What have I done!
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: CBFROMND
20-Aug-19
Somehow I told myself that waiting until now to buy my Idaho elk tag would be a great idea.... Now they are sold out and my plans are shot to hell! I might be sick! no one to blame but myself here but I sure want to find a way to make this not my fault! ha! There were a few things holding me back from pulling the trigger earlier and in my defense I was keeping an eye on the tag allocation page regularly.. but ultimately it bit me.... Good luck to all that have a tag and if anyone knows of a good plan B in my case I could sure use it.
From: Brotsky
20-Aug-19
Colorado! This may the earliest the Idaho tags have ever sold out. Anyone know that?
From: Ucsdryder
20-Aug-19
You can come to Colorado and take your bow for a walk and say hi to all the other guys taking their bows for a walk!
From: CBFROMND
20-Aug-19
For years I have been picking up my tag when I get out there and never did they sell out, Last year for the first time in a long time they did. so it was on my radar......
From: CBFROMND
20-Aug-19
No Colorado for me... tried that some years back... could have shot a lot of cattle. I'm sure Colorado has some good things going I just don't know where to find them...
From: Jaquomo
20-Aug-19
Old Town Fort Collins has a ton of hot chicks, great food, dozen microbreweries, great restaurants, several nightly music venues, free outdoor concerts on Thursday night.. Very few cattle.
From: Brotsky
20-Aug-19
Excellent scouting report Lou. That's the kind of information a guy can only get from the Bowsite. Practically gave us the GPS coordinates of his honey hole. :-)
From: GhostBird
20-Aug-19
Haha... Brotsky said "Honey Hole".
From: Nick Muche
20-Aug-19
No Colorado for you? No Idaho either? Pretty picky for being so late to the party :)
Looks like you might be sittin this one out.
From: Ucsdryder
20-Aug-19
Hunter numbers are dropping. Remember!??
From: Treeline
20-Aug-19
Sounds like you could find at least a few nice racks with Lou’s suggestions. With all the hunters off in the hills, you might even have a real shot at a trophy!
From: Treeline
20-Aug-19
Although, as you can tell, guys like Brotsky are all over the internet sniffing out guys giving up the goods on their “honey holes”! Might end up with more non-resident elk hunters in there than you can shake a stick at;-)
From: Rut Nut
20-Aug-19
.......................................or might end up getting shot AT! ;-)
From: RutnStrut
20-Aug-19
"Old Town Fort Collins has a ton of hot chicks, great food, dozen microbreweries, great restaurants, several nightly music venues, free outdoor concerts on Thursday night.. Very few cattle."
I absolutely hated living in Rawlins, WY. One of the bright spots was going to Fort Collins a few times a month.
From: Grey Ghost
20-Aug-19
By all means, come to Colorado. Be sure to bring 5-6 buddies, too, each with their own ATVs and plenty of gas. Roll as deep as you can into elk country, and don't pitch your camp until you actually spook elk. Bring plenty of booze and party loudly deep into the night. Get up at the crack of noon, and ride your ATVs some more. Stop and bugle from your ATVs occasionally because, well....you just never know what might be nearby. Rinse and repeat.
Follow those instructions and you will fit in nicely with the rest of the hunters that invade Colorado every elk season.
Matt
From: Glunt@work
20-Aug-19
I have never hunted Idaho but I have hunted CO otc for decades and it's always better than sitting at home.
From: Elkoholic
20-Aug-19
Ok be honest. This will be my first year in Colorado. Is it really that bad?
From: Treeline
20-Aug-19
Old Town Fort Collins is awesome!
From: Predeter
20-Aug-19
Utah has elk and tags available. Go see some new ground!
From: pahoyt
20-Aug-19
chris I feel you tried to buy a tag at 10am Friday just to find out they sold out Friday at 8am
From: CBFROMND
20-Aug-19
I will look into Utah a bit... my time only allows from mid September until end of September so just assuming all bull archery tags long gone by now... Not against a good cow hunt tho....
From: CBFROMND
20-Aug-19
Looked at remaining tags I do believe it was Thursday on way to a work outing for the weekend.... told myself better buy Monday.... too late!
From: CBFROMND
20-Aug-19
More interest... without looking it up I believe quotas have not dropped. couple of years ago I was surprised by the number of people that were around.. tough place to hunt that Idaho, steep and deep. I had rifle hunted for many years then the wolves destroyed the place.. started going back with the bow in hopes of getting in tight with the few that were left... I go there because its familiar. definitely not because the elk are running me over.
