elks96
Long Time Member
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- 3,802
For the last several year the quality and quantity of larger bucks in NW Colorado has been on a slide. I am mostly familiar with NW section so my comments are on this area. Not sure if other areas are seeing the same trends. Over the last several years the CPW has incrementally increased buck license allocations in the NW. They have done this step by step. As a result many can see a significant decrease in the number of mature bucks and the quality of mature bucks.
Looking at the proposed license allocations in Colorado highlights what we knew was coming. CPW has decided that the best way to fight CWD is by killing off mature bucks. The end result in this year allocation proposals means a lot of changes for draw odds etc. A couple themes you can see in the NW units...
1. An over all increase in buck tags
2. A shift of many licenses from 2nd season to 3rd season (they want to make mature bucks easier to kill)
3. Many 4th season (Quality Hunts) saw significant increases. Some of the 4th hunts are seeing an increase of over 300%.
4. With allocations shifting, in some cases the 3rd season tags may get easier to draw than 2nd season. Points will be funky this year for sure.
5. If you applied for a 4th season tag expecting to be in the field with only a dozen other hunters, you will now be competing with 60-70 other hunters in some units.
Many here have questioned the CPWs "Science" that is driving this issue. There are many unanswered questions with the increase in CWD rates in the NW. There are even more questions as to why killing mature bucks will somehow result in lower infection rates.
Regardless, it is important that you look at the proposed allocations, adjust your expectations accordingly. Luckily the 4th season tag I applied for only went from 20 tags to 25, however there are many that are offering 40-60 even up to 70.
In the next few years we will have a bunch of people killing 2-3 year old bucks and the CWD infections will drop. But who wants to kill 2 and 3 year old deer?
https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/C...vcGIsYhvBg-BTFQvv7ShwKmJ5WRTcydSP8WoaVq1IVSXw
Looking at the proposed license allocations in Colorado highlights what we knew was coming. CPW has decided that the best way to fight CWD is by killing off mature bucks. The end result in this year allocation proposals means a lot of changes for draw odds etc. A couple themes you can see in the NW units...
1. An over all increase in buck tags
2. A shift of many licenses from 2nd season to 3rd season (they want to make mature bucks easier to kill)
3. Many 4th season (Quality Hunts) saw significant increases. Some of the 4th hunts are seeing an increase of over 300%.
4. With allocations shifting, in some cases the 3rd season tags may get easier to draw than 2nd season. Points will be funky this year for sure.
5. If you applied for a 4th season tag expecting to be in the field with only a dozen other hunters, you will now be competing with 60-70 other hunters in some units.
Many here have questioned the CPWs "Science" that is driving this issue. There are many unanswered questions with the increase in CWD rates in the NW. There are even more questions as to why killing mature bucks will somehow result in lower infection rates.
Regardless, it is important that you look at the proposed allocations, adjust your expectations accordingly. Luckily the 4th season tag I applied for only went from 20 tags to 25, however there are many that are offering 40-60 even up to 70.
In the next few years we will have a bunch of people killing 2-3 year old bucks and the CWD infections will drop. But who wants to kill 2 and 3 year old deer?
https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/C...vcGIsYhvBg-BTFQvv7ShwKmJ5WRTcydSP8WoaVq1IVSXw