Limited archery elk in in SW CO

[mdeerjunkie]

For all those that haven’t heard.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. The agency manages 42 state parks, all of Colorado's wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs. CPW issues hunting and fishing...

cpw.state.co.us

 

[JohnCushman]

Good!!! I've watched the area I used to archery hunt go from me having it to myself to it looking like a KOA campground over the past few years. Something needed to be done. I'm willing to wait for a limited tag for quality hunting.

 

[WildWill]

I agree it's a good thing. It would be nice to see some OTC rifle hunts go limited as well.

 

[JohnCushman]

I could live with OTC w/caps for rifle seasons

 

[Buffs35]

I can dig it.

 

[el unit]

Good news!

 

[Deleted member 40728]

I’m okay with it. Just have to find a new OTC unit. I wonder how much more crowded that will make the remaining OTC units.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I’m okay with it. Just have to find a new OTC unit. I wonder how much more crowded that will make the remaining OTC units.

Why are you going to have to find a new unit? A few hunters were worries about it and I’m curious to your specific reasons.

 

[Deleted member 40728]

Why are you going to have to find a new unit? A few hunters were worries about it and I’m curious to your specific reasons.

One of the listed units was my yearly OTC destination as I was building points. Now that it is a draw unit I’m not sure I want to forfeit my points to return. I figure I will try something new or maybe get something off the leftover list. Just a new experience I suppose. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

One of the listed units was my yearly OTC destination as I was building points. Now that it is a draw unit I’m not sure I want to forfeit my points to return. I figure I will try something new or maybe get something off the leftover list. Just a new experience I suppose. Nothing wrong with that.

Absolutely, building points was a reason often cited for people probably switching. That’s said I bet if you wait till Aug there will be a pile of returned tags/left overs for your unit, or you could possibly get one as a 2nd choice I bet the quota is pretty generous.

Does being limited to one unit or group of units, or having it be bull only factor into your thinking?

 

[Deleted member 40728]

you could possibly get one as a 2nd choice I bet the quota is pretty generous.

Does being limited to one unit or group of units, or having it be bull only factor into your thinking?

I considered the second choice as well. I am perfectly content remaining in one unit and being bull only. I have never been someone that jumped all over the state from unit to unit all season. I honestly would be fine if Colorado was set up that you lost your points if you got a first choice tag in any season, that way you couldn’t continue to add to point creep issues and if OTC units had caps. Until that is something that becomes a new rule though I will continue to build points toward 5-6 range and hunt OTC or elsewhere as I have.

 

[cedahm]

I honestly would be fine if Colorado was set up that you lost your points if you got a first choice tag in any season, that way you couldn’t continue to add to point creep issues

This is already true - you lose your points if you draw a first choice tag.

If you're talking about using points if you pick up a tag that 'would have' taken points in the draw via a re-issue then it's a sensible argument, but that's unlikely since that process doesn't use the draw mechanism and we've seen the pace at which Aspira makes meaningful IT enhancements to the platform.

It will be interesting to see how the new regs affect pressure down there in the SW. If I was in the market for a new area I'd definitely throw in as second choice.

 

[oswald2581]

I think its needed, elk populations are declining and something needed to be done. It will only be matter of time before the whole OTC system will have to be changed.

 

[Deleted member 40728]

If you're talking about using points if you pick up a tag that 'would have' taken points in the draw via a re-issue then it's a sensible argument

My bad. Your theory is what I was referring to. I just don’t think you should be able to build points and still have a bull tag or coveted cow tag in your pocket the same year. I’m guilty of it and will continue to do it just like others until it’s stopped. By making SW Colorado limited though they have certainly started to cut down some of the units and scenarios to make point building easy. I understand there are still many ways, but selecting OTC either sex archery license in event of not getting 1st choice selection for that area is off the table now.

 

[GrantK]

It's not hurting anything, and in general I support making people actually be serious enough about hunting to figure out applying before the season but I bet it doesn't actually do all that much for perceived crowding, all you are cutting out is the people who couldn't be bothered to apply, and most of those are not really going to be the people you see in the woods, for the most part all this is changing is getting rid of the locals who dabble in archery elk hunting because they can give it a halfhearted try for $50...

I'd personally like to see all of these units go full draw, this happened 15 ish years ago to some other units around here and it made a HUGE difference in the quality of the experience in those units...still easy to draw, still plenty of people, but just putting a small barrier to entry made the quality of the bulls go up, and massively reduced the number of people driving around and in general Half-assing it and screwing it up for people who are actually trying to kill elk.

 

[coloradoguy]

I Feel something needed to be done. I witnessed it first hand hunting in and around those units. The only bummer for me is my OTC unit I hunt between years I draw is next to all the closed ones. All the hunters will all just move to the neighboring units and ruin them until the CPW closes them to OTC and then so on. Its only a matter of time that OTC will be gone and I'm kind of ok with that. I just worry that eventually if there is no OTC the competition for tags will sky rocket and make it difficult or impossible to get tags every year. Id rather hunt than stack points.