Colorado Mule Deer B&C

robby denning

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There is no doubt in my mind that our quantity and quality will both go down. It has changed drastically from the early 2000s to now and it will only get worse. Some guys have no idea how good it was here.

I Remember


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robby denning

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Colo's muledeer made a dramatic come-back after OTC deer tags were eliminated and it would be sad to see things return to the 80's and early 90's! If you hunted in Colo back in those years you know exactly what I'm talking about!
And I remember how bad it was then too.


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Foldem

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I wish we could have got this much response, conversation, and action from people when I posted about this during the comment period but I guess it was summer and not application season.
 

robby denning

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I wish we could have got this much response, conversation, and action from people when I posted about this during the comment period but I guess it was summer and not application season.
sorry man! Maybe that's why they do it that way as we're all trying to get in the hills in summer?
 
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I wish we could have got this much response, conversation, and action from people when I posted about this during the comment period but I guess it was summer and not application season.

Curious what you are talking about? I thought the season got changed because of elk? And hunters saying there should be more break in between seasons? I specifically remember that question on the survey. Also one of the last proposals was different. If I remember right it had to do with 2nd season only being one weekend. People complained. It forced 3rd and 4th later so that 2nd season had 2 weekends. Anyway that's how I remember it.
 
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I wish we could have got this much response, conversation, and action from people when I posted about this during the comment period but I guess it was summer and not application season.

Lots of people spoke up but CPW had their minds made up they changed the elk season and then said a majority of hunters wanted longer breaks between seasons and that is how the later dates and third season losing the second week occurred. If you remember correctly they also tried to eliminate two weekends in second season also, but faced major backlash. CPW also justified the deer tag increases by playing the CWD card. Plenty of us were at meetings and it fell on deaf ears, same with the bear issue they finally admitted to, same with the struggling elk they are just now starting to address. Sorry but CPW is way more reactive then proactive lately.
 

robby denning

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Lots of people spoke up but CPW had their minds made up they changed the elk season and then said a majority of hunters wanted longer breaks between seasons and that is how the later dates and third season losing the second week occurred. If you remember correctly they also tried to eliminate two weekends in second season also, but faced major backlash. CPW also justified the deer tag increases by playing the CWD card. Plenty of us were at meetings and it fell on deaf ears, same with the bear issue they finally admitted to, same with the struggling elk they are just now starting to address. Sorry but CPW is way more reactive then proactive lately.
my small friend group in Delta were quite upset about it and are the ones who first told me these seasons were likely to gel, Im guessing back in December
 

ColoradoV

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The reality of it started when the Colorado Bowhunters ASS decided to make it a top priority to push the elk season back they pushed ALL the seasons back by a week. Any voice of opposition fell on def ears both at the CBA and CPW.. After speaking out to the CBA one of the CBA board members called me a "ungrateful rebel bastard" so I dont think they will change their opinion on such things lol.. That is where the slide started. The CPW then wanted breaks as the landowners/guides see more animals on their land later in the year so bingo we had a gap between seasons...

So yea it was done mostly for the elk/ranchers and so that the landowners and outfitters that have Bray's ear on the commission could get more of them on their private land later in the year. Sold under the guise to deer hunters to control the CWD.. Also to be noted is that the CPW is the one who proliferated CWD up at CSU in the 60's when they kept to many deer to close until they got out and spread CWD... Every wonder why it is mostly up in the north west corner??

The best thing to do for the deer in Colorado would be to push the seasons forward 2 weeks across the board and do measured cwd tests. Then identify the problem units and handle them accordingly.. Not just slaughter the bucks state wide even in places where CWD has never been identified. But then the elk would not be down on the private lands as much so I guess that will not work in the eyes of a Bray/outfitter/rancher ran commission lol...
 

robby denning

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The reality of it started when the Colorado Bowhunters ASS decided to make it a top priority to push the elk season back they pushed ALL the seasons back by a week. Any voice of opposition fell on def ears both at the CBA and CPW.. After speaking out to the CBA one of the CBA board members called me a "ungrateful rebel bastard" so I dont think they will change their opinion on such things lol.. That is where the slide started. The CPW then wanted breaks as the landowners/guides see more animals on their land later in the year so bingo we had a gap between seasons...

So yea it was done mostly for the elk/ranchers and so that the landowners and outfitters that have Bray's ear on the commission could get more of them on their private land later in the year. Sold under the guise to deer hunters to control the CWD.. Also to be noted is that the CPW is the one who proliferated CWD up at CSU in the 60's when they kept to many deer to close until they got out and spread CWD... Every wonder why it is mostly up in the north west corner??

The best thing to do for the deer in Colorado would be to push the seasons forward 2 weeks across the board and do measured cwd tests. Then identify the problem units and handle them accordingly.. Not just slaughter the bucks state wide even in places where CWD has never been identified. But then the elk would not be down on the private lands as much so I guess that will not work in the eyes of a Bray/outfitter/rancher ran commission lol...

Thanks for your input man. I always value it.

The CWD response almost sounds like the COVID-19 response, screw up everything in hopes to help a minority.


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How is AZ not in the top 10 from 2010-2017?:unsure: I personally feel CO has been on a decline the last several years. Now with the new season structure I thinks its going to really set the age class back.Given, CO is a big state with enough places to hide a few big ones.. with the new weapons etc. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a 40-50% decrease in entries 2024-2031
 
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