Non-residents unhappy
Elk
Well, I know of 4 Minnesotans that are NOT happy with the changes that CDOW made to the license allocations that caused us NOT to get mule deer & elk tags in the draw this year. Grrrrr!
Anyone else fit that scenario? (Resident or Non-res)
After the official results are posted, they will post the drawing summaries in the statistics, that is where you will find out definitively what happened in the draw, everything else up to that point is just speculation.
My speculation is that all the hype about point creep from tag allocations (landowner:public) did more to the creep than the actual allocations.
I bet there were a lot of upper tier point holders that jumped ship and started applying for some of the lesser point units.
The other problem is that a lot of people don't fully understand statistics, or how the CPW presents them. I've seen multiple instances where people are saying their unit was an 8 point unit last year, when actually it was a 9/10 point unit where a few 8 point holders snuck in...
I am thinking hard jumping ship next year and apply a lesser unit Things sure changed since began putting in 22 years ago for ranching for wildlife tag after five years was about to get tag and bam no more NR in that game and so it goes about five major changes since then for NR elk format
#1Bear
Get out your checkbook and buy those vouchers!
The license allocations were published about 3 weeks ago, link is below. No big changes for elk. Only 3 limited archery elk hunts had their general allocation cut back. One of them was GMU 61, which was cut from 100 to 95. For archery deer, a few unit quotas increased, and a few decreased. Overall the early archery deer quota was about the same as 2014. And we've all long-since known about the new, effective-for-2015 quotas for LOV's. So the only real surprise could be Demand, which might've increased. Won't know until the Drawing Summary reports are posted.
http://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Commission/2015/May/ChapterW-2-Quotas-AsApproved.pdf#search=license%20allocations%202015
Things change. I can remember all those years not buying an OTC deer tag and not Baiting bears here while we could.
I suppose if I were not a Colorado Native and resident, I would likely not pay what it costs to hunt here as a Non-resident.
One thing seems clear Colorado continues to grow population wise, and things will likely continue the way they are going.
I'm a happy NR with a one point deer tag and an OTC Elk tag! I guess It's all relative depending on expectations. There are only a couple states where NR can hunt elk every year! 3 months to go! C
A NR here who got a first season rifle elk tag and a 2,3,4 choice deer tag. Colorado is black and white...either you have the points or not. Maybe the blame should be placed on the people who drew your tags because they had more points. Until he t year there is always OTC, ID, or last I knew MT had leftovers. Go hunt !!
I think that going forward you will see the point requirement for those units that need 10 plus points grow exponentially as those with that many points figure out that they will never, or it will take 10 to 30 more years to, get the unit they started out wanting to hunt.
I bailed this year with 16 points, and if things go well, next year, my wife will bail with 17 points. For a unit that we could have drawn 10 - 12 years ago with a whole lot less points. Even at our point level, the second, third, and fourth season in unit 61 was most likely three to five years away. And first rifle for 61 probably five to ten, with archery about the same, which is considering that no major changes take place, but I have a feeling they will.
The increase in land owner vouchers will result in more tags as happy land owners start tolerating bigger herd sizes. That was part of the logic we were presented with as we watched 5% - 10% more tags slip away.
I suggested that the land owners tolerate the bigger herds first, then there would be more tags to give them without taking from the current public pool, but I guess that didn't make any sense.
So, I'll just hold my breath waiting on the increase in herd tolerance and available tags...'cause that will be sweet.
As stated above, the surprise draw results are likely a combination of a little smaller pool and applicants choosing to burn points out of uncertainty, frustration or just a desire to be done.
Knowing this is happening, would it be better for Colorado to go to all draw for elk [like deer] or is this an avenue to put more hunters in the OTC units?
Just asking...
IMO, CO going to all draw for elk would greatly increase the quality of the herd. With CO's elk numbers, it could be the #1 destination to trophy hunt elk.
The downside is that it'd probably destroy elk hunting as we know it in OR, ID, and MT and the draws in WY, AZ, and NM would most likely take a huge hit. It would also cause widespread disillusionment and decrease participation which is not what we need in a time when hunters are becoming an endangered species.
The saving grace of CO's management system is that it gives the hordes of southern, eastern, and midwestern hunters a place to go shoot raghorns and enjoy elk hunting.
But I still think that CO should take just a few more units and turn them into 61/76 type destinations through tag cuts to give the many people who've built points in CO for so long a few more options.
Back to the OP, the LO tag issue is a slippery slope. Go to the NM forums right now and read through the 130 post thread there discussing that state's LO system that makes CO's look paltry in comparison. CO needs to nip this in the bud now before it gets out of control like it has in NM.
CO's "new" CPW Commission is skewed toward ranchers and outfitters now. The Governor's team that made the appointments didn't understand the distinction between "hunters" and "outfitters/ranchers". Until the terms expire and it (hopefully) becomes more balanced, expect to see more of this trend, not less.
Colorado may go all limited elk at some point, but I doubt the total amount of tags or the overall bull quality would change much. Elk license revenue and the impact of elk hunters on local economies are powerful factors. I could live with it, but would hate losing the ability to hop around different parts of the State throughout the season.
#1Bear, go buy an OTC tag! Your hunt isn't over man...
If I had a buck for every time the rules changed and I had to adapt I'd be rich. Sometimes you just have to hunt a new unit.
IdylWild makes some very good points. The problem I see with going all draw for elk, is just like any quality management program. Everyone wants the biggest bull or buck they can find, but the majority doesn't want to sacrifice for that goal.
The Dow doesn't manage Bucks (deer) anymore now they manage BUCKS(money)
Any plan to change Colorado's system that results in less license revenue or less revenue spent by hunters for food, gas, lodging, outfitters, meat processing, etc, will meet huge opposition.
