CBA Allocation survey
Colorado
Guys & Gals, if you hunt, take this CBA survey.
CPW shared some insane poll results in their slide decks last month, suggesting hunters prefer to hunt every 2 to 4 years. I know a lot hunters, but I have never met "that hunter". Folks claim "hunter crowding" is an issue to the point resident hunters should be limited, while our trail heads are seeing out of control growth from hiker, bikers, and non hunting recreationalists. We are told hunters complain about crowding, and need to be limited, while at the same time we issue thousands of additional cow licenses that extend not only numbers of hunters afield, but days afield. Crowding complaints exist, while nonresidents are unlimited in terms of their ability to get a license. Nonresident bowhunters in over the counter hunting areas now EXCEED residents. CPW and PWC solutions so far send thousands and thousands of hunters into a smaller and smaller over the counter licensing landscape, and MAKE THE PROBLEM WORSE. Folks push for license limitations, with no thought whatsoever about the impact to point creep. All this gets done, while our statewide elk is slightly above objective. Units 80/81 just went limited for archery. It had 67% nonresident participation which obviously was the primary cause of "crowding" so they limited everyone, forced residents to spend preference points or go elsewhere, and the draw results this year show 65% of the licenses were drawn by nonresidents. You want a screwed up solution? I'll guarantee it is coming if you don't speak up in force. If you want to be heard and get a reasonable outcome, take the survey.
I too have never met "that hunter" and was somewhat surprised to see the "hunt every 2 to 4 years" as an answer in the survey.
I like how they spin the "hunt every year, but being more crowded and harvesting smaller, younger deer". We can let you hunt every year, but it won't be as good of an experience.
There is no science behind the statement, hunting every 2- years will produce, "less crowding and larger and older elk", UNLESS, the CPW drastically reduces bow hunter numbers by Limited Draw or a huge limit on OTC, which then might take 6-23 years to draw a tag. How many bow hunters need to be reduced to lower " over crowding". : Lets say the 25,000 resident elk bow hunters is status quo and then the 25,000 non residents are reduced by 50% , ie, to 12,000. So now we have 37,000 -40,000 bow hunters. My bet, "over crowding" being the new buzz word, there will still be complaints by those bow hunter who are less tolerant of any distractions. A CBA survey of members indicated that 71% were very tolerant of other hunters, while 21% were not. If those stats were considered, the season would remain Status Quo.
Take this survey and also attend the CPW Spokesperson Regional Caucus. This is your time to voice your opinions. The NE meeting will be on Aug, 4, Thursday,, at 5:30 pm At Scheels in Loveland. There will be an elk calling presentation at 5:30 until 6 when the regular meeting starts. The SE meeting has been scheduled, see CPW E-News for others.
Bowhunters pay the same fee, harvest the least critters and create the most recreation days per harvested animal. We also don't take enough to be the cause or the solution to herd numbers, bull:cow ratio or trophy quality.
We should be the star players when trying to get the most from a limited resource. Instead, we are constantly the first stop when reducing opportunity.
There are some poorly worded questions on that survey
Three points: 1) I have not met CO resident bowhunters who want to hunt every other year. My friends and I want to hunt elk every year. Maybe some nonresident hunters go every year due to cost, draw, etc. 2) I hunt archery elk in the Flattops Wilderness and have found no crowding in the past 15 years-the Flattops are vast, trail head access and camp grounds may look busy-lots of hikers/fishermen/non hunters. But if you chose to hunt a half mile from the parking lot you may get pushed. 3) Please fill out the CBA survey. We need real data and not second hand feed back from complaining no bow hunters passed through local game wardens.
A correction to my above post: many nonresident bow hunters I know hunt every other year because of cost, draw, etc. And regarding crowding, If you get a few miles in the country is big and there is no pressure that I have seen. So leave the bow hunters alone. If you want to see crowding, go and see the zoo at the trailheads during rifle seasons!!
Yes, rifle season is a joke, at least here in most parts of Colorado, it's more like elk shooting and not true hunting, way too many people in the woods for a quality experience. There is where the control needs to be made, Of course the almighty dollar takes precedence, and the hunt quality suffers. Resident archers shouldn't have to draw at all, except for the special areas. Limit the weapon and see the numbers get back to what archery was all about. Again, we got screwed by technology and the dollar. We made archery too easy! Just my observation since 1962.
