CO 2nd Season Elk Nuttiness

[Deleted member 107796]

Just returned from my first 2nd season elk hunt in NW CO in a long time. It was a complete waste of time as it was inundated with hunters from all over, much like our entire state over the last 2-3 years. As ridiculous as it is, it is easily fixed by issuing less tags. If you feel similarly, let CP&W know. cheers

 

[cohunt]

what unit were you in?


OTC tags bring in LOTS of people and $$$ to the state, doubt you can make them change it, less tags over all make less tags for locals too--times change-- people do too

I did 3rd season down in central southern CO last year--- every 20 minutes a guy in a truck/utv or atv would drive by on the trail/road--- thats why you gotta get away from the roads and trails into the back country where its deep/dark/steep/nasty terrain -- no elk near the roads or trails anyway

my kids call them elk ninjas masters of hide and disguise-- there one minute,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and gone the next, silent as a ninja

 

[djfriesen]

And yet somehow, even with all the interested hunters, we need to keep the predator numbers up to make sure the elk population stays low enough...

Edit:
Wanted to expand on this, add it relates to revenue generation.

Plenty of hunters would love to see either expanded predator seasons or, in some cases, predator seasons period.
Having cake is charging people for the opportunity to hunt a predator.
Eating cake is charging people for the opportunity to hunt the larger population of big game animals.
In this case, you can have your cake and eat it, too, provided you are willing expend the energy to effectively manage wildlife populations.

 

[DT400]

Interesting comment.
10-12 years ago my hunting buddy and I started in a new area. It takes 1-1/2 hrs from the nearest town (1-1/4 hrs all twisty dirt shelf type roads) which is the size of a large yard. It's 2-1/2+ hrs form the smallest of grocery stores and we were virtually at the end of the road. Needless to say it is somewhat remote, yet the road is in good shape so getting trailers in/out is easy depending on the snow.
When we first started we would see maybe 1 hunter/vehicle a day that far back, sometimes we wouldn't see anyone for a few days. In the last few years there have been one to two dozen vehicles per day. Most just road hunters. We'd see them drive toward the end of the road then 10 minutes later they would come back by heading out, some like they are trying to outrun a forest fire. At the end of the road we would be the only ones out in foot now there will be 4 or 5 trucks and people all over. The elk situation has dropped DRAMATICALLY in the last few years as well. We have had severe beetle kill so I don't know if the elk have dropped because of the dead trees or all the traffic and not sure if the extra traffic was because there wasn't near as much sign in other areas around us and people were searching......Either way there have been FAR FAR fewer elk than in the past...not sure I believe the statistics saying we have some of the highest elk population in a long time.....

Darrell

 

[del2les]

Yes, it has got fairly crazy, so much so, it has driven some of us far deeper then we had to go just 4-5 years ago. What used to be 3-4 trucks a day has become a steady stream of ATV and 4x4's criss-crossing the land like it was I-70. The elk have left what was once a sure hunt area for us.

I have complained to CP&W, but to no avail.

 

[cohunt]

Blame on-x maps

 

[Sykes]

I seen more hunters than deer this year on my hunt. I applied for 3 years to draw a high country WILDERNESS tag and all I seen was people! I thought if I went for this wilderness hunt I'd get away from people, nope even 6 miles in I saw 16 hunters in about a 5 square mile area. Pretty disappointing. Seems like anymore there are way to many people hunting, wether road hunters or not there are too many in my opinion. 2nd rifle here this year is pretty dead so most of the hunters have already left thankfully. It's a hard thought but less tags means less people yes and I'd be ok with that if it meant I could go somewhere and not see orange. I really feel the CPW management sucks here in Colorado! Too bad it won't change because like mentioned above there is a lot of money coming in the way things are. I'm looking to start hunting out of this state a little more, yes may cost more but if I can get away from the crowds it's worth it to me

 

[Deleted member 107796]

I completely agree, CP&W is vastly inferior to our old structure where CO DOW was not so bent on revenue generation. How many new CP& W employees are even CO natives or longtime residents? It is relevant because anybody who knows our state well, knows that nature rules in the hills vs any other factor like money or even energy development which, I believe, was kept rather balanced. I think this is true for all of the Rocky Mt states. Elsewhere, it's more like the pay to play that's getting so popular. No thanks.

 

[Another Casual]

We had hiked in 5 miles in a pretty popular over the counter unit. Only people I saw were on horses or had paid a local outfitter to setup camp for them. Don't get me wrong, I was less than excited when I ran into the outfitter in the basin we had been scouting. They bragged about how they had dropped 7 camps in the basin. Great. Dropped into another one on a whim and tagged a doe opening morning. We have seen probably 30 more deer in the time since. Lots of elk tracks but no elk. Its my first year hunting here and after all the reports I had read I thought the place would be swarming with people. Once we hike out we see tons of road hunters or people only a mile in. Definitely not the most crowded place I've hunted, but I can understand the sentiment.

 

[jasonco]

Didn't experience crowding the first 4 days, in 18,28,37, but not many animal either. The first snow and cold had non-res running for the lowlands! Heading back out at dark:30 to finish out 2nd, then back into 28 for 4th.

 

[Taco John]

I seen more hunters than deer this year on my hunt. I applied for 3 years to draw a high country WILDERNESS tag and all I seen was people! I thought if I went for this wilderness hunt I'd get away from people, nope even 6 miles in I saw 16 hunters in about a 5 square mile area. Pretty disappointing. Seems like anymore there are way to many people hunting, wether road hunters or not there are too many in my opinion. 2nd rifle here this year is pretty dead so most of the hunters have already left thankfully. It's a hard thought but less tags means less people yes and I'd be ok with that if it meant I could go somewhere and not see orange. I really feel the CPW management sucks here in Colorado! Too bad it won't change because like mentioned above there is a lot of money coming in the way things are. I'm looking to start hunting out of this state a little more, yes may cost more but if I can get away from the crowds it's worth it to me

There's no state you can go to to get away from it.

We are witnessing the tipping point where there are more hunters than places to hunt.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

There's no state you can go to to get away from it.

We are witnessing the tipping point where there are more hunters than places to hunt.

This is the reality. As mentioned, I believe a feasible way to limit the creep is by fewer licenses. When I posted a rant about how, imo, the extra $50 for just getting into the moose, sheep or goat drawing, was an abuse of power, somebody actually posted that those that easily agree to pay the $50 are "more deserving" to get the tag. Speaks for itself.

 

[Taco John]

One way to control demand is to raise prices.

 

[bocajnala]

So clarify something for me. I've read and have heard that hunter numbers are dropping. PA used to have over a million hunters I believe. And that's dropped into the 700,000s if I remember correctly.

So what's the deal? Are there less hunters? Is it just percentage of population less but overall more hunters? Is it less available land? A combination?

Less hunters sounds like there should be more available area to hunt. But that's certainly not the case in Ohio or PA.

-JAKE