Again.
Should be two weeks of archery only. September 1-15.
Then Two weeks of archery and muzzle loader. September 16-30.
Then two months of any weapon. October 1-November 31.
Idiotic to start ML the same day as archery. Colorado really hates bowhunters! Every gun hunter will be in the woods on day one competing with bow hunters, some of whom will be hunting with primitive bows... BS!
Sandbrew's Link
https://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=448984&forum=15
I think some of you are experiencing post traumatic application syndrome paired with pandemic paranoia-
I agree the moose new season structure is not ideal - I asked for archery moose to start the Tuesday after Labor Day like many of the sheep and mt goat seasons but that was denied. That simple change would have prevented the occasional but not every year concurrent start of archery and muzzleloader moose on a Saturday. As the rules read now archery moose will start the first Saturday after Labor day. The muzzleloader season starts the second Saturday in September. In 2024 and 2025 successful moose draw archers will have an extra week head-start on muzzleloaders so if you are really that concerned wait until then to apply. I doubt anyone will see their favorite areas over run with newbie archery moose hunters "trying out" archery for the the first time. There were only 211 bull moose tags issued in 2019. 40% or 85 were issued in 7 (out of 47 total units) that had over 10 tags in each. The break down of archers/muzzleloader/rifle bull hunters was 18% 9% and 75% the most archery bull hunters in in one unit in 2019 was 4. Max muzzleloader hunters in a single unit was 2. For cows with 274 tags issued - 72% chose rifle as their method of take 16% archery and 11%.
I see this new season structure as a huge win for all hunters especially archers. Archers can now hunt until Sept 30 every year in the past archery moose season could have ended as early as Sept 23 so an extra week alone hunting is a bonus and now archers can also hunt until Oct 14th so an additional 21 days total in some cases nearly doubling the total days you can hunt moose when you draw the tag. Best of luck to all those that draw and can take advantage of the new longer seasons.
Sandbrew
Will the change in moose seasons cause all method of take hunters to pursue the same animal and create conflicts? I don't know if it will be worse or better. My moose season started with a meadow full of muzzleloaders.
I do know one thing, with 5.7 million residents as and a bunch of tourists there will always be conflict afield. We aren't Wyoming and the 1980's are long gone.
Highway traffic and highway conflict have been way down this month though, sure reminded me of 1984 when I moved here. I miss 1984.
Hell, start moose season in August for archery only!
Every rifle hunter will go buy a muzzleloader the way this mess was made by CPw.
Every bow hunter with a moose tag will have to race to any moose they have scouted pre-season...And hope they can get there before that moose gets shot over the top of them by a rifle/muzzle loader on day one.
Stupid.
I do really like Wyoming’s season structure. Bow ONLY for a full month ahead of any weapon season for another couple of months.
Seems simple and effective.
After hunting moose in Wyoming, I would much rather hunt them early than in the rut.
If you find a good bull in June through August, he will be right there until just before the rut. Super easy to walk up to 100 yards on that bull and shoot him with a gun where he has been living for the last three months.
You may never find a bull that you have scouted once they start traveling. They move so much in the rut that the gun hunters can have it.
