Colorado - 5-year Big Game Season Structure

[HighDesertSage]

I'm fine with the OTC tags, I just wish they would rotate some units out of OTC. For example, for 3 years they could make the northern most OTC units limited draw (something like Units 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 131, 161, 171, 211, 214, 301, 441 - I'm sure I'm missing a few). Then put them back in the OTC pot and remove all units south of Steamboat and Meeker down to I-70 for 3 years. Then keep moving south, and start all over again after the southern OTC units have been rested. Might take 12 to 15 years to rotate through all the OTC units, but 75% or more of the units would remain OTC in a given year. Might be good for the overall population, and it might make some of these units more productive and enjoyable. Reminds me of when we rotate crop fields.

OMG can you imagine the pressure on those units that where open to OTC though? It'd be more CF'd than it is now.

 

[Pelican]

Any of the proposed changes to the season structure seem destine to benefit one group of hunters while simultaneously negatively affecting another group, or worse yet, negatively affecting the game populations. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I’ll gladly accept less than ideal archery season dates if it means I can continue to buy an OTC tag into the future.

 

[COEngineer]

The rotating OTC units idea might be OK in theory, but our regulations are complicated enough. As far as limiting archery tags and/or making them draw-only would be fine with me. The number of archery hunters has been going up consistently (about 4% per year, if I remember correctly) and at some point it is going to get too crowded for everyone to have an enjoyable experience. I don't have a big qualm with the muzzleloader season being in the middle of archery since it is already draw-only with very limited tags.

 

[Mudranger1]

I think I'm going to join the muzzleloader revolution and get on the OTC train

 

[Pelican]

I’m not going to support limits on otc archery tag availability as I think we would be getting ourselves into a slippery slope situation and eventually end up with a limited number of unit specific tags. If archery hunting in CO is such a miserable experience for so many folks, then why does the number of hunters keep increasing? Instead of limiting tags, maybe the commission could make archery hunting less attractive by shortening the season or outlaw hunting on weekends. That should decrease the crowding issue. I’m joking of course, but in all seriousness, we have a good situation now, let’s not screw it up.

 

[Mudranger1]

I’m not going to support limits on otc archery tag availability as I think we would be getting ourselves into a slippery slope situation and eventually end up with a limited number of unit specific tags. If archery hunting in CO is such a miserable experience for so many folks, then why does the number of hunters keep increasing? Instead of limiting tags, maybe the commission could make archery hunting less attractive by shortening the season or outlaw hunting on weekends. That should decrease the crowding issue. I’m joking of course, but in all seriousness, we have a good situation now, let’s not screw it up.

Imo opinion the numbers keep going up because the oppurtunities in other states keep going dow

 

[JohnCushman]

It is kinda fun being in full camo during archery and calling in muzzleloader hunters during elk season But, I don't like the overlap.

 

[Pelican]

Imo opinion the numbers keep going up because the oppurtunities in other states keep going dow

I’m not aware of any drastic reduction in elk opportunity in others states, but I don’t keep up on all of them.
Maybe the reason for the increase is RANDY. He’s always on TV, having fun, and telling everyone how easy it is to hunt out west on public land. Maybe he’s just too effective.

 

[vanish]

At the FOCO meeting last night, an interesting point was brought up. There were FOUR new commissioners appointed, and they were asked to reapply by the new governor. The director has just moved on. Three of the other commissioners are going to be up for reappointment in a few months. This is a whole lot of instability on the board, which means anticipating the direction things are headed is right out the window.

 

[Pelican]

Does anyone know when the commission will make changes, if any? I found the March meeting agenda online, but didn't see anything related to season structure listed for the meeting. I may have missed it as sometimes it is difficult to decipher the legal descriptions in those agendas.

 

[grasshopper]

The CBA early deer seasons proposal is to have only the archery deer season west of I25 mirror the dates of pronghorn. In 2018, that was Aug 15-Sept 20th. It could alleviate some pressure during the archery elk season, create a premo archery deer hunt, and lower the conflict complaints we get about sharing basins with high country deer rifle hunters, and having buck shot out of archers laps or blown out of the basin. About 11,000 archery deer licenses are sold annually, but probably 3 or 4 thousand of those are eastern plains so we are talking about a tweek in participation, not a landslide change. If you think of all deer tags, archers don't get many, and with CWD management we may see a significant increase in deer tags for rifle CWD management. This early archery deer concept has widespread support from just concluded survey, appreciate your support in the form of emails when it counts.

