Colorado big game tag allocation

Holski

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Aug 25, 2021
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Interesting article on how Colorado allocates big game tags to residents vs. non-residents. Wonder if Colorado will ever get rid of the OTC tags and go to a general draw.

 
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
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2,032
I think the new structure will start the slow down of non resident. The management of hunting and the game animals has been horrible for many years. There should be room for non resident hunters but maybe not all the non residents. There has to be a better way.
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2021
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Larkspur, CO
Does anybody know how we can find out how many tags will be available for each hunt before we apply in Colorado? I would hate to find out that units I normally draw with zero preference points or leftover now require points after applying.
 
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Holski

Holski

FNG
Joined
Aug 25, 2021
Messages
59
Location
Colorado
Does anybody know how we can find out how many tags will be available for each hunt before we apply in Colorado? I would hate to find out that units I normally draw with zero preference points or leftover now require points after applying.
Not sure if you can find the current stats before applying but I know you can pull last year draw statistics from the CPW website Below link for Elk or on other sites like Gohunt or Toprut.

 

cnelk

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Mar 1, 2012
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Does anybody know how we can find out how many tags will be available for each hunt before we apply in Colorado? I would hate to find out that units I normally draw with zero preference points or leftover now require points after applying.

Tag allocations will come out not long after the draw deadline...
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2019
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Missouri
The author of that article should invest in a proofreader/fact-checker. I predict that when Colorado eventually does cut nonresident tag allocations in half, the author will be disappointed that the tags available to him as resident don't double.

"You might be surprised that Colorado give 350% more nonresident tags the average western state [sic]"
(35% – 10%) ÷ 10% = 250% more, but sure use the more dramatic-sounding (but incorrect) number.

"35% of tags in unit 40 (Glade Park) are still going to nonresidents, when the legal amount should be 20%. This is robbing many resident hunters of the opportunity to hunt in unit 40 and in many other units just like it."
It's actually 28%, as shown in the draw report linked in the article. Also, the "many" resident hunters being robbed of a unit 40 archery elk tag is 5 hunters (20% allocation to nonresidents would be 13 instead of 18 tags). By all means, CPW should use more current/accurate data to enforce the nonresident cap...advocates for change should also use accurate numbers to make their arguments.
Screenshot_20220328-202840_Drive.jpg

"many units like 2, 201 go up one preference point every year, which means if you don’t have 20+ points today you will never draw the tag."
That is patently false (the bolded part). Point creep cannot continue forever because everyone eventually grows too old to hunt then dies. The best-of-the-best tags might eventually take 50-60 points to draw, but point creep will eventually level off. We're not going to see any 80 point units 50 years from now unless Colorado begins allowing point transfers between people or begins giving out more than one point per year (or unless people stop aging). Point creep isn't a flaw in the preference point system; it's the natural consequence of demand for tags exceeding the available supply.

"Over 500 resident and resident youths hunters were not able to draw the tag for their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th draw choices because all the tags (over the 35% nonresident cap) went to nonresidents in the 1st draw . . . you see (in some cases) hundreds of resident deer hunters were denied a tag because they put in for 2nd, 3rd, or 4th choice."
You can't conclude with certainty that those residents had their tags "stolen" by nonresidents. Those residents may appear in the report as unsuccessful on their 2nd/3rd/4th choices simply because they drew their 1st choice tag.

"New Mexico gives only 6% of its tags to nonresidents"
Only 6% to nonresident DIY hunters...up to 16% if you include the tags allocated to hunters using an outfitter.
 
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Ucsdryder

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Jan 24, 2015
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1st time putting in for the draw this year. Trying to be patient waiting.
Not a lot to be impatient about with Colorado. Minus some point creep there’s a good chance you know exactly what you will or won’t get…assuming elk, deer, pronghorn. If it’s the other big 3 just assume you won’t draw…because you won’t!
 
Joined
Mar 27, 2022
Messages
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Not a lot to be impatient about with Colorado. Minus some point creep there’s a good chance you know exactly what you will or won’t get…assuming elk, deer, pronghorn. If it’s the other big 3 just assume you won’t draw…because you won’t!
Sent for elk. It looks to be about a sure thing but being the 1st time its easy tonget anxious.
 
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