One month to CO Archery elk opener
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: jordanathome
02-Aug-24
And this place is dead. sigh......
I need pics and stories....come on man!
From: Buckeye
02-Aug-24
I have one month till squirrel season opens, not nearly as exciting as elk season but I'm still looking forward to it. Going to set out ground blinds, hang stands and cams in the next few days, clear shooting lanes, and most importantly shoot my bow a bunch!
From: JohnMC
02-Aug-24
Buckeye that is a lot of effort for squirrels! ;)
From: cnelk
02-Aug-24
No archery pics or stories from me this year. First time in over 20 years my bow is staying home this fall.
And I’m okay with that.
From: cnelk
02-Aug-24
But I do have some trail cameras out. ;)
From: Charlie Rehor
02-Aug-24
Looking forward to my annual Colorado hunt.
From: jordanathome
02-Aug-24
Thx Brad....that is nutz LOL Good luck with the smoke pole this fall.
My wife and I will be camping in the 5'er at Estes Park tonite and tomorrow nite.......getting some grub at the chop house for our 33rd year or marital bliss. Might get some pics of park elk and such....have a timed entry pass for Sunday morning. Won't be checking my wy cams for another week....maybe 2 or 3. Looking forward to seeing some bulls show up, messing with the wallows, and rubbing off velvet in a few weeks or 4.
From: IdyllwildArcher
02-Aug-24
There are no elk left in Colorado. All the bulls were killed and there were none left to impregnate the cows.
From: Empty Freezer
02-Aug-24
See ya soon Charlie.. Lookin forward to the Flat Tops..
From: Marc W.
02-Aug-24
After not drawing other states Colorado was the last option. Decided to skip it after reflecting on past hunts there and the amount of pressure. Have September off too. Guess I’ll musky fish.
From: scentman
02-Aug-24
I never ever thought of going for Elk, but you guys get me excited to hear your stories come September, seems like the happiest season on Bowsite!
scentman
From: Grey Ghost
02-Aug-24
After 40-plus years of watching Colorado public land elk hunting decline, I just can't muster any motivation these days. I used to view the overcrowding as a challenge, Now it's just not worth the effort to me. Never thought I’d say that.
From: Brun
02-Aug-24
Great picture brad. The coolest thing about it in my view is the numbers of calves. Really healthy looking herd.
From: Tim Cousineau
02-Aug-24
Ghost, I agree.
From: Aspen Ghost
02-Aug-24
Nobody elk hunts in Colorado anymore, it's too crowded.
From: Cazador
02-Aug-24
Have fun on the porch!
From: cnelk
02-Aug-24
My trail cam pic above isnt Colorado. ;)
From: KsRancher
02-Aug-24
GG, its all about perspective. Where you are at with Colorado elk I got with Kansas deer. Wasn't necessarily the crowding. It was more of couldn't find a place to hunt unless you had several thousand dollars for a lease. That's when I started going to Colorado OTC elk hunting. WOW, it was addictive. So I know what you mean.
Try finding something else to hunt elsewhere to fill that void. Or maybe you already have with your tarpon fishing?
From: LUNG$HOT
02-Aug-24
All I know is I’m definitely pumped! C’mon September!
From: Serrano
02-Aug-24
Yes, CO archery elk hunting is hard. You should all stay home. I have had to find new spots to hunt over the years because of regulation changes, point creep and other hunters. But I wouldn't give it up unless I had no choice. I still get shot opportunities every year and I still see big bulls each year. Ken
From: Grey Ghost
02-Aug-24
Thanks Rusty. I have plenty of things to fill the void of elk hunting. After 18 bulls with my bow, and the last one being my biggest, it’s a been there done that kinda thing for me. Good luck to all who still have the desire.
From: Serrano
02-Aug-24
I don't get photos every year. I'm hunting and only carry a phone camera.
From: Serrano
02-Aug-24
OTC, unpressured and not remote last year. I hunted him two mornings.
From: Serrano
02-Aug-24
2019, OTC, unpressured and not remote. 11 bulls, 2 big bulls. I got close to one big one but not close enough.
From: tradi-doerr
03-Aug-24
This is hopefully the last year for over crowding in OTC units for everyone. But this year is going to be packed with it being the last year for OTC Non-resident hunting. This was a longtime coming!!
From: grasshopper
03-Aug-24
My elk unit is on fire. If we don't get some rain, others will be too. It's crispy dry. Forest service has no problem closing off the forest. Let's hope it rains soon.
