Uncompahgre Plateau September Bear Tag Keep or Turn In?

[LoneGriz]

I'm hoping for thoughts from the group on surrounding hunting bears on the Uncompahgre Plateau this September, given the drought conditions?

I need to make a decision by end of week whether to turn in my Uncompahgre September bear tag and hope for better conditions next year or move forward with the hunt.

I hunted the tag about 5 years ago. I don't recall the reason (spring freeze or drought), but the mast crop completely failed that year. My buddy and I hunted 2 weeks, 1 week at beginning of September and 1 week at the end of September. We definitely put in a solid effort! I didn't see a single bear outside of very thick riparian environments (along creeks in thick cover). I didn't see a single bear out in the open from vantage/glassing locations. My buddy finally saw and took a younger bear the afternoon of the last day. I'm hoping to avoid a similar experience, if at all possible. I drew the tag last year but turned it in due to mast crop failure due to spring freeze (?). I was out on hike on the front range this weekend in a gamble oak habitat. There was some acorn, but little, and what was there was stunted (small).

Question(s) I have out to the Warden and Biologist on the Uncompahgre: What are the conditions of bear feed on the Uncompahgre Plateau this year? Do you feel there will be an opportunity to glass up bears from vantage/glassing spots this year or will they all be down in riparian areas similar to what I experienced several years ago? In your opinion, given conditions, is this a year to turn in the Uncompahgre September bear tag or to hunt it? If to hunt it, where would you expect to find bears and how would you hunt if it was your tag?

Any thoughts/input? I've never taken a black bear, but it isn't from lack of effort! One of these days the bear god will smile on me...

Thanks! Jim

 

[BeanMan]

You can't kill a bear if you wait until you think conditions are perfect. You drew the tag, use it.

Hasbean

 

[coloradoman]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-24-18 AT 03:55PM (MST)[p]Well you should've started your questions long before now... That's your first post ever so don't expect much response.
The Uncompahgre has 2 units but you didn't specify the unit.
With that being said I spend a LOT of time up there and in my opinion there are A lot of them up there.
Go up and kill a bear!!

 

[coloradoman]

You just had 2 replies from guys who live minutes from there!
Whatcha gonna do??

Lol

 

[FrontRange]

I've spent about 10 weeks in Unit 61 over the past 3-years. Hunted the unit for elk 2 of those years. In 2015 I saw alot of bear sign and the vegetation was lush and lots of berries. 2016 & 2017 it was dry and did not see much bear sign. During my time in unit 61 I have only seen 1 bear and I've covered alot of the unit on foot & atv at almost every elevation. Ran into a local bear hunter last year and he had killed a small, maybe 100 lbs, cinnemon colored bear. Had it in the back of his truck. He said he hadn't seen nearly the number of bears he had seen in previous years and the bears he did see were very skinny. I'm sure there are bears around and maybe a MM member can share some insight. I've actually seen more bear on the Grand Mesa than the Uncompahgre. Best of Luck

 

[LoneGriz]

Hey Beanman. Long time no chat. Not new to the site. Use to post under COGriz. Just wanted to reach out on MM to touch base with some of my old Uncompahgre friends from previous turkey threads, etc. I hear ya in using the tag but as you know there is serious opportunity cost to taking a week off of work for a hunt. I have a friend with a NM sheep tag and a one with a CO goat hunt, so that week of vacation will go to helping one of them if I turn in my tag. I got some good input from wildlife officer and biologist today. Sounds like i shouldn't have turned in the tag last year... high harvest inspite of spring freeze mast crop kill. I need to decouple
fears of a poor hunt to he condition of acorns! Thanks for the input. I've got 7 days to gather more input/feedback and make a decision...

 

[Live4MtnHunts]

I was on 61 2 years ago for muzzy season and last year for the early rifle season. We hunted in the central part of the unit. We had bear tags both years. While the bear hunting was meant to be opportunistic vs giving it serious attention, between scouting and hunting we saw a grand total of 2 sets of tacks and 1 small bear a mile away. I'm not even sure if we saw much/any scat. Lots of historical sign like claw marks on trees, just not any bears.

Lots of folks say they are everywhere in 61. My experiences and those with whom I spoke to would say that may not be true.

Could be they were lower or just in different parts of the unit?

 

[Clownpuncher]

>LAST EDITED ON Jul-24-18
>AT 03:55?PM (MST)
>
>Well you should've started your questions
>long before now... That's your
>first post ever so don't
>expect much response.
>The Uncompahgre has 2 units but
>you didn't specify the unit.
>
>With that being said I spend
>a LOT of
>time up there and in
>my opinion there are A
>lot of them up there.
>
>Go up and kill a bear!!
>

I second that. I don't think 2 days go by, usually 1, that I don't see a bear. I see them damn near everytime I go out up there but I usually don't have a tag so that could be why i'm seeing them!

 

[ColoradoRam]

I've hunted dry years and late freeze years. They move around more and are more visable. 62 is a great unit for bear and if you spend a week where Aspen, Pinion and oak all come together you'll see bears. I'd go this year in a heartbeat. Good luck.

 

[BeanMan]

I've only seen 7 bears on the Unc this year, but then I've only spent two days turkey hunting there this year.


Opportunity cost is a two sided sword. You made the decision when you applied and I think you should hunt the tag you applied for. I have strong negatiive feelings for people who put in knowing that they are going to monitor the internet and weather and possibly turn a tag back in. Opportunity cost? For sure it is for the person who didn't draw the tag because you drew it.

Hasbean

 

[Gadjet]

Couldn't agree with you more Beanman. The thought of turning a tag in that I've spent years applying for just because the stars aren't aligned just right has never entered my mind. I just don't get it!

 

[LoneGriz]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-27-18 AT 09:36AM (MST)[p]Beanman/Gadjet,

I don't want to turn this into a "tag turn-in" discussion, although I think that would be a good discussion