CPW - More Archery Elk Draw Units
Elk
In the November CPW Issue Paper -
Limiting archery elk licenses in Game Management Units 14, 214, 80, and 81.
See link for more changes
I think it's crap if this once again only deals with archery hunts, and not the OTC rifle 2nd & 3rd seasons. But......"going draw" and "managing for quality" are two different things entirely. Based on the massive license numbers they ended up issuing on other archery hunts that got switched to "limited" the past couple years, those who want to bowhunt those units will still be able to. But you'll have to plan ahead and apply in the draw.
Also on the agenda.... Archers, wear your pink during ML season
On the commission agenda this month: CPW Preferred Alternative: Require archery deer, elk, bear and moose hunters to wear solid daylight fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink during the period of overlap during the September archery and muzzleloader seasons west of I-25 on public land only. This includes a minimum of 500 square inches of solid orange or pink that must be worn as an outer garment above the waist, part of which must be a head covering visible from all directions.
Ah geez, maybe require us to wear tactical vests too. Or maybe make MLs take a special class to figure out what to shoot. "Choice" is becoming a lost right in this messed up society.
Sticksender, don't count on it. When my unit went draw, there were leftover licenses for a few years. Fast-forward to today: even with an increase in licenses, it is now only 50-50 for residents with zero points
They are cutting tags as a "management objective". At the same time, introducing wolves and not cutting late season rifle tags? I give up.....
If they limit a unit for rifle as well as archery, non-residents are capped at 35%. OTC non-resident numbers are well above that.
That's a bunch of revenue. May not be the only reason they leave rifle OTC but Im guessing it is one reason.
My guess is if this passes, otc rifle will become very crowded
Forget the pink....if they don't already allow it, go with the fluorescent green that road workers use. Of all colors....why pink??? Unless the CPW went wokee and are trying to appeal to the various genders??
I’m sure many archers will do the same thing as ML elk hunters do, remove the orange once in the woods.
They need to require helmets too, in case we trip and hit our head. Maybe safety glasses. Won't surprise me if these idiot snowflakes ban treestands next.
Lol Lou! We could get you a soft helmet and a short bus to ride up to the trail head!
JL, Archery season is now breast cancer awareness month, or two. Worthy cause but they just don't seem to mix well?
The pink was approved to encourage more women to get involved in hunting
I think unit 214 has the genetics to produce 400" bulls on a regular basis if they are allowed to mature.
"The pink was approved to encourage more women to get involved in hunting"
Hmmm....what would Harry Callahan say?
Firsty, many CO units would. But limiting archery only won't have any effect except on bowhunting opportunity there, and to push even more bowhunters into OTC, which will lead to more crowding and the justification to make all units draw...for archery...but not for rifle. $$$$$
I agree, don't count on it Sticksender, I like to hunt 441 a draw unit which is next to 214. used to be we could draw a tag every year, but for awhile now its only every other year, maybe its possible to draw a tag without a PP but I haven't been able to do it.
Wow not good. Can’t say I’m surprised tho. Too bad we’re going this direction. Greedy ass CPW will never do what really makes sense and keep OTC for residents and limit all out of staters to draw only.
Dont be so greedy, us Non Res need a place to elk hunt to. Feel free to come east and whitetail hunt on OTC tags!
is this issue only about selling more licenses? If they force everyone into the draw, they sell more $100 small game license entry fee requirements. its free money for them. The OTC units dont get the extra license sale. Also by stating there were XXX hunting licenses sold, they will get more matching federal tax dollar handouts to boslter the budget.
I’m in the minority here. I’d gladly hunt what is now otc Colorado elk every other year, if it meant that the herd was reduced by half. That herd is of course the B.R.O. wannabes around every nook and cranny. A reduced hunter density and elk that act a little more like elk won’t be a bad thing. Face it, the days of otc Colorado are over and that’s the way it needs to be. Thank you YouTube heroes. Now the comments about reducing rifle numbers I’m sure are very valid.
In a bigger picture....when these state DNR/F&G/Wildlife Depts become addicted to the revenue, especially NR revenue, decisions are made that might not have been made years ago. IMO.....the res and non-res folks let these depts get away with it unchecked (or maybe it's not in my backyard so why do I care).....and everyone eventually gets hurt. Randy Newberg was talking about this same thing a while back.
If CPW doesn’t change a unit to draw for all weapons/seasons, it has nothing to do with increasing quality. They are protecting the golden goose.
