Top 3 units for Colorado Elk and PPs?
Elk
Contributors to this thread:
Units: 201, 2, 10.
. Takes 26, 25, and 24 points, and no you will never get there. . Not a great variety to choose from after that. You can wait a few more years and draw a 76 tag, but it would be a wilderness hunt with lots of elk, but no real trophy potential unless you are happy with 300-330. Unit 40 has great trophy potential, but most elk will be on private in archery and early rifle seasons. I think 49 holds some good bulls, but hasn't seemed to meet expectations. I use to get a local paper up there (49) and they always had some really nice 6x6s in the paper shot by some local there.
10 PPs as a non res isn’t gonna get you a whole lot
You be better off using them on a sub PP unit
I agree youre half way there but you could get lucky and draw. I second the units201,2,10.
I agree with Scoot, there are way more informed guys than me on the subject. But I am planning the same as you Pat and looking to burn my 5 elk pp's on a lesser unit. Just not sure which one yet. 76 and other "lesser" units are growing with point creep as many towards the top see they will never quite get there. I would be content with a unit I could draw soon and again every 4-5 years or so. You may be able to chase the 76's with your points but it drops off quick after that. I will never see 76. TODDY
You could wait for 76. I would rate it 4th or 5th for public land archery hunt codes.
76 is down the list from the big 3. Last year 29% drew out with 13 points.
2016 I drew 2 with 23 points.
Bowmania
You are in no man's land for elk points, I would just stick with your ranch hunts.
“I agree youre half way there but you could get lucky and draw. I second the units201,2,10.“
Not quite so much on the might get lucky and draw! CO runs completely on the strict PP system. There is no random lottery at all which means exactly 0% chance of drawing the top 3 without having the needed points.
^^^^ not so ^^^^
There is the Hybrid Draw
I’m a bit confused on the tag allocation of the hybrid draw, specifically for nonresidents. How do they decide how many tags go in the hybrid and how many are allocated to no residents. If I remember correct there a some hybrid draws that don’t even have a nonresident tag?
Yup from page 8. " Units with low numbers of available licenses may not have any remaining for the hybrid drawings."
Units 2,201 and 10 have a very low number of tags. I applied for a few years then ran the numbers and there were no hybrid tags in these units as far as I could tell so I gave up and just kept applying for points. Up to 18 now and about the best I can do is an archery 76.
There are definitely hybrid tags...one in each unit 2,10,201...very slim odds to draw. 1 in a few hundred chance.
The big 3 (top ones for trophy potential) are 201, 2, and 10 which are out of reach unless you already have upwards of 18 to 20 points.. After that it would be 61, 49 or 76 in that order. The good thing with Colorado, and most other elk states as well, there is always the possibility of killing a monster in an OTC unit if you can escape the masses by horseback.
Yes Colorado started the hybrid draw a few years back to entice new comers to "get in the game" by having somewhat of a chance of drawing. If a unit consistently takes 10 points or more to draw it becomes dubbed a hybrid unit. If you have at least 5 PP's you can enter into the hybrid draw. Makes perfect sense from the states business point of view but pretty unfair for those who have waited 20 plus years. Fewer tags now available for max point holders due to a few tags being allocated to hybrid draw winners.
Zero chance for a NR to pull a Hybrid Draw elk tag. NR hit their cap in the first pass of the draw in literally every case, due to demand. The Hybrid Draw for elk only works for residents.
Quinn at work. I don't really give a rats a"" who's composing the thread. If I think I can add some insight that may help the person asking, I chime in. Thats whats this sites all about and that's why I've been a member for many years.
Quinn@work
Damn right I'll refer people to read the Regs, as most dont.
I have the same number of points as you, Pat. Keep me in the loop. lol
Thanks Quinn for your inciteful post! We will try and do better next time.
Sent you a pm Pat laying out your realistic options
All the “less good” units PPs will increase as people with lots of points give up on the top units and drop down a tier. Every unit will increase now that it is cheap to apply. Not looking good.
On a totally different note, how many PP does it take to draw a good mule deer unit?
Forgot about the hybrid draw! Stand corrected. ;-)