New Early either sex rifle elk hunt in 61

[buckhunter64]

Just got my book today and in the what's new section a early season either sex rifle elk hunt is offered in 61. Reckon how many points this will take for NR? Will they be hard horned or velvet?

 

[270Whatelse]

I'm guessing they will be hard horned by October 1st......

 

[buckhunter64]

Will the bugling/rutting activity be pretty much over by then?

 

[treedagain]

I would think it would be hard to sleep with your trailer rocking with all the bugles. They will insane

 

[twobears]

I think most bulls will be rubbed off by late August, Usually start to see that around the 15th.

 

[oilcan]

And if people keep bringing it up it will take a truck load of points to draw it.

 

[Thomas11]

I figure my two points will be enough for this tag! Lol

 

[270Whatelse]

Buck64 I'm guessing this tag will take 22+ points for a NR. That's just a guess of course since I don't know how many tags they are giving out.

 

[ElmerFudd]

Will it take a few years at standard nonresident quota before they can drop it to the high demand quota?

 

[Coloradoboy]

Don't agree with the early rifle tags in an already structured platform of four regular rifle seasons.. I don't understand why units like 61 and 76 have adopted early tags when the elk already have pressure archery through 4th rifle...... Makes no sense to come shoot up Bulls in the peak of the rut with a rifle and then continue to pound them first through 4th in a "premium unit" :/

Coloradoboy

 

[mntman]

>Don't agree with the early rifle
>tags in an already structured
>platform of four regular rifle
>seasons.. I don't understand why
>units like 61 and 76
>have adopted early tags when
>the elk already have pressure
>archery through 4th rifle...... Makes
>no sense to come shoot
>up Bulls in the peak
>of the rut with a
>rifle and then continue to
>pound them first through 4th
>in a "premium unit" :/
>
>
>Coloradoboy

I think it has more to do with trying to get the high point holders to use up their points. CO knows there is a problem but won't admit it so this their "plan". Instead of just making a 2 or so more units better quality they just have hunters use their points on average units already established by offering a "rut" hunt.

If they would just make people use their points with any buck/bull tag bought via any and every possible way. I GURANTEE point creep would come to a screeching halt.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

 

[Coloradoboy]

Could be possible. I wish it were fesible for Colorado to adopt a system like Wyomings where residents have a lottery draw and NR have to play the points shenanigans. It would give much greater opportunity to the younger generations to like myself to hunt the premium units outside of the hybrid system in select units, without waiting a lifetime. Crazy to think the first time my father and grandpa drew unit 201 it took 6 points...

Coloradoboy

 

[elks96]

Yeah that would be a nice change. I have argued this same issue but then there are all sorts of people with points that whine. For people currently holding points we need to adopt a weighted draw. If you have 20 points your name carries a much higher weight than a 0. But at least all have a chance. After a time the system would be purged and everyone would be treated equally.

The only down side to the WY system is that if you relocate to WY you loose your points. At the very least I would like to see a system where someone moving in kept their NR points in case they ever moved away, but not grow or use them while a resident.

I am saving all my points in CO until my kids are old enough to fully enjoy the experience and then cashing in. At least this way they will have a chance to see and hunt those units even if they do not have a tag.

 

[TrophyHunter_colorado3322]

I know there of at least 7 res. with 21 points that are putting in for this hunt. I was told that there could be as many as 40 tags. People with less than 19 will probably have no chance at it.

 

[Thomas11]

Yea I would think it would take a boatload of points. The issue with CO is they allow u to bank points and still do a OTC hunt or leftover. And there aren't enough really sought after units except for the handful everyone knows about. So too much demand and not enough supply. I apply in other states as well and their systems all have positives and negatives. So I'm not sure there's a perfect system out there! All in all, CO has great opportunity for someone that just wants to hunt. Not so much, if your trying to chase a premium tag

 

[ColoradoOak]

>Will it take a few years
>at standard nonresident quota before
>they can drop it to
>the high demand quota?

Yes.

 

[FrontRange]

I contacted the CPOW when I first saw this proposal on the commission meeting agenda because I didn't understand why they would offer this hunt in 2016 when they lowered the number of bull tags by 20 for rifle seasons in 2015 in unit 61 and 95 less bull tags for 1st season in unit 62 due to herd numbers. They didn't really answer my question but did say that whatever the number of tags offered for this early rifle hunt would be subtracted from tags available during 1st thru 4th rifle seasons. They will get some high PP holders to apply for the early season but alot of mid PP holders hoping to draw unit 61 are going to be dissappointed.

 

[ColoradoOak]

If that is true FrontRange, then they essentially found a way to issue more NR licenses in the unit, given that the licenses pulled from the other hunt codes will go from an 80/20 allocation to a 65/35 allocation.

 

[FrontRange]

Nothing that I posted is not true, the tag numbers will be finalized during the March 9-10 commissioners meeting. I'm not sure how the 80/20 to 65/35 allocation works, would the re-allocation result from this being a new hunt code?

 

[ColoradoOak]

I didn't mean to imply that you didn't know what you were talking about. In fact, I had heard the same thing and was going to post it earlier, but I could not find it in writing so chose not to.

The new hunt code will have a 65/35 allocation simply because the 80/20 split is based on the three year average of resident preference points required to draw for 2007-2009. That list has since been frozen, and the new hunt code is not on the list. It would take an act of the PWC to make the hunt code an 80/20 allocation, and they do not have application rate history on which to base such a decision. Therefore the new hunt code will remain 65/35 for the foreseeable future, regardless of how difficult it is to draw.

 

[ColoradoOak]

So the verdict is 30 licenses offered for this new early season, all subtracted from other hunt codes like FrontRange said. The breakdown is -5 archery, -5 muzzleloader, -10 1st rifle, and -10 2nd-4th rifle.

The net result of pulling 30 licenses from 80/20 hunt codes and allocating them to a 65/35 hunt code is that LO licenses stay the same at 95 total, resident licenses drop from 305 to 303 total, and NR increase from 75 to 77 total.

 

[FrontRange]

Glad it was only 30 tags allocated for the new hunt code. I was told it would be closer to 50 tags.

Still lowered my odds of drawing 1st season rifle as it lowered the number of resident tags by 6.

 

[jls456]

LAST EDITED ON May-10-16 AT 08:45PM (MST)[p]I have 22 NR Elk Points and from what I've seen,I doubt I will Draw.
I hunted 61 this year(2015) for deer and their numbers are WAY down.Seen a few decent Bulls,but no where they use to be. I've hunted the same area since 1980,and,wow has it changed..The deer are not there. What a waste of 10 Deer PP's.

Lions?

 

[Denverhunter]

The back door for Elk should appear this week. I didn't have enough points for the early hunt so put in for 61 2nd season. Crossing my fingers.