Jac Funny you mention “protecting “ bow hunters. I was just researching bow hunting injuries/accidents. 94% of all bow hunting injuries come from bowhunters cutting themselves with their own broadheads. All other accidents are in the 6%!
Z I agree to your point that the number of animals killed might not decrease. That said if half the hunters in an otc unit disappeared I have no doubt my hunt would be better.
It would be better but only 1/2 as many hunts. I have maybe 25-30 elk seasons left. Not interested in cutting that to 13-15.
^....that's one way to quantify it.
The way things are going, I’m so glad I never limited myself to just bowhunting.
Good news if anyone likes the idea of limited archery elk, there are a bunch of limited units already available to get the experience. I have been hunting a 0-1 point unit lately because it's close to home. Usually more crowded than my go-to OTC spot and definitely less elk.
My point may have been missed. If you make a unit LE for archery and allow 2nd and 3rd rifle OTC, do you think your bow hunting success will improve in that unit?
I realize that elk don’t see unit boundaries. But for the most part, CPW is saving a few elk from sharp sticks while allowing a few more to die from lead poisoning. (While still keeping OTC rifle tag revenue high)
Elk should be limited draw statewide for all weapons, IMO. That’s truly the only way to successfully manage the resource. But I don’t think that’s the CPW’s objective.
Matt
Even in Camo-----> Haha
Even in Camo-----> Haha
Safety Glasses aren't a bad idea Lou!!
Safety First,
Robb
Glunt and that’s why many of these draw units don’t be any better. I hunted 71 a couple times and they basically set the quota at how many people applied first and secondary draw the first year. It’s basically OTC with caps it just takes away the option of it being a fall back plan. Nearly 100% draw if you really want to hunt it you just have to plan on it in April.
CPW is limiting bowhunters in several sw Colorado units to take the pressure off the elk during the rut. With the high numbers of bowhunters we've seen here in the sw units, our elk rut has actually gotten pushed back till late October and November. We're seeing elk calves born in August now instead of May or June. And no, this isn't caused by the second estrus cycle from cows not bred in September. What this does is now increase the pressure on the calves from bear and coyotes cause now the bear are hunting calves in May and June and again in August. And those calves born in August that survive the predators usually don't survive the winter.
CPW don't care about the bulls after the breeding season. Their logic is once the cows are bred, the bull to cow ratio doesn't matter. They feel there will be enough bulls surviving the gun seasons to breed enough cows next year. That's their logic and stand point. They think the success rate from gun hunters isn't high enough to warrant limiting licenses. All they're concerned about is taking the pressure off the rutting bulls in September and October. That's why the seasons are now moved back with several weeks between the end of archery and the first gun season. They don't want another 50% or 65% success ratio during the first rifle season like we've seen several times over the past 8 years here in the sw. I get to speak and listen to several CPW officers a lot now as they come into the shop to check license sales, talk to hunters, and discuss how screwed up the CPW is now and their great and wonderful ideas are about dealing with the sw elk herds and their elk and mule deer counts.
Yes and how does keeping drawn tag numbers at the same amount as when it was otc reduce pressure on rutting bulls. It doesn’t.
When the issue was being decided I never saw any discussion of late calving by CPW. Not sure I understand the rut being pushed later but cows not getting missed on their first cycle. Bowhunting is changing the timing of estrus?
^^^ You’re late to the game. The ML hunter that shot the archer has been charged
No need to quote me in your reply either
Most dead people don't have much legal recourse. Their family may. If someone is killed by another due to something intentional or negligence, not having their pink on doesn't mean there is no recourse.
If you are going 37 in a 35 mph zone, a drunk driver runs a red light and T-bones you, he is still liable.
"Bowhunting is changing the timing of estrus?"
Glunt - I read that too and gave it some slack eye. IMO.....regardless of elk or deer.....as far as I know, hunters can't change nature's estrus cycle in free range animals. Now that said....I think hunters could affect when/how a cow or doe gets bred. Too much hunting pressure on the bulls and bucks would/could prevent them from performing their civic duty.
The two archer deaths from MLs in recent years were both from incidents where orange wouldnt have helped. I'm actually very surprised no archer in camo has been mistaken for a bear. But once when I was with the outfitter I guided for, he mistook a bike rider, who was stopped and fiddling around with his handlebars, for a bear. I asked him "where is the bear from that guy on the bike". He asked where was the guy on the bike... You can't make stuff like that up.
I was sitting in the audience when Dale coombs brought up how the breeding period was later due to all the Archers. The biologists all had a good laugh over that one.
