2nd season limited question
Contributors to this thread:Colorado
From: crestedbutte
29-Mar-21
Why did they push it back a week later than usual? This year it is from 10/30-11/7. I have been hunting in Colorado since late 90’s and that specific season has never extended into November. Any ideas why?
From: Orion
30-Mar-21
They pushed all the seasons back to kill off all the mature bucks to stop CWD. At least that's CPW's theory anyway.
From: Jaquomo
30-Mar-21
For elk, they wanted to provide a longer break between first and second season to let them settle down. Success rates for second season drop dramatically from first.
From: Stix
30-Mar-21
IIRC, CPW never suggested tha later seasons, in fact their original preference's were status quo. The later season shift was done at the request of the wildlife commissioners, who as Jaq stated wanted to provide a longer break between seasons.
Unfortunately they failed to consider the effect on rifle deer hunting later into the rut.
From: Nock
31-Mar-21
Can't believe 4th rifle falls over Thanksgiving this year.
From: crestedbutte
31-Mar-21
That date really jacks with my KS early rut whitetail bowhunting. I am sure it does the same for a bunch of other non-resident whitetail rut hunters that hunt other mid-western states. Oh, the sacrifices of the modern day deer hunter? I know, I know....waaaah!
From: wkochevar
31-Mar-21
I thought the season structure had to do with the policy of the 1st rifle cannot begin before the first Saturday after the 9th of October, thus it pushes everything back one week from what you'd normally think was a late start...?? Just the way the calendar falls this year.
From: Orion
01-Apr-21
It has nothing to do with the calendar they pushed the seasons even farther back
From: Jaquomo
01-Apr-21
Wkochevar is right. What seems like pushing the second-fourth seasons back is really an effort to give 9 days between first and second seasons, and it just so happens that this year the second Saturday is the 16th. Last year it was the 10th. Whether this 9 day break will have a positive effect on second rifle elk success will take a few years to determine. But for sure it will positively affect rifle deer success during late seasons, which will inevitably lead to reduction of rifle deer tags in a couple years.
This same calendar quirk also effectively removes a week of archery deer hunting on the plains, because of the first rifle start date being so late. This year November archery deer doesn't start until the 10th.
From: crestedbutte
01-Apr-21
State Legislature policy or CPW policy?
From: Jaquomo
02-Apr-21
I believe it was CPW policy due to the dramatic dropoff in second season success for elk. But pushing the deer seasons out into the rut will sure help them with their goal of destroying all those deadly mature bucks that once made Colorado famous.
From: crestedbutte
05-Apr-21
Jaq....you mean all the muley bucks that Kurt Darner killed in the 80’s and early 90’s? Seemed like that guy was on an Outdoor Life cover about 2 times per year with the muley bucks he had harvested. What ever happened to that guy?
From: Jaquomo
06-Apr-21
He was a major league poacher on many levels, was convicted of multiple felonies, had all of his animals removed from B&C, had a lifetime hunting ban imposed. Some of the alleged stuff he did is way over the top, but there's plenty of confirmed poaching to also confirm he was a fame-hungry POS. Since he rarely took hero shots, likely because he would be incriminated, Outdoor Life had him pose with mounts posed like fresh kills. One famous one on the cover of Outdoor Life was poses with a giant buck taken in 1948 by an unknown hunter.
It's not difficult to become a great muley hunter when you hunt out of season, on winter range, with a rifle.
From: crestedbutte
06-Apr-21
No kidding. I thought he had gotten into some trouble but didn't want to drag him through the mud if it wasn't true. Thx for the follow-up on him....darn shame!
From: Dinkshooter@work
06-Apr-21
I signed up for the 2021 Colorado Buck Blood Bath. Should be interesting. I'll video and post of me and 35 other guys fighting over the last 18" 4 point in the unit.