Is Colorado requiring archery draw next year?

[BRTreedogs]

I think you will be good. Lets say it does go thru, the first 2 years I bet tags are way under applied for just because it always seems to take a few years for guys to figure out a new system. Then after that you have all the guys holding 5+ points who don’t want to drop them on a “general” tag so that keeps them out of the pool. They pick up leftovers (there will be literally thousands, just like now). So that gets you tags for the first 5 years without one single point being use. Then after that there will still be DAUs that are over objective that they release just ridiculous tag numbers for.

This entire lie about getting one more elk tag in your entire life if it goes draw is a total scare tactic sold to you by the good ol boy network who think that they should be able to hunt bulls every year, in the unit their pappy hunted, with unlimited OTC tags, while still building points for a better hunt! Damn the health of the herds, lets hunt them to extinction as long as we are hunting them every single year and not having to fill out some app on the interwebs.




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Reducing tag numbers to benefit the heard is easy otc with caps. And zones so you can manage that herd more localized. But then at least everyone has an equal chance at purchasing a tag. Vs points which is whoever's playing the game.
Like all the people that buy kids and wives points then party up and poach them off.

 

[Backyard]

I think you will be good. Lets say it does go thru, the first 2 years I bet tags are way under applied for just because it always seems to take a few years for guys to figure out a new system. Then after that you have all the guys holding 5+ points who don’t want to drop them on a “general” tag so that keeps them out of the pool. They pick up leftovers (there will be literally thousands, just like now). So that gets you tags for the first 5 years without one single point being use. Then after that there will still be DAUs that are over objective that they release just ridiculous tag numbers for.

This entire lie about getting one more elk tag in your entire life if it goes draw is a total scare tactic sold to you by the good ol boy network who think that they should be able to hunt bulls every year, in the unit their pappy hunted, with unlimited OTC tags, while still building points for a better hunt! Damn the health of the herds, lets hunt them to extinction as long as we are hunting them every single year and not having to fill out some app on the interwebs.




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I hope you're right, I know I'm not the only (albeit a minority) one that just enjoys elk hunting for the experience of just elk hunting. No trophies just the journey.
I'd like to be able to for a couple more years anyway...

 

[ckleeves]

Reducing tag numbers to benefit the heard is easy otc with caps. And zones so you can manage that herd more localized. But then at least everyone has an equal chance at purchasing a tag. Vs points which is whoever's playing the game.
Like all the people that buy kids and wives points then party up and poach them off.

I’m totally fine with caps also. Idaho’s system seems to work pretty well minus the second tag deal.


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[loggerchas]

I know crowding in some areas is bad, no doubt. An option nobody seems to discuss is moving to another area. I wonder if r/nr hunters hunting the units with all of the right "statistics" or defined by the "layers" on your favorite e-scouting tool is what is driving the crowding issue and not actual hunter numbers themselves. Too much of the discussion focuses on the symptom of "crowding" and does not address the real issue that is causing the concentration of hunters. If everyone is using the same handful of software to find a "honey hole" is it any wonder thousands of hunters are coming up with the same answer and flocking to the same areas?

As for me, I'll keep hunting my "marginal units" that the software and stats discount as good areas...

 

[5MilesBack]

As for me, I'll keep hunting my "marginal units" that the software and stats discount as good areas...

I've changed my "OTC" hunting areas at least 5 times in the last many years because of crowding. My most recent areas for the past several years are listed as single digit success rate units. However, it's a crap shoot every year as to just how many people show up. I've seen as many as 25 trucks at one trail head before, or a dozen horse trailers, or so many camps that people are camping right on the road. And then I've had years where I saw maybe two other people while I was there. That's really bizarre.

But what sticks in my mind is the years of crowding. I sit here right now debating where I'm going to hunt this year. And my top 3 options don't give me a lot of hope that I'm going to even find a decent place to set up base camp. Or I could just go exploring this year.......go find an area and set up and then move if I need to. My problem is that my top 3 options are a good 4+ hours between each of them. Nothing like covering the state to find the right spot.

 

[805Bowhunter]

I know crowding in some areas is bad, no doubt. An option nobody seems to discuss is moving to another area. I wonder if r/nr hunters hunting the units with all of the right "statistics" or defined by the "layers" on your favorite e-scouting tool is what is driving the crowding issue and not actual hunter numbers themselves. Too much of the discussion focuses on the symptom of "crowding" and does not address the real issue that is causing the concentration of hunters. If everyone is using the same handful of software to find a "honey hole" is it any wonder thousands of hunters are coming up with the same answer and flocking to the same areas?

As for me, I'll keep hunting my "marginal units" that the software and stats discount as good areas...

Agreed. I feel like it is hard for people to get their head around the fact that there are elk "outside" of where the internet says when they are coming out on their first elk trip. I feel like it is hard for people to explore and get creative for looking when they are coming from out of state and have one week to get it done. Unfortunately, I feel like there are a lot who would rather brave the crowds for a "chance" than get off on their own and, in their mind, risk getting skunked. I would be happy to see CO go to a system that is more similar to Idaho (minus the 2nd tag option) so that people have to look elsewhere if their area has met its OTC quota. I appreciate hearing what CO hunters have to say a lot too as ultimately, it is there resource.

 

[Moondoondude]

Like others have said, putting a cap on tags seems far more realistic than doing away with OTC altogether. Personally, I don't think they will even do that - at least not next year.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Btw there wouldn't be any 2nd tags if they sold in 1st go round.

 

[ljrunyanii]

I often wonder in these discussions what the biologists think. Can the populations in any given unit support the hunting pressure they are seeing? I'm equally worried about sustainable hunting as I am with a quality experience. Does anyone here have the credentials to weigh in on these questions?

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[txhunter581]

They will not vote to make all archery tags limited. There will be some areas where they will make the tags Bull only to reduce harvest of cows without losing any money.