming from a total newb that has generaly been a lurker here on Rokslide and not a poster. I just recently got into bow hunting partially due to the utube/podcast promotion of back country hunting so take my thoughts for what they are; maybe my heads completely up my rear. But, I think some of the interest in "doing it the hard way" lies more in what I see as somewhat of a pendulum swing back from the everyone gets a trophy for showing up mentality that our society has pushed down our kids throats for the past few decades. Ive seen a swing in my circle of friends who are now trying to live life in a harder way and to push themselves in many forms and I believe the fascination with the back country experience plays into this romanticized view of doing hard things for the sake of being challenged. We as a society, are starting to figure out that there is no honor in an accomplishment that was not earned and if everyone is special, then no one is special. This growth in working hard for the hunt is just an extension of that overall changing sentiment. I think its also due to exploding populations and being around too many people that are kinda counter to what many of us need for our overall general mental health. I'm in law enforcement and come my days off, all I want to do is get away from people, noise and commotion. I will sit in my patrol car and daydream about being in the middle of nowhere in a cabin without power with nothing but a good book and NO OTHER HUMANS. Back pack hunting combines my love of getting away from people with my pack with hunting, an activity that I have dabbled in but not been really that serious about for the past 35-40 years

I know with our busier and busier lives in crowded areas many folks have to be coming to the same conclusion. I've only harvested one deer out here in California since switching from gun to archery and that was on private not public land but I have still dropped a bit of coin on equipment. This only helps the companies continue to grow and innovate and make better equipment for everyone. I'm positive that I'm not unique and would guess that the industry has likely seen quite a bit of growth in the past few years.

I have spent more time in the National Forest during this archery season around my home than in the past probably five years. The push towards conservation that many in the hunting community advocate resonates since I am now out there. New people like me who listen to podcast with folks like Hanes and Newberg or Brian Call hear this conservation theme pushed and promoted. I know that I have gone from relative ambivalence towards much of the conservation fight (because it did not affect ME) to now understanding its importance because it DOES effect me now. Even if I decide to move on and prioritize other hobbies and activities in a few year, though I doubt it-I will still have had my consciousness changed on the subject. I think that many of you are right, the pendulum will swing for many people and things will likely regress to where it was a few year ago but I would think that many of the people who were introduced to hunting and conservation etc during this social media boom cycle will still be advocates for those issues when it comes time to vote. This is important since as we have all seen, the anti hunters are more vocal now with the rise of social media and sensationalism getting the clicks. But, take my opinion as what it is since I am a green newb-LOL.