From: KsRancher
03-Aug-24
I don't think it will happen like that. I have been hunting what used to be a OTC unit several years ago. Pressure has been the same in the past 6-7yrs as far as I can tell. No different than when it was OTC
From: Corax_latrans
03-Aug-24
“No different than when it was OTC”
But no worse, right? Maybe that’s kind of a win on its own…. ?
From: cnelk
03-Aug-24
Rusty - as a NonRes have you been able to get a PP and get a tag every year?
Serious/curious question
From: tradi-doerr
03-Aug-24
Guess we'll see, Wildlife commission stated that 2025 they will cut Non-res. availability per unit by 10% or more I believe? Guessing Non-Res. will have to pick a unit to hunt? Haven't been able to read through all the meeting minutes to fully understand what is going to change.
From: KsRancher
03-Aug-24
I hunted OTC archery from I think it was 2011 or 2012 until the unit went draw in I think 2019. But you could get it 2nd choice. So yes, build points. 2021 I decided to burn my points on a 1st season rifle. Took 3pts I think. I picked up a 4th season tag for the area off of the leftover list in 2022. But could have drawn it without using pts. I could have drawn that same 4th season tag for 2023 and 2024 without using pts. but opted to build pts and not get a tag as my 2 boys are getting to go elk hunting. My oldest son shot a bull last year during 1st season. This year my youngest son has a 4th season tag. So to answer your question. It's yes and no, depending on the season and if I just wanted a tag or a certain tag.
From: BULELK1
04-Aug-24
I miss my days of taking my Llama pack string into #39 into Hell's Hole when drawn or OTC in 44/444 into Holy Cross wilderness or 47 into Hunter-Fryingpan wilderness.
Fun times and dang good memories.
Ya'll have fun and be safe,
Robb
From: Franzen
04-Aug-24
From the looks of things on July 15 in WY, I'm not sure all the CO bulls were killed, but perhaps they just started getting tired of the darkening blue shade and moved on up.
From: Whocares
04-Aug-24
I recommend most of you shoud no longer hunt Colorado for all the various reasons stated. It's all true. I will continue to hunt there to just kinda keep track of things... and because I've enjoyed 35 years of archery elk hunting there like a few others on here. Yup, it's changed over the years for sure. But I'm looking forward to the opener.
From: HuntFreak
06-Aug-24
Won’t be long until we see shredded velvet now!
From: Cheesehead Mike
06-Aug-24
I've been pretty lucky drawing tags, or I've planned well and had points in multiple states so I've had at least one tag all but three years since 1998. Those three years were 2005, 2011 and 2012. In 2005 I hunted Colorado OTC and killed a bull that year on my first solo hunt. In 2011 I had a great Colorado OTC hunt and killed a good 6 point. It was such a good hunt that in 2012 I only applied for long shots and hunted the same Colorado OTC unit. It was a good hunt but not as good as 2011.
This will be the first year since then that I'm going into elk season without a tag so it will be Colorado OTC for me. Being retired and all set up for spending the entire month of September out west, I can't imagine not elk hunting. It's been a long time since I hunted OTC but I'll go into it with the proper frame of mind and expectations. I'm thinking I'll check out several units for future reference when they all become draw. The writing is on the wall that if a guy wants to elk hunt every year we'll probably have to apply for 0-1 point units and no longer bank points, which is probably how it should be. The lack of non resident Colorado OTC is also going to put more pressure on other states and I expect those draw odds to go down even farther.
I'll probably do a lot of hiking and fishing this year in Colorado...
From: elkster
07-Aug-24
Mike, on the cusp of retirement here, and I agree that a non res would be smart to spend the entire month now due to the crowding. Since I won't be retired by September, I will hunt bear for a week with a friend. Will be SURREAL to hike the same unit I've hunted for the past 30 years with a recurve in September and not buy an elk tag. Based on last years numbers it would be a waste of money even though we called one into 14 yds. Was the only bull he heard or worked in 7 days. End of an era.
From: cnelk
07-Aug-24
If youre sitting out of OTC this year, this would be the best year to do it.
Im betting the woods are going to be PACKED. Even more packed
From: midwest
07-Aug-24
My money's on Mike gettin it done!
From: Jimmyjumpup
07-Aug-24
I go to private land. The public land is so crowded
From: Cheesehead Mike
11-Aug-24
Thanks for the vote of confidence Nick but I think I'm going to need a few things to go my way...
Good luck on your hunt Kerry and congrats on your upcoming retirement!