The Sept 1 archery elk start date for 30 days has the support of 85% of survey respondents. I have never seen that type of poll support since we asked the question about abandoning pay later.

You can see our poll results at the link, you can join online at www.coloradobowhunting.org

As afar as commission timelines: 1. March is an update on input, 2. June is presentation of options, 3. July is final action based on what the commission says - they could delay, you never know.



Steve Hilde
CPW Liaison, CBA board of directors
NE region sportsmans roundtable

 

[grasshopper]

Google truncated many of the survey responses, here is the text of the full survey questions including the preambles...

Survey text Questions

 

[BrokenArrow]

As afar as commission timelines: 1. March is an update on input, 2. June is presentation of options, 3. July is final action based on what the commission says - they could delay, you never know.

Just curious if a draft of options is formulated and released for additional public comment, before it is presented in June?
Thanks, just trying to learn the system

 

[Oak]

Just curious if a draft of options is formulated and released for additional public comment, before it is presented in June?
Thanks, just trying to learn the system

Draft proposals will be presented at the Commission meeting in June, and the Commission will vote on a final plan in July. The public outreach is largely over, so it will be up to hunters to watch for the proposals on the Commission webpage prior to June, and comment to the commission prior to or at the June meeting. Documents are typically posted on the Commission website the Monday of the week prior to the meeting, so about 10 days out.

 

[Howie]

Can't imagine what will happen to the resource as more and more take advantage of ridiculous "caseless centerfire" allowances.

 

[Coloradoshedhead]

Splitting up the archery deer and elk hunters theoretically would create less pressure especially for the openers of both. However I am not convinced that shortening the split between end of archery elk season and the 1st rifle season would be a very healthy or wise choice.
This is coming from a yearly otc archery hunter who would benefit personally from the change, but that would be a very selfish outlook on the subject and denying the pressure caused to the elk along with the disruption it would cause the 1st season rifle hunters’ quality of their hunt would be unfair for all facets.

 

[BrokenArrow]

Draft proposals will be presented at the Commission meeting in June, and the Commission will vote on a final plan in July. The public outreach is largely over, so it will be up to hunters to watch for the proposals on the Commission webpage prior to June, and comment to the commission prior to or at the June meeting. Documents are typically posted on the Commission website the Monday of the week prior to the meeting, so about 10 days out.

Thanks Oak, appreciate it

 

[Deleted member 28227]

It is kinda fun being in full camo during archery and calling in muzzleloader hunters during elk season But, I don't like the overlap.

It's all fun and games until a wing nut sneaks up behind you, safety off, aiming at your chest, without a stitch of blaze on to alert you to his presence. The masses would never go for it but mandating muzzy's had to be patch and ball would be kinda cool.

 

[Howie]

It's all fun and games until a wing nut sneaks up behind you safety off with aiming at your chest without a stitch of blaze on to alert you to his presence. The masses would never go for it but mandating muzzy's had to be patch and ball would be kinda cool.

It's all fun and games until a wing nut sneaks up behind you safety off with aiming at your chest without a stitch of blaze on to alert you to his presence. The masses would never go for it but mandating muzzy's had to be patch and ball would be kinda cool.

Willm- wingnutz won't follow the "wear orange....or pink" rule right on that . Ya know if'n it's called muzzleloadin' ought'n it not have a flint ta go with the spit patched ball......maybe a thumb o spit on that front site too!!!!!

 

[Zach]

It's all fun and games until a wing nut sneaks up behind you, safety off, aiming at your chest, without a stitch of blaze on to alert you to his presence. The masses would never go for it but mandating muzzy's had to be patch and ball would be kinda cool.

Don't say that to loud, the book keepers at CPW will figure a way to now add a "primitive" season. Think of the revenue...