The Dilemma!!!

[Evan Williams]

Well here goes....

I drew a Colorado Second Choice Archery tag for elk ( obviously ) and talking with friends/customers I already know 9 other people who are hunting the same unit. Of those I know that I can out hike 8 of them and the 9th and I are close. Its a big unit but everyone that I have gotten information out of has pointed me to the same 3 areas (fairly accessible ) and there is a lot of ATV usable trails open.

I have a buddy that used to guide in some OTC units and wants to take me into his HONEY HOLE and is making BIG Promises .

Do I turn in a 2nd choice tag (since I didn't burn any points to get it) and go with an OTC tag??

I'm torn between hunting solo in a unit I have the ability to call in lots of friends to help or go OTC with someone I haven't hunted with but in an area I can get into year after year???

PS ... its a standing invitation and is supposed to have BOMBER Mule Deer TOO!!!

 

[muleman]

For me it would depend on how reliable the buddy and his info is. If I could get some inside info on a good OTC area that I could hunt year after year; then I'd do the OTC hunt.

 

[Swede]

I'm with Muleman on this. If your buddy has no track record or a poor one, then politely excuse yourself and stay with what you have. Braggers are dime a dozen. Good buddies who can produce in situations like you describe are rare.

 

[bounds]

That's tough. If I was remotely close to the guy with the honey hole in OTC and trusted him at all, I would want to go see a place that I could for sure hunt every year. And you're not burning points anyway.

 

[larryschwartz]

Evan,

A couple of things to consider...

1. If it is a standing invitation, and I expect you plan to hunt for at least a few more years, why not go the OTC route next year, after you have had a chance to do a scouting trip with him to gauge the area.

2. For the second choice tag, the reason that everyone recommends those three "easy access" areas may be because they are easy to access and that is where most of the folks go to hunt. I would check on what was happening farther in rather than where all the ATV trails and other folks are hunting, maybe do some map/aerial photo scouting to find some more remote areas with similary terrain and habitat to the three areas they recommended.