Montana General vs Colorado OTC

[Vandy321]

I'm a CO resident and am putting in for NM, WY and MT this year if that tells you anything. CO is a zoo and until they limit NR tags like every other state in the union, I'll hunt elsewhere.

 

[ppelham]

I am assuming this is for rifle, but I've hunted both for September archery and am sharing my experience. I found the hunting pressure and elk numbers to be similar in both states (at least where I hunted). I was able to get away from people and find (not kill) elk in both states. There were a ton of camps and we did run into hunters, but not everywhere, in both states. Also, locals in both states said rifle season is a zoo with blaze orange everywhere.

The biggest difference for me was dealing with grizzly bear related restrictions in Montana on camping. I didn't run into any grizzlies, but it was less convenient then in Colorado.

If I were you, I would decide how I want to hunt (base camp, backpack, etc.) and if you are okay hunting with grizzlies as they're in most of Montana's popular elk units. Then pick the unit in either state you like best. Then, keep going back. I'm quickly finding jumping around to different states and units isn't a great way to kill elk.

Should have clarified This is an archery hunt. But applies the same


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[SBAHunts]

From a hunting pressure perspective or just all around ?


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cuz he's from CO

 

[Castle Oak]

I've hunted MT General during archery season the last three years. Hunting pressure and recreational pressure (hiking, biking, UTV'ing, wood cutting) have ramped up each year. 2020 was a zoo and I hunt in a high population grizz area. The locals I've come to know told me they have never seen a year like 2020. We can say that the high pressure is due to covid, and that may be true for non-hunting activity, but I don't believe it's the reason for the insane hunting pressure. We're going to make a move this year towards greener pastures and hope to find some less pressured elk.

 

[Indian Summer]

I read the other thread about pressure in 2020. I saw a bit more where I was too. But.... states like Montana and Wyoming sell the exact same number of non resident licenses every year. There is no OTC like Colorado. So do you think there are more residents hunting?

 

[bsnedeker]

I read the other thread about pressure in 2020. I saw a bit more where I was too. But.... states like Montana and Wyoming sell the exact same number of non resident licenses every year. There is no OTC like Colorado. So do you think there are more residents hunting?

I honestly didn't see any extra hunting pressure this year than years past. I make an effort to listen to whatever Randy Newberg is saying on YouTube and in his podcasts and then do the opposite of whatever he is saying so that might be part of it. Basically I don't hunt burns or roadless areas. Also got into more elk this year then ever.

The roads and trails were packed with non hunters so I noticed that for sure, but as soon as you get off the roads you don't see those people.

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[bayoublaster7527]

Definitely Montana. Colorado is a zoo. There is a reason all the insta-celebrity bro hunters are hunting Montana.

 

[aachey]

Hunted MT in 2019 and 2020, middle of September Archery. This year we saw almost triple the amount of camps compared to the previous year. A lot of those camps were out of staters.

 

[Next Ridge]

I read the other thread about pressure in 2020. I saw a bit more where I was too. But.... states like Montana and Wyoming sell the exact same number of non resident licenses every year. There is no OTC like Colorado. So do you think there are more residents hunting?

With population increases in the states I think there has to be.
I would like to find stats on the number of elk hunters that are new and start hunting every year vice how many are new but only go one time.

 

[Wiscohunter]

With population increases in the states I think there has to be.
I would like to find stats on the number of elk hunters that are new and start hunting every year vice how many are new but only go one time.

I have only hunted Montana once, but there where far more Montana hunters than out of state hunters where I was hunting, especially on the weekends. Also, the local Montana hunters hunted hard, getting way back away from the roads. Several camps had horses.

Colorado seemed to be more of a 50/50 resident to nonresident mix where I was hunting. Then again, maybe the residents just knew better than me and the rest of the out of state hunters, and avoided that area.

 

[CAElkhunter]

I have hunted both for Rifle for the past 7 yrs. Both are good choices but I encounter less pressure/orange in MT when I hunt there.

 

[cnelk]

I read the other thread about pressure in 2020. I saw a bit more where I was too. But.... states like Montana and Wyoming sell the exact same number of non resident licenses every year. There is no OTC like Colorado. So do you think there are more residents hunting?

Colorado:
In 2020, there were 213,210 1st Choice elk applicants, in 2019, there were 203,095 1st Choice elk applicants

10,115 more just in the draw - you can bet there was also an increase in OTC sales.

Im sure other states also had an increase in Resident license sales

 

[Elktaco]

Idaho hands down.

 

[Indian Summer]

Colorado:
In 2020, there were 213,210 1st Choice elk applicants, in 2019, there were 203,095 1st Choice elk applicants

10,115 more just in the draw - you can bet there was also an increase in OTC sales.

Im sure other states also had an increase in Resident license sales

The number of applicants doesn’t affect the number of licenses issued. An increase in resident hunters would definitely mean more pressure. That could probably be noticeable in Colorado but I don’t think it is very significant in Montana or Wyoming. Anyone who moved there due to covid wasn’t a resident in 2020. Plus they have a fraction of the population that CO does. I think the big factor would be OTC non resident licenses.

 

[mavinwa2]

I prefer SW CO OTC for 1 reason: NO GRIZZ!
Was charged in NW MT 20 years ago, something you will never forget if it happens to you! Sure its probably worse now with increased grizz numbers.
NW, SW Montana; why is it you read about NR being in most bear attacks? Most NR are not bear aware.
for example: Gravelly Mtn Range, Google it...

A good friend lives in MT. When he sees abundant Grizz sign, he moves and hunts a different area within a unit. But sometimes the best, most abundant elk areas have grizz. Steve has that local knowledge of where to go and best limit his chances on a bear encounter. The times I hunted with him, my pepper spray & Glock 20 was on either side my pack belt, 44mag only for him. He is of the opinion that pepper spray as just extra flavoring when the grizz is crunching on you.
Besides, aren't we all archery hunting along with the wind into our face.