From: LUNG$HOT
20-Aug-19
“Ok be honest. This will be my first year in Colorado. Is it really that bad?“
In some places... definitely! OTC with no caps and no dedicated regions means free for all. Co has turned into EVERYONES “Plan B”! Wyoming May not have a much better PP situation than us but at least they got it right with limited non-res General tag allocation.
From: Grey Ghost
20-Aug-19
"“Ok be honest. This will be my first year in Colorado. Is it really that bad?“
Yes. I've seen it numerous times in several OTC units. It's a complete sh!t show, and getting worse, IMO. Sorry if I sound bitter, but I'm a 57 yr old native who has hunted here all my life. I've experienced the decline of hunting in Colorado, due to mismanagement of their wildlife, and it pains me.
Matt
From: Willieboat
20-Aug-19
All you new newbies.......Idaho used to sell out in late January or early February;)
When they go on sale December first buy one !
From: Jaquomo
20-Aug-19
The good thing about CO is that you can go into a wilderness area during the week and pretty much have the place all to yourself...
From: Grey Ghost
20-Aug-19
LOL at Lou!!! You sarcastic bastard. ;-)
Matt
From: Mule Power
20-Aug-19
Lou you missed your calling. You could open up for Ron White.... or vice versa!!! I’m cracking up here!
From: Jaquomo
20-Aug-19
I nibble around the edges of this trailhead. Not nearly as crowded unless you get way back in where the full-on battle between the Sitka Army and the Kuiu Warriors is taking place.
From: WHOCARES
20-Aug-19
So...you don't have any nice clothes Lou??...
From: jordanathome
20-Aug-19
I need to get my blue hangtag out.....I see a spot open.
From: LUNG$HOT
20-Aug-19
Oh c’mon Lou, most of those vehicles probably belong to day hikers, tree huggers and bird-n-bunny lovers. Geocaching their way through the great outdoors. After all... the liberal bean counters claim that wildlife viewing account for far more revenue generation than hunting ever has! Ha.
From: Jaquomo
20-Aug-19
Lung$hot, actually in the top photo every spot was taken and there were five hunter trucks behind me that I couldn't get into the frame. On a Tuesday. A packer I know was loading up to take four guys from South Dakota in there, and when they were out of earshot he chuckled and said, "Yeah, they want to go find some solitude".
From: hobbes
20-Aug-19
Seen plenty of trailheads in Colorado look like that, but half of those folks are just weekend hikers out with Fido.
From: JTreeman
20-Aug-19
I think I see my truck in there!!!!
—Jim
From: joehunter8301
20-Aug-19
Thank all the flat bill wearing wana be mountain ops monkeys for this. Social media has ruined elk hunting. One of my good friends ran into gritty bowman himself last year and said the guy was a complete retard as far as hunting. Ruined his elk hunt that day. I might just start buying ranch elk hunts just to avoid the flat bill crew! Old elk sayin is everyone is f!#%’n everyone in the elk woods
From: jordanathome
20-Aug-19
I can honestly say that since 2006, I have never seen a shartshow like that other than the Rock Camp parking lot on labor day weekend in 2010. I guess I ain't huntin the right places........dammit.
From: TravisScott
20-Aug-19
CB I almost screwed the pooch on this as well. Luckily I called and got on a wait list for turned in tags early and was lucky enough to get it going that route.
I’m not sure what your plan is but there could be some leftovers in some of the wilderness areas. You may need to fork out some money for a packer but there is great hunting there.
Another option could be calling fish and game and seeing what might have been turned in that wasn’t picked up on the second round. They don’t advertise this system well so there very well could be a tag or two floating around in Idaho. Good luck!!!!
From: BULELK1
21-Aug-19
If the Bear River Zone tag is still available in Idaho, reach out to me if ya get it.
Good luck, Robb
From: WV Mountaineer
21-Aug-19
Colorado is not as bad as you might think. Like all things in life, experience with something is the cost you pay to play. That means time spent doing it is the cost you pay for.
If you fouled up and missed your Idaho chance, you’ve got few options remaining. Pick one or stay home is your choice. I know what’d I’d do.
From: Sitting Bull
21-Aug-19
Can't be that bad, there was still a few spots in the car park. Maybe the Colorado wildlife department should spend some of that non-resident tag money on expanding the size of the car parks at trailheads. I'd be pretty annoyed if I bought a tag and there weren't enough parking spots!
