If you had 12 Preference Points...what would you do?

Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
657
Location
Western Pennsylvania
I have 12 Non-resident preference points for elk in Colorado. I can hunt with either bow, muzzle-loader or rifle. I would prefer DIY and am not opposed to a back-country hunt.

I will be 61 next year but in pretty good shape....albeit i do not run marathons.....but I walk and ride my bike every day I can. However my home elevation is below 1,000....I am an eastern semi flat-lander from Pennsylvania.

I am just looking for suggestions as to which unit and weapon would offer me the best opportunity to bag a good bull without having to pay for a private land hunt. I can research it from there.

I have considered a membership to Huntin Fool but I thought I would post this to see if it would get any traction before I bought a membership.

Blessings!








ooo
 

sndmn11

WKR
Joined
Mar 28, 2017
Messages
9,169
Location
Morrison, Colorado
I have 12 Non-resident preference points for elk in Colorado. I can hunt with either bow, muzzle-loader or rifle. I would prefer DIY and am not opposed to a back-country hunt.

I will be 61 next year but in pretty good shape....albeit i do not run marathons.....but I walk and ride my bike every day I can. However my home elevation is below 1,000....I am an eastern semi flat-lander from Pennsylvania.

I am just looking for suggestions as to which unit and weapon would offer me the best opportunity to bag a good bull without having to pay for a private land hunt. I can research it from there.

I have considered a membership to Huntin Fool but I thought I would post this to see if it would get any traction before I bought a membership.

Blessings!








ooo

I would lock your thread and do exactly what post #2 says.
 

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
5,487
I feel like elk are pretty easy vs deer. Find the units that took 10-11 PP last year for NR and then match up season dates, terrain, location and decided which one works best for your situation. 12pp for elk will pretty much guarantee lots of animals unlike 12 pp for deer which is a complete crapshoot.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
15,528
Location
Colorado Springs
Here's my opinion regardless of unit.........if I'm using 12 points on a tag I want maximum time on the hunt........that's the most fun. So I'd go archery regardless of what unit you choose. But that's me, I love maximum time in the mountains in September. From there you can study the stats pages and see exactly what tags you can and can't get with 12 points.
 
OP
Huntingfarandwide
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
657
Location
Western Pennsylvania
Here's my opinion regardless of unit.........if I'm using 12 points on a tag I want maximum time on the hunt........that's the most fun. So I'd go archery regardless of what unit you choose. But that's me, I love maximum time in the mountains in September. From there you can study the stats pages and see exactly what tags you can and can't get with 12 points.
Good advice!
 
OP
Huntingfarandwide
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
657
Location
Western Pennsylvania
Ideally I would like to be in an area without ATV access and be on foot. Having a base camp and then spiking it for 2- 3 days from there is something I can train for.

I have hunted Colorado for years with all three weapons and have gradually stored points. I now have a job that affords me as much time as I need. I can take up to 3 weeks in a row...so conceivably I can do this and I am not getting any younger so I believe next year is the time to strike.

I also am not opposed to paying someone to take me in on horseback as a drop camp to get me away from the crowds.
 

Elktaco

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 22, 2016
Messages
252
Good call, i thought it was 11 or 12 but haven't looked at the data lately as I'm out of the CO point game.
49 ML is only 23% chance to draw w/ 12PPs
49 1st Rifle takes 13 PPs

There's better options for 12PPs for a NR
 

jray5740

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 9, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Colorado
With 12 points.....I would move to CO for a year, get residency status, draw a premium tag that would otherwise take you twice that as a non-res, and then move back home haha.........I have contemplated this for years with all of my points I build in non res states for various species.....not sure if Ill ever go through with it! Wifey would probably have something to say about it ahahah
 

cnelk

WKR
Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
6,799
Location
Colorado
With 12 points.....I would move to CO for a year, get residency status, draw a premium tag that would otherwise take you twice that as a non-res, and then move back home haha.........I have contemplated this for years with all of my points I build in non res states for various species.....not sure if Ill ever go through with it! Wifey would probably have something to say about it ahahah

Not so fast.
My son has 12 PP as a Resident and there isnt squat for archery [his preferred method] hunts with those points - 'No Mans Land'

Either way too many, or not enough
 
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Messages
308
Location
AK
With 12 points you are definitely out of the top tier units. If you are serious about next year, call huntin fool (or maybe someone knows CO really well here, where you guys at?) and ask their advice. I gave up on CO many years ago, actually I'd have about 11-12 points now if I bought every year. But what I would do is go hunting, have fun, make memories and enjoy the hunt.
 

slick

WKR
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Messages
1,799
With 12 points you are definitely out of the top tier units. If you are serious about next year, call huntin fool (or maybe someone knows CO really well here, where you guys at?) and ask their advice. I gave up on CO many years ago, actually I'd have about 11-12 points now if I bought every year. But what I would do is go hunting, have fun, make memories and enjoy the hunt.

Not sure if you read through the thread but I’d imagine there have been PMs shared by now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Messages
308
Location
AK
Not sure if you read through the thread but I’d imagine there have been PMs shared by now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Retouching a topic to get more involved, is what we all should be striving to do. I share all that I know but unfortunately my information is too old for CO with his points. I hope his inbox is too full with ideas and insights, to get him out there on a memorable hunt.
 

Deadfall

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Joined
Oct 18, 2019
Messages
1,526
Location
Montana
One uncle lives in Colorado and one in Missouri. They both in 60s and hunt Colorado every year. Uncle in Missouri rides his bike religiously almost year round.

Go do whatever your heart desires. Pay close attention to post#2.
 
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