CO unit 7
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: Sivart
10-Oct-16
Does anyone know why the DOW cut the number of tags sold for this unit? I haven't hunted it for several years. It used to be you could purchase leftover permits. Now I see some guys don't even draw it for 1st choice?
From: AndyJ
10-Oct-16
Because they need to boost the elk population in a major way. 7,8,9,19,191 all could use more elk.
From: cnelk
10-Oct-16
The tag numbers were cut and the success stats were inflated.
Im sure Lou Jaquomo will weigh in on this thread too
From: Jaquomo
10-Oct-16
Andy is right. The overall DAU (7-8-9-19-191) herd was reduced to half of what it was in about 2005 for a variety of reasons. Exacerbating the situation is one big ranch on the WY side of the border, now owned by a guy from Georgia, who started feeding somewhere around 700 elk in winter, and those elk are mostly staying in WY or on private on the north end of 8. CPW is unhappy about it but can't do anything.
Also, some of the elk that used to summer in the south end of 7-19 are now staying down in the huge herds in the big hayfields around Gould in unit 6. Lots of different dynamics going on, and if you hunt it now you'll quickly discover there are fewer elk.
Tags have been reduced for about the last 5 years, I think. Now the management plan is to build it back up in 7-8-19.
Interesting info in the DAU management plan online.
