What would you do with 25 Elk Points and 25 Deer Points in CO

[noharleyyet]

Also - start by focusing on Deer first. You can draw any deer tag in the state right now unless something weird happens. I was in that position last year and it makes the research alone a fun exercise. With current favorable season structures and the fact that you're in the max pool for deer, I'd get those deer hunts on the books ASAP.


For elk it's 35 for Residents and 33 for NR. Deer is 32/31, but OP is already effectively 'Max' for deer. Rumor is that the 35 point resident is a senior DOW/CPW employee that is saving them for retirement in a year or two.

I like math problems and this call I'm on is just never-ending babble - so just Looked only at NR's and the "top 5" units (Early Rifle seasons in 1,2,10,201,61). And, if you are interested in Archery or Muzzleloader, for those units, Archery/Muzzy is basically the same, with one exception.

If you assume most of the guys with >24 points last year are interested in those specific Early rifle hunts:

- 219 applicants with >24 points applied for those hunts but were not drawn
- 549 applicants with >24 points applied for Points only

Thus, 768 applicants with more points are probably looking at the same hunts.

Those 5 hunts combined offer 23 NR tags a year - so pure math is that, in a vacuum, it would take a minimum of 33 years to be in the pool for those units. But also:

- 323 applicants were at the same point level (e.g. had 24 points going into 2020's draw and either applied for one of those hunts or for points)

So, 45+ years if you include competing with the 323 folks at the same point level.

Obviously some folks are interested in one unit but not another, some will continue to build points, and folks will age/health out of the pool and/or use their points for a "lesser" tag so there is significant attrition % that reduces the wait time, but either way, unless something changes in the draw system, those hunts are, mathematically, decades out for a NR with 25 current points. It's a little mindboggling to see that written out.

Lloyd Christmas to CO DOW's Ponzi Division..."So you're tellin me there's a chance?"

 

[ssmusicman]

Also - start by focusing on Deer first. You can draw any deer tag in the state right now unless something weird happens. I was in that position last year and it makes the research alone a fun exercise. With current favorable season structures and the fact that you're in the max pool for deer, I'd get those deer hunts on the books ASAP.

Looked only at NR's and the "top 5" units (Early Rifle seasons in 1,2,10,201,61). And, if you are interested in Archery or Muzzleloader, for those units, Archery/Muzzy is basically the same, with one exception.

If you assume most of the guys with >24 points last year are interested in those specific Early rifle hunts:

So, 45+ years if you include competing with the 323 folks at the same point level.

Very mind boggling when you do the math. Yes, our focus is on the deer right now as I have noticed that we can pretty much draw what we want with 25pts. Spent a bunch of time last night on the CO Hunting Atlas Map looking at private/public access, lots to sort out there. Will plan to talk to specific CPW Area Managers after the first of the year once I form some specific questions on access, etc. Liking 201 and 61 so far, need to start a spread sheet of total #'s of hunters before/after/during for deer and/or elk. My first priority is good access without seeing a ton of other hunters, secondary would be a "trophy".

 

[npaden]

I noticed that even in the landowner preference applications you still need 10 points to draw a unit 10 landowner tag!

 

[3855WIN]

“Without seeing a ton of hunters”

There very well may be hunters for other species during your hunt, making it seem more crowded.

 

[Khunter]

Very mind boggling when you do the math. Yes, our focus is on the deer right now as I have noticed that we can pretty much draw what we want with 25pts. Spent a bunch of time last night on the CO Hunting Atlas Map looking at private/public access, lots to sort out there. Will plan to talk to specific CPW Area Managers after the first of the year once I form some specific questions on access, etc. Liking 201 and 61 so far, need to start a spread sheet of total #'s of hunters before/after/during for deer and/or elk. My first priority is good access without seeing a ton of other hunters, secondary would be a "trophy".

Have not heard a lot of good things said about 61 deer, and plenty of negative...Search various hunting forum websites for reviews guys do of their 61 deer hunts and chat them up via DM is what i would do among other research...

 

[Khunter]

Also - start by focusing on Deer first. You can draw any deer tag in the state right now unless something weird happens. I was in that position last year and it makes the research alone a fun exercise. With current favorable season structures and the fact that you're in the max pool for deer, I'd get those deer hunts on the books ASAP.


For elk it's 35 for Residents and 33 for NR. Deer is 32/31, but OP is already effectively 'Max' for deer. Rumor is that the 35 point resident is a senior DOW/CPW employee that is saving them for retirement in a year or two.

I like math problems and this call I'm on is just never-ending babble - so just Looked only at NR's and the "top 5" units (Early Rifle seasons in 1,2,10,201,61). And, if you are interested in Archery or Muzzleloader, for those units, Archery/Muzzy is basically the same, with one exception.

If you assume most of the guys with >24 points last year are interested in those specific Early rifle hunts:

- 219 applicants with >24 points applied for those hunts but were not drawn
- 549 applicants with >24 points applied for Points only

Thus, 768 applicants with more points are probably looking at the same hunts.

Those 5 hunts combined offer 23 NR tags a year - so pure math is that, in a vacuum, it would take a minimum of 33 years to be in the pool for those units. But also:

- 323 applicants were at the same point level (e.g. had 24 points going into 2020's draw and either applied for one of those hunts or for points)

So, 45+ years if you include competing with the 323 folks at the same point level.

Obviously some folks are interested in one unit but not another, some will continue to build points, and folks will age/health out of the pool and/or use their points for a "lesser" tag so there is significant attrition % that reduces the wait time, but either way, unless something changes in the draw system, those hunts are, mathematically, decades out for a NR with 25 current points. It's a little mindboggling to see that written out.

Total freakin' buzz kill (and reality check). LOL.

 

[Durango Mike]

Yup, no clue, CO is the only state that has either of those strange critters to go after. If I remember right CO takes your points if you go OTC too, isn't that right? So ya, never hunted them...

not correct on losing points if you get an OTC tag, been putting in for years for point and then getting an OTC archery tag, or rifle tag.

 

[Six by five]

Ran into this thread and was curious on how the hunt / hunts went?

 

[The Hedgehog]

Ran into this thread and was curious on how the hunt / hunts went?

Thanks for the input guys. I showed up, hunted 2 1/2 days. Told my friends I scouted and hunted the whole season, but actually covered the whole unit rather quickly and there wasn’t much there on public land. Went home, didn’t want to miss my niece's 8th grade graduation. Also - not supposed to hunt on Sunday so left Saturday at noon. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. How’d all your guys Colorado hunts go? It was an epic hunting experience.

 

[Six by five]

Thanks for the input guys. I showed up, hunted 2 1/2 days. Told my friends I scouted and hunted the whole season, but actually covered the whole unit rather quickly and there wasn’t much there on public land. Went home, didn’t want to miss my niece's 8th grade graduation. Also - not supposed to hunt on Sunday so left Saturday at noon. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. How’d all your guys Colorado hunts go? It was an epic hunting experience.

We went 1 for 2 in 1st season CO bulls, a 4x4, tasted great!
Just asking about the 25 pt guys that started the thread...
Btw, I hope you get a hunter survey card, that was good stuff

 

[Redman]

Why ohh why don't I look at the date on the OP and just go to the last post?¿??