Poll - 7 Day Archery Elk Season?
Elk
Poll Question:
Would a LE 7 day Colorado archery elk season be of any interest?
I would be. There is tremendous interest, every damn bit of it negative!
Yeah, I'd think at least 14....
Sure - as long as they decrease the rifle seasons to two days.
Would depend on details. That’s a pretty general question without knowing the in’s and out’s. Would the otc/ general seasons be effected? Would this be just for certain units, etc, etc...?
Maybe I'm reading too much into the question but are you suggesting alleviating point creep by issuing 4 times as many archery permits in the draw units but making them for 7 days instead of 30?
Yes. If there were less than 1,000 tags statewide, it ran the 7 days immediately after the current archery season without reducing current opportunities for folks who aren't in that one thousand, and no other season for elk, deer or bear west of I-25 overlaps it. Thats for Colorado.
Interesting idea. 7 days seems too short for sure. But maybe, just maybe, two 10 or 12 day seasons (similar to NM) with maybe 5 - 10 days of rest (for the animals) might be a good way to get more tags issued to reduce point creep. One positive would be that bowhunters would become even bigger contributors to the CPW, which should (hopefully) give us additional political clout.
Im not real surprised with the 'nope' replies.
But along with that, there is obviously information lacking in the poll for good reason. It shows that many are not used to changing with knowing all of the details.
Just for the sh!ts of it, let's say the season was Oct 1-7, bull only.
Still 'nope'?
Brad, are you suggesting this would be in addition to the regular 30 day season? If so, yes absolutely.
7 days by itself -- of course not.
7 days in some combination with a longer "normal" archery season -- absolutely.
Or, a 7 day season for the high point units with increased odds and the applicant foregoes the "normal" season draw. Absolutely again.
There are infinite combinations that the Commission could consider that would help cut point creep and distribute our OTC crowd better.
Yes, this would be a new additional 'season' in what is referred to as the Quiet Time.
Hell, It could in fact take place in any unit - even OTC units
[Just think if you could have the first 7 days of October in your regular OTC area with hardly anyone else.... ]
two fourteen day hunts in the top tier units maybe.
Hellz yes! If I were to draw a top unit with the early October 7 day season, I would be out there the week prior to scout. Might create a little crowding issue for those with the regular archery season tags still hunting the last week.
Only if it meant reduced rifle tags and more LE opportunity, I'd be for it.
IMO 10 days minimum but more like 14 days would be better if you are going to take a shot at that.
Not sure I'd want to see the "quiet time" become yet another onslaught before first rifle. I think there would have to be a decrease somewhere else in the system to justify an additional season.
For those of you that think the first week of October is a great time to archery elk hunt you can do that every year in Montana if you want. I will take mid to late Sept over early Oct any day...
Agreed Firsty. Interesting topic
I love the first week of Oct. Yes, many big bulls have cows but there's a lot of bugling, the aspens are blazing and if it were limited to a low number of tags it would be a great week. I've packed up camp on the last day of season many times after a great few days wishing I could keep going.
So far, as the CPW has started dipping into the "quiet period", it's been for rifle seasons and that will likely continue.
I, for one, love the idea! If I were a resident, I would probably hate it .
I still say no, as others have said if you want reduced pressure there are other states to hunt. I like how CO gives everyone an op.
No one really loses an opportunity with this idea. OTC guys could still go as normal. Limited unit guys could have a few less tags in the regular season pool, but also less applicants as some guys would apply for the 7 day season instead of the regular season and less people in their unit with them when they do draw a tag.
Sure. I wouldn’t be interested but it would pull a bunch of guys out of the points race if it was a separate season. I like the first week of September for most of the high stuff I hunt.
Another thing that would help point creep on LE units is change to three 9 day seasons. You could have 5 day rest periods in between. For instance Aug 25 thru Sept 2 would be first archery Sept. 8 thru 16 would be second archery and Sept 22 thru 30 would be third archery. Put in muzzleloader between 3rd archery and 1st rifle. I know resi's wouldn't like it as much but non residents wouldn't be affected as much because most have to be on vacation to hunt any way. This would create three draw opportunities versus one on archery. Plus it would seperate archery from muzzy. There are elk behind very tree on LE so 9 days should be plenty time to seal the deal right ??. Leave the otc units to month long seasons.
I don't see this as a relief of point creep, just shifting it elsewhere. No thanks.
"There are elk behind every tree on LE"...
Thanks! I needed a good laugh this morning!
Splitting the season up into multiple seasons (like NM) for the highest point units might reduce point creep a tiny bit but not much. More people will be inclined to wait than burn points when they are in no-man's land.
A pilot program with two 14-day LE seasons in a couple lower point or current OTC units would be a great idea to see how it works as a solution to crowding and improvement of the quality experience.
I have another suggestion/proposal which I think would eliminate point creep altogether.
If you hunt OTC on an any elk tag, you don’t get a point. You don’t lose any either, just no point for that year. Yeah, it may be a revenue adjustment for the state for a few years, but the bull to cow ratio in OTC units would get better, and less points issued means less/no point creep...
Thoughts?
If you are talking archery season with the "no point if you go OTC" idea. It won't matter to the herd. Archery season isn't the issue or the solution to herd numbers, bull:cow ratio or trophy size. CPW has the bull:cow ratio they want in most units and when they make a move to change it, its accomplished with rifle season tweaking. Archers usually get limited along with rifle hunters but not because it significantly helps out.
It could change the point banking issue. If it resulted in a number of folks skipping hunting all together while they accumulate points, it wouldn't fly. Any change needs to be revenue neutral or increase revenue to have a chance. If people still went OTC and stopped gaining points, it could have a positive effect on creep.
I would take a new 7 day option without losing or diminishing any opportunity we currently have. Tired of every compromise or change being about how much bowhunters will lose. Would be nice to see a compromise where we settle for a little less gain than we hoped, but still gained. I won't be holding my breath :^)
One way to address that scenario would be to only be able to get a cow only tag if you applied for a PP only.
But that would make people have to think, and not keep it dumbied down
Taking the PP away wouldn’t be difficult. If you apply for a PP only and you decide to go back and hunt on an OTC bull or any elk tag in the fall during the archery, 2nd, 3rd, 4th rifle or ML seasons, they simply deduct the point.
As long as it’s in the Regs, buyer be ware. There can even be a warning before they hit complete the transaction that the the buyer will lose a PP.
Here’s the deal. Any changes to the current PP system to help reduce or eliminate point creep is going to be a revenue adjustment. It has to happen, or a premier unit in Colorado will never be an option to anyone currently sitting with 20 points or less. Including the younger generation they’re trying to attract or maintain an interest in hunting.
States like Colorado and Wyoming need to wake up and realize their draw processes are BS!