We saw the big brown bears several times on our hunts. He says must get meat packed out quickly or grizz gets it. We took out backstraps, rear quarters deboned. Hung the rest of deboned meat.
Returning mid-morning next day, watching him get nervous as we approached the hung meat, 400 yards away from kill/butchering site. That year the meat was ok.
My 2nd year, bear(s) got it, bags of front quarters boned, small meat (ribs, neck, such) bagged.
Glassing from few hundred yards away, seeing bags down & ripped, we just turned around and walked out. He takes few chances in bear country. He saw what was needed to see.

So in MT or CO, get your best eating cuts of meat out first!

 

[bsnedeker]

I prefer SW CO OTC for 1 reason: NO GRIZZ!
Was charged in NW MT 20 years ago, something you will never forget if it happens to you! Sure its probably worse now with increased grizz numbers.
NW, SW Montana; why is it you read about NR being in most bear attacks? Most NR are not bear aware.
for example: Gravelly Mtn Range, Google it...

A good friend lives in MT. When he sees abundant Grizz sign, he moves and hunts a different area within a unit. But sometimes the best, most abundant elk areas have grizz. Steve has that local knowledge of where to go and best limit his chances on a bear encounter. The times I hunted with him, my pepper spray & Glock 20 was on either side my pack belt, 44mag only for him. He is of the opinion that pepper spray as just extra flavoring when the grizz is crunching on you.
Besides, aren't we all archery hunting along with the wind into our face.

We saw the big brown bears several times on our hunts. He says must get meat packed out quickly or grizz gets it. We took out backstraps, rear quarters deboned. Hung the rest of deboned meat.
Returning mid-morning next day, watching him get nervous as we approached the hung meat, 400 yards away from kill/butchering site. That year the meat was ok.
My 2nd year, bear(s) got it, bags of front quarters boned, small meat (ribs, neck, such) bagged.
Glassing from few hundred yards away, seeing bags down & ripped, we just turned around and walked out. He takes few chances in bear country. He saw what was needed to see.

So in MT or CO, get your best eating cuts of meat out first!

I disagree....locals get scratched up pretty regularly too!

 

[OverlandOnTheFly]

I prefer SW CO OTC for 1 reason: NO GRIZZ!
Was charged in NW MT 20 years ago, something you will never forget if it happens to you! Sure its probably worse now with increased grizz numbers.
NW, SW Montana; why is it you read about NR being in most bear attacks? Most NR are not bear aware.
for example: Gravelly Mtn Range, Google it...

A good friend lives in MT. When he sees abundant Grizz sign, he moves and hunts a different area within a unit. But sometimes the best, most abundant elk areas have grizz. Steve has that local knowledge of where to go and best limit his chances on a bear encounter. The times I hunted with him, my pepper spray & Glock 20 was on either side my pack belt, 44mag only for him. He is of the opinion that pepper spray as just extra flavoring when the grizz is crunching on you.
Besides, aren't we all archery hunting along with the wind into our face.

We saw the big brown bears several times on our hunts. He says must get meat packed out quickly or grizz gets it. We took out backstraps, rear quarters deboned. Hung the rest of deboned meat.
Returning mid-morning next day, watching him get nervous as we approached the hung meat, 400 yards away from kill/butchering site. That year the meat was ok.
My 2nd year, bear(s) got it, bags of front quarters boned, small meat (ribs, neck, such) bagged.
Glassing from few hundred yards away, seeing bags down & ripped, we just turned around and walked out. He takes few chances in bear country. He saw what was needed to see.

So in MT or CO, get your best eating cuts of meat out first!

That’s a good point, not sure I’d want want to pop my cherry in grizz country. Coming from black bear country 99% of encounters are positive. The 1% negative is trying to load a harvested bear into a truck. It’s like wrestling with a bag of water.

 

[chasewild]

I prefer SW CO OTC for 1 reason: NO GRIZZ!
Was charged in NW MT 20 years ago, something you will never forget if it happens to you! Sure its probably worse now with increased grizz numbers.
NW, SW Montana; why is it you read about NR being in most bear attacks? Most NR are not bear aware.
for example: Gravelly Mtn Range, Google it...

A good friend lives in MT. When he sees abundant Grizz sign, he moves and hunts a different area within a unit. But sometimes the best, most abundant elk areas have grizz. Steve has that local knowledge of where to go and best limit his chances on a bear encounter. The times I hunted with him, my pepper spray & Glock 20 was on either side my pack belt, 44mag only for him. He is of the opinion that pepper spray as just extra flavoring when the grizz is crunching on you.
Besides, aren't we all archery hunting along with the wind into our face.

We saw the big brown bears several times on our hunts. He says must get meat packed out quickly or grizz gets it. We took out backstraps, rear quarters deboned. Hung the rest of deboned meat.
Returning mid-morning next day, watching him get nervous as we approached the hung meat, 400 yards away from kill/butchering site. That year the meat was ok.
My 2nd year, bear(s) got it, bags of front quarters boned, small meat (ribs, neck, such) bagged.
Glassing from few hundred yards away, seeing bags down & ripped, we just turned around and walked out. He takes few chances in bear country. He saw what was needed to see.

So in MT or CO, get your best eating cuts of meat out first!

Ya, come to SW Colorado. YOu'll be thrilled with that choice.

 

[Indian Summer]

Public service announcement: There are LOTS of areas in Montana and Wyoming that don’t have grizzlies.

 

[OverlandOnTheFly]

Public service announcement: There are LOTS of areas in Montana and Wyoming that don’t have grizzlies.

Yeah, and a bear shits in the woods