Muzzleloader numbers ?
Colorado
Hey folks, trying to see how many smoke pole hunters will be hunting the unit we’ll be in, but I don’t see a quota number listed on any of the muzzle hunt codes ?
You can go to go back to last year's draw stats and see what the quota was. When the brochure is printed, the number of licenses is not set yet.
Find your hunt code and cross reference it with the ML hunt code - see link
To get a full count, check elk male and female hunt codes for your units. But wait, that’s not all...
Then check the muzzle loader male and female hunt codes for deer. Those guy will be out there, too.
The moose muzzle loader season has the same dates - cow and bull. Even though there aren’t many tags, you might bump into one of those guys or their posse looking for a moose.
Then check the otc with caps for muzzle loader bear. Again, same season dates so they’re gonna be out in the woods somewhere for those same dates.
That about covers the muzzle loaders, But it’s not just the muzzle loader hunters you have to compete with...
Depending on where you hunt, you might also check the early rifle cow hunts - some are on public and some are on private. Some even overlap the archery season in some of the toughest to draw units in the state. Those guys can sure mess up your day if they happen to be hunting the same herd as you.
Oh, then there are the rifle bear tags that start September 2 and overlap the rest of archery season. Those guy will be out and about. You might not notice them as much because they might have a bow and an OTC elk tag and not wearing any orange...
Then, depending on the unit, there will be the early rifle buck seasons. They have different dates for each one so you’ll have to check when they will be out there.
Lastly, although they aren’t in direct competition, they are going to be out there with rifles in bow season, check the sheep and goat numbers for the area you are hunting. Different units than for the other species so you’ll have to do some cross referencing.
The woods can get very crowded during certain times and places during “archery” season in Colorado!!!
Good luck!
We have more issue with rife bear hunters in our unit than we do with muzzle loaders.
"Good luck!"
Tavis, you are such a downer! LOL
Tree line you forgot the grouse hunters and their dogs. :)
Yup, them too.
Not to mention scads of goretex clad hikers with their dogs running loose... especially near any of the trails!
Makes a guy wonder if it’s even worth going out and fighting the slathering hordes or just staying down in the city where it’s peaceful!
Mark, you might want to bring your own campsite out from Ohio!
Hey thanks for promising info lol , guess it doesn’t really matter cause I found a SECRET spot nobody knows about lol
My favorite story to tell about Colorado, is Lizard Head Pass. It use to be a very good Elk area. Hunting a medow one evening I say people lots and lots of people. This medow was a good hike from any road so I was quite surprised. I went over to one group of ladies who were banging around their mess kits and asked them how it was going. Apparently Better homes and Gardens published an article that this medow was like the Serengeti for Elk. I met guys from Hawaii, Rhode Island and other places. All their wives had read this article and sent them to fill the freezer. Needless to say I packed up headed for another area. That was about ten year ago. I often wonder if it is still that way.
One thing about ML week - yes, they are in the woods. But it seems like many bowhunters stay home that week. I have way less interference from ML hunters that week than from go-getter elk hunters during the other weeks.
Never thought of it that way jaquomo, plus I haven’t seen many away from the roads. Quite honestly most people I’ve seen are there on the weekends. Good luck to all, hope to harvest an elk out of Colorado this year. Hunt smarter not harder.
My best success on elk is during the ML season. I have taken more elk on Tuesday morning of the ML season than all the rest of the season combined! In all my years of hunting, I have had only two times where ML guys were around me and messed thing up.
Sometimes I bowhunt and ml hunt on the same day. I ve yet to get in my own way. 8^)
