In 2012, 16,500 hunters applied for 219 moose licenses. 185 moose were killed. Today's population is nearly 2,400 moose but the DOW long term objective statewide is 1,700 to 2,200 so today's moose population is near or over objective. So I really doubt if the State's population will be allowed to grow much more than it is today. CWD has been found in some moose herds.
We have all heard of someone drawing a moose license after 4 or 5 years of applying and there is no "guarantee" that one will ever draw with the max number of PPs and weighted points.
Definitely put in for RES ONLY moose units. And do your research, look back at units they opened up for moose in the past couple years...
Stay away from units 171 and 6 as they are popular and both NR & Res can apply. You odds are terrible
Paul, several years ago we had a focus group meeting with CPW folks about moose, and they told us they have absolutely no idea how many there really are because they have no budget for counting, like with deer and elk. They do know the population is expanding throughout the habitat. Up here around our cabin the density seems to be about the same but they definitely are expanding their range. Seeing them in places where they never were before.
Other surrounding states seem to have had a reduction of moose in their population. Wolves, CWD, lack of proper habitat, etc.
The tag allocations are separate for resident and non-resident. The only influence by unit for moose is how many residents put in with more than 3 points.
Hunting method (rifle, muzzle loader, or archery) does not influence the total number of moose tags for a unit. All of them can go to one method, depending on who gets lucky in the draw.
With as few licenses as there are available and the chance of drawing another tag in your life is probably 0%, I don't understand why Colorado doesn't just set up separate moose seasons (archery, muzzle loader, rifle) and if you draw you should be able to just hunt all seasons with the lesser weapon. Give archery only at least a week, muzzle loader and archery a week, then any weapon.
171 is open for both Res & NR - Tag allotment was 7 total. NR tag cap =1. Total Choice 1 apps = 770 [both Res/NR with no identifier amount of each]
161 is open for Res only. Tag allotment was 7 total. Total Choice 1 apps = 223.
6 is open to both Res & NR - Tag allotment was 14 total. NR tag cap =3. Total Choice 1 apps = 1091 [both Res/NR with no identifier amount of each]
And the real kicker... in GMU 6, one Res drew with 3+3. one NR drew with 3+2
Good luck in your apps guys, there is always a chance!
Treeline's Link
You need to look at the moose draw statistics on line to get a better understanding of the drawing for moose.
For Unit 6, the odds of drawing a bull moose tag for residents was 11 out of 627 and the odds for drawing a non-resident moose tag was 3 out of 250 applicants with a minimum of 3 points.
There were many resident and non-resident applications with maximum points (as well as many applicants with more points than the lucky ones that were drawn) that were not drawn due to the way the system is set up. Weighted points don't really mean much for moose. It might help to move the bar up from 3 PP's to something like 10 points before the weighted points kick in or even 15 points the way the demand is headed.
Again, the way the moose drawing system is set up, all 14 of these tags could end up being drawn for 1 method of take - even though there were applicants for all 3 methods. If you draw archery, they have the muzzleloader season starting the same day. Have had several incidents with muzzle loaders shooting bulls out from under bow hunters with this arrangement.
The data I posted above actually did come from the draw stats...
Here is my ' better understanding of the drawing for moose' :)
And it was a Res Only Unit
The odds of drawing a tag are basically the same for anyone with 3 or more points. Someone can draw the first year they put in with 3 points even though there are 100's of guys with more weighted points ahead of them.
The resident tag allocation is separate from the nonresident tag allocation. The non-resident applicants do not have any influence on resident odds of drawing and vice-versa. Resident only units do not necessarily give you better odds of drawing. The best chance of drawing a moose tag is 9% but most are around 1-4% chance in units with or without non-resident tags.
There is no allocation by method of take. A number of units were filled on tags by all rifle hunters.
With as few tags as are provided, and the low probability of ever getting another tag in your lifetime, you would think that Colorado would provide plenty of time to hunt - and allow hunters to hunt with various weapons thru the hunt. Utah moose hunts are a month long. Wyoming moose seasons are typically a full month and up to two months. If you draw, you can buy an archery stamp and hunt an additional month (without rifle hunters!) prior to the rifle season. Heck, Montana gives moose hunters a full 2 1/2 months!
Tavis, I was pushing for that even before I drew. This year I see they plan to allow those Moose hunters from 2016 (or at least some of them) that did not kill to hunt one particular unit this year.
OTOH, someone that's just now getting in the PP game plays a totally different game. They can be assured the only way they'll ever draw a Wyoming moose license is to beat the staggering odds in the random draw. Wyoming's PP system was a blessing for me, but it's a curse for my grandkids.
With moose, goats and sheep, there's no way to plan ahead for a big hunt somewhere else. You may draw all three the same year or never draw any of them in your lifetime.
Not a chance in hell I would put in for an animal just for meat when that meat cost probably cost me around $100 a lb when all is said and done...... and that's DIY. At least with elk I can dream (kid myself?) I'll wind up with something worthy of a wall to look at.... OK, maybe brag about too.
Porn has been a profitable industry for a reason..... a cow moose euro on the wall would just be creepy..... a Jenna Jameson dream (nightmare?) OTOH..... or, the other hand.....
OK. Edit. Somebody just informed me how old and out of the loop(s) I was..... so to speak....
For me, and likely a good many NRs, drawing a decent AK tag is much easier, can do it DIY and the costs involved for me are not a great deal higher than hunting them in the lower 48.
A resident tag would be pretty special though. Not only WRT cost but a better chance to give it all the time and effort it deserves. Good luck to you folks. As they say....... somebody has to win it..... might as well be you.
How much time do you need? When I drew in 2012, I spent ALL summer "hunting". By opening morning, I knew the location and habits of two good bulls and had many good photos. I killed one of them opening morning.
I also had been applying for an area that only had 1 tag and wasn't known as a 'moose area'. That made it easier to draw and NO competition/conflicts during the hunt. When I killed him he was the #2 archery bull in Colorado.
Good luck to those who have yet to draw. It's not going to get any easier.
