CO odds look bleak

tracker12 · Jul 3, 2006

Well I just went thru Huntodds.comm and looked what it took to draw a NR tag is the hunts and units I was most interested in. Boy it does not look good for me with 14 NR PP. That 20% reduction was a real screw job. Unless there is a an epidemic and half the nation falls victim I guess I need to search for an alternate unit. I heading out to CO for a cow hunt this OCT. Guess I better shoot quick and move around the State and do some scouting. Any susgestions. Maybe WY.

cptnron4 · Jul 3, 2006

Agree, Colorado has continually screwed the non-resident since the preference point system started...1st no ranching for wildlife tags, 2nd a 40% cap on tags, now a 20% cap on tags and either dollars or an alternative license to get preference points. I gave up and decided to use my 15 pts for an archery tag in Unit 10. As an alternative to the premier units I would suggest you look at unit 76...it holds some awesome bulls but it is really high...last time I hunted we camped at 11,000 and hunted at 12,000+. Good luck!!!!!

fullcry · Jul 3, 2006

I could see the writing on the wall.So i used my 12 points for a 61 tag.Not the unit i wanted 12 years ago, but i would be be 3 or 4 years more at least and probobly longer......

dwalton · Jul 3, 2006

Keep us posted on how 61 works out for you. I, too, have 14 points. I'm looking at 61 and 76, also. Best of luck to you, fullcry, on your hunt!

BeanMan · Jul 3, 2006

It's too bad that RFW is not open for NR's. If you used a huge pile of preference points on a RFW then you could truly feel screwed by my state.

BeanMan

tracker12 · Jul 3, 2006

I am going to look at area 10 with 15pp I may have a chance in the next couple years let me know how your hunt goes. My other thought right now is 61.

ElmerFudd · Jul 3, 2006

I bailed, and now am the proud owner of a 66 muzzleloader tag that took away 9 of my 10 points. So far, it is the only tag I have drawn, so actually I am very happy to have it. I feel all points systems suck. Rules change annually, yet points are a long term, deal. CO's true preference one that makes zero chance for all but the top pool is the worst for really tough draws. It is O.K. for hunts that take less than five years to draw, but totally sucks for the tough draws. Oh well, at least CO points are fairly cheap at $3 per species per year.

Budrow · Jul 4, 2006

Yes, odds are bleak! What a lot of nonresidents don't understand is there is no guarantee of the 20% or 35% The "soft cap" does not in any way, nor was it ever intended to guarantee the nonresident anything! Those are the facts!

DonVathome · Jul 4, 2006

I figured the 20% new NR allocation would have a huge affect, hurts. Good luck, I suspect a lot more people will bail next year and more the year after so maybe hang in there for some time.

FYI WY is awesome but they started pnts this year, 75% of tags to max pnt holders, so you are in a world of hurt if you did not get a point this year.

Good luck

tracker12 · Jul 5, 2006

I did not miss that WY point draw. I am there for deer, elk and antelope. Just need to do some research on where to hunt. I have a Quebec archery caribou hunt next fall but coem 2008 I will be looking back to elk.

I hear a lot of guys talking about bailing in CO. I just do not think it will happen for the guys at the top. People don't wait 15 years and bail. I think it is going to be a long wait.

DonVathome · Jul 5, 2006

I agree about long wait, and in WY with 2 points (going into 2008 draw) you will be in great shape, there are some great hunts there with 10%-20% odds, many will not pay for a point, and many will have drawn, you will be in great shape.

ElkScout · Jul 6, 2006

I agree the reduction in non-res allocation sucks for NRs. My dad who is a WY resident and I who am a CO resident have saved points now for 10 years on multiple big-game species. From the beginning, we wanted to hunt together using the points in a good area.

But the area we wanted to spend them on basically became out of reach with this new reduced NR quota because we apply as a group. I could draw as a resident, but he would not. So we decided to pick a different (theoretically just as good) unit and we drew this year so we are pretty excited.

So I can appreciate the non-res complaints about Colorado's system. But one thing all NRs should appreciate... is the true pref point system that CO uses. With enough points, you can almost guarantee you will draw if you do the math in a given unit. All other states you are given only a chance. Even if it takes 25 years. Oh, and CO is not as bad as AZ.

It may not be perfect, but in our case, we were able to decide which year we wanted to hunt big deer together and it was this year. We pretty much knew we were going to draw and we did.

Steve

Budrow · Jul 7, 2006

Steve, I will agree, but if you look at the amount of hunters resident and nonresidents with big points and the amount of tags in the good units, you will not live long enough to draw. Also the Division of Wildlife changes the system and will look at doing this again in four years. So why play this game!!!

Example: A guy in Texas has a ranch with very good hunting. You send him $499 and he keeps it 3 months then sends you back $471 do this 10 years and if he doesn't change his mind, you might get to go hunt in 10 years or more, but no garantees. One thing you would be safe to bet on, is that $499 would go up in that time frame.

IDarcher · Jul 7, 2006

The story just keeps repeating itself,IMO. Once a state starts down the preference point system, problems arise. It doesn't matter what state you are from, as mentioned previouisly on MM, you are an out-of-stater in the other 49 and have to deal with the NR issue. I am happy that Idaho did not go down PP road. Given, it may not seem perfect, but at least your odds stay as good as the next guy's. I just wish that they would lengthen the time that a person has to wait before they can reappy for some of the better hunts. Laters