OTC elk seasons in the "unaffected" parts of the state will destroy what quality is left for those with deer tags in those units. I might be in one of those units attempting to hunt deer in a sea of displaced elk hunters. I was looking forward to hopefully drawing the tag but I won't be mad at all if I don't draw now.I can't wait to see how drastic the shift of the OTC tag hunters in the Flattops and NW CO will be with the massive herd declines and shortened 2nd/3rd season to 5 days. It's going to be weird year. I know a bunch of hunters that try to pick off cow tags/buck tags and such to add to hunting groups for 2nd/3rd Season. This year none of them will have any have any cow tags or buck tags and I have 2 groups of hunters that asked me for recommendations for hunting areas outside of NW CO since it appears it is going to rough hunting until the herds recover on the public land side.
OTC elk seasons in the "unaffected" parts of the state will destroy what quality is left for those with deer tags in those units. I might be in one of those units attempting to hunt deer in a sea of displaced elk hunters. I was looking forward to hopefully drawing the tag but I won't be mad at all if I don't draw now.
I watched the commissions vote and looking for details on the second/third season being reduced to 5 days. I didn’t think it was changed??I can't wait to see how drastic the shift of the OTC tag hunters in the Flattops and NW CO will be with the massive herd declines and shortened 2nd/3rd season to 5 days. It's going to be weird year. I know a bunch of hunters that try to pick off cow tags/buck tags and such to add to hunting groups for 2nd/3rd Season. This year none of them will have any have any cow tags or buck tags and I have 2 groups of hunters that asked me for recommendations for hunting areas outside of NW CO since it appears it is going to rough hunting until the herds recover on the public land side.
2nd and 3rd season is not 5 days not sure where you got that infoI can't wait to see how drastic the shift of the OTC tag hunters in the Flattops and NW CO will be with the massive herd declines and shortened 2nd/3rd season to 5 days. It's going to be weird year. I know a bunch of hunters that try to pick off cow tags/buck tags and such to add to hunting groups for 2nd/3rd Season. This year none of them will have any have any cow tags or buck tags and I have 2 groups of hunters that asked me for recommendations for hunting areas outside of NW CO since it appears it is going to rough hunting until the herds recover on the public land side.
It was approved the CPW May 3/4 meeting, just for the NW CO OTC tags. See comment 37 from the URL below.2nd and 3rd season is not 5 days not sure where you got that info
Don’t have time to read it right now but they won’t change the dates after the draw deadline?It was approved the CPW May 3/4 meeting, just for the NW CO OTC tags. See comment 37 from the URL below.
May CPW Commission meeting
Rapid Response Teams? lol what are we missing?! just imagine a guided meditation session starting with "I would like you to now stop looking at me and close your eyes. Now touch a cold carcass"www.hunttalk.com
Perhaps they would because OTC tags aren't drawn...seems weird though.Don’t have time to read it right now but they won’t change the dates after the draw deadline?
I believe they have regulatory limits on when and by how much they can raise prices. That said, I agree that cutting a season in half will likely do little to the harvest. As always, it seems anything that will reduce their budget will not be a serious consideration so they seem to propose things that will do very little to work on the quality of hunting and herd health. Kinda sad.In my opinion, shortening the OTC hunts won't do anything at all. When you drive through OTC units on the last weekend of 2nd season, 90% of the camps are packed up and gone anyways.
CPW will literally do anything OTHER than limit tags. I don't understand why they don't up the prices & lower the quotas (for both NR and R). CO license fees could increase substantially and still be comparable to other western states.
I've got a feeling this is exactly what's going to happen, the situation in the northwest corner will cause above average pressure/harvest in the rest of the state.I do think shorting the season will affect the amount of Non Residents. If they have to travel for a 5 day season. Or they will put even more pressure on units where the season is full length.
And when CPW posts their harvest stats I bet none of them reflect this uptick in pressure or harvest.I've got a feeling this is exactly what's going to happen, the situation in the northwest corner will put cause above average pressure/harvest in the rest of the state.
I’m not so sure about that. I remember years ago when the buck deer season was three days and had to be three-pointer or better there were a lot of hunters out there still. I cannot remember how many years ago that was, but our group came from California regardless.I do think shorting the season will affect the amount of Non Residents. If they have to travel for a 5 day season. Or they will put even more pressure on units where the season is full length.
I know a bunch of 2nd season OTC guys that are pissed right now and do regularly harvest animals after 5 days - WEATHER Dependent. The 3rd season is joke though - most are headed back before the 2nd weekend or breaking camp and not hunting by Friday.In my opinion, shortening the OTC hunts won't do anything at all. When you drive through OTC units on the last weekend of 2nd season, 90% of the camps are packed up and gone anyways.
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I can't believe they didn't - but I didn't ever hear anyone bring this up or I bet it would have. Common sense stuff.If CPW was really concerned about the herds more than the money they would shut down the reissue list for this year. Or at least not reissue tags in the hard hit units.
By memory, but after 2007 winter they didn’t cut tags correct? Deer numbers were higher and B/D ratios were excellent. Either they learned something or the extreme weather forced their hand being the shape of the herd going into this winter.
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