Commission meeting
Colorado
Watched today. Seems like majority of commissioners on board with, at a minimum, to limit archery elk in some format, whether by gmu or dau. And possibly incrementally expanding it to all rifle tags in the future. In otherwords, archery will be the pathfinder for going all draw, for all methods of take.
Also, seems like the expanded archery deer starting 8/15 got a thumbs DOWN, meaning a status quo of 9/2 - 9/30 for archery deer/elk season.
Agree. Sad thing is almost all of the current commissioners don’t clearly understand how the application/draw process operates or the implications of making a drastic change and many rely on the staff recommendation(Matt is clearly pushing all draw hard) or other commissioners (like Haskett) that is out for what’s best for outfitters interests instead of all hunters.
The majority of the comments by commissioners as to why they think we should go all draw don’t even address the overcrowding which according to staff was the reason it had to change. They talk about going all draw as the answer but in the same sentence talk about how everyone that wants to hunt will be able to. When the commission changes a dau from otc to draw and the next year there are 200 leftover tags after the draw doesn’t change overcrowding at all, just smoke and mirrors. Otero seems to be the only one that gets it and is giving any resistance to staff recommendations. May is possibly on board but we will see come June.
Their goal is to make hunting inconvenient and expensive so you give up. The current regime hates hunters and hunting and it shows.
I didn't listen to the bloody end but did hear all the public input. Here is what none of them get except Otero, and maybe some that just don't show their cards.
1. if they go all draw, the quota will be set so high nothing changes on quality or crowding except now they sell more nonresident licenses because they are willing to spend points on a hunt code worth zero. Cha-ching. The FACTS suggest this will be true.
2. When an outfitter testifies they care about the resource, the real translation is I want supply constrained so I can charge more and work less.
Two things hold true, there will be suffering and this ain't over. It is pretty easy to see based on the video evidence, they are ignoring the wide majority of public input who happen to vote, based on arrogance. Hearing Haskett make a motion for a vote to limit all archery at a meeting where there there is no vote scheduled was amazingly, to put in nicely, in poor taste. I agree with the ethics complaint against her, she has no business voting or influencing something that will personally enrich her. It saddens me.
It was funny listening to the folks say how great this has worked in the SW, where the bull ratio is 12 to 15 bulls per 100 cows and NR's get all the tags. I spoke to Dennis Howell recently. He said he archery hunted unit 74 for 10 days, never saw an elk or a fresh turd. He is an excellent bowhunter, said he has never seen it worse, and rifle is still unlimited.
Time to call my Senator who sits on Senate Ag. Legislators get pissed when CPW and the commission ignore voters. I think a bill that jacks NR prices up to market rates, mandates OTC for residents based on herds at or over objective, and moves to a 90/10 hard cap is in order. Remember, this isn't a biology issue, it is social.
If anyone has any language suggestions on such a bill, PM me.
Thanks all for the review of the meeting. I did not listen or watch it as I did not want to RUIN my day or my mental being. I can close my eyes and shake my head in discuss.
I'm here for a while. We'll see where the kids end up after school. I have one foot out the door but family may keep me here.
If Bad Karma is right, its working. I'm thinking golf and fish in decent weather and snowmobile in the winter. For decades my whole life was basically arranged around hunting. About everything I loved about Colorado is headed the wrong direction. Still a lot of opportunity and still a beautiful state with a great climate but losing constantly on about every issue gets old.