From: 8point
21-Aug-19
If you pick a spot in Colorado, and it doesn't work,,,move. Several years ago I bow hunted a spot during the ML season, and made the mistake of ending up an a 2 track after dark. I was covered with dust from ATV's by the time I reached camp. Needless to say, I moved camp and found a spot about 20 miles as the crow flies. To this day a few folks on ATV's come by camp, and turn around since it's a dead end, but I've only seen maybe 6 people in the woods in 15 years, and I still hunt during ML season. Elk are all around, in fact 2 years ago right after sunset, there were 2 bulls on either side of camp having a bugling contest for half an hour. Have only killed one cow, but that's because of the wind, and I guess I'm a slow learner. I suppose if you hunt the most popular places, you're bound to have competition, but there's plenty of good hunting away from the crowds, just look for it, and for those who feel NRs should be excluded, be careful what you wish for or it may bite you in the wallet.
From: Grey Ghost
21-Aug-19
"...and for those who feel NRs should be excluded, be careful what you wish for or it may bite you in the wallet."
I'm pretty sure most resident hunters would gladly pay 2-3 times more for an elk tag, if it resulted in less non-residents invading our state. I know I would.
One cow in 15 years of hunting really says it all about Colorado elk hunting.
Matt
From: fubar racin
21-Aug-19
i don’t mind the non res or res on the whole Iv met great guys that were both and Iv met real dipchits that were both. Iv hunted years when the mountain was crawling with guys Iv hunted when I had it to myself. It took 14 trips to kill my first elk and now Iv killed 12 in the last 10 years since that first one. I’m to the point now where I don’t mind guys around because hey they paid the same or more than I did to play the game and probably ain’t gunna kill anything anyway.
From: txhunter58
21-Aug-19
“I'm pretty sure most resident hunters would gladly pay 2-3 times more for an elk tag”
Uh, not true. You are in the minority. Polls of residents show most are opposed to a price increase. That said the state now has the authority to raise prices automatically every year on residents and NRs alike. Before this new law was passed, they could change NRs each year but it took the legislature to approve an increase for residents because it is a “tax increase”.
From: Grey Ghost
21-Aug-19
I’d like to see those polls, and how the question was asked. Was the caveat of less NRs hunters included in the poll question?
Matt
From: TD
21-Aug-19
Well yeah Lou.... but that's a paved lot..... could be a Wally World on the other side.....
What do the REAL back woods trail heads that are just graded gravel look like.... =D
From: Grey Ghost
21-Aug-19
"What do the REAL back woods trail heads that are just graded gravel look like...."
Often worse. Many guys use those lots as campsites, or they park horse or ATV trailers that use up several parking spots for weeks at a time.
Matt
From: fubar racin
21-Aug-19
I know that lot it’s about 60ish miles from Wally World and right next to some mega rough country. Used to drive through the area a lot for work it’s pretty close to full 7 days per week and pretty much year round.
From: wildwilderness
21-Aug-19
I would not drive through CO to hunt Utah spike/cows.
Plenty of OTC CO places to get away and kill a bull, Just not your "typical" elk habitat. ie- don't hunt the aspens, look at the pj country everyone overlooks.
From: Aspen Ghost
21-Aug-19
"I'm pretty sure most resident hunters would gladly pay 2-3 times more for an elk tag,"
It wouldn't be 2-3 times more. Closer to 15 times more.
From: Franklin
21-Aug-19
If you pick a spot that has a parking lot at the trailhead you will encounter vehicles parked there. They generally don`t build parking lots where they are not needed....haha
Plan accordingly and you will enjoy yourself.....elk hunting has about a 10% success rate so you stand as good of a chance as most.
From: Fauntleroy
21-Aug-19
My wife was a blonde cheerleader for CSU and I can confirm that Old Town FoCo can be especially fun.
From: Grey Ghost
21-Aug-19
Is there a place to park my 40 foot toy-hauler in downtown Fort Collins?
Matt
From: Treeline
21-Aug-19
Yep.
From: bloody acorns
22-Aug-19
Last years hunted 47 after drawing and was really concerned cause the trail head was completely full of folks cause most of the area was closed due to a wildfire. Spent the first day up above the trail head no sign no elk - the next morning started walking an hour before dawn - several head lamps in front and behind me but they all seemed to drop out between 1-3 miles in - after 4 had it to myself and found elk every day . Repeated same process every day but that's a draw unit and a good one. I don't blame these local guys they are frustrated we have seen the same thing with duck hunting here in Arkansas if you don't hunt private locals don't hunt. But I am confident with some research and a lot of luck you can still have a great hunt in an otc unit if you strap on your boots and get off the major trails, see some awesome sunrises and maybe an elk or two. I have a friend that's hard core bivy hunter covers 10 miles a day and I honestly think he could score in any unit but he is relentless, me not so much but its all about whatever you are looking for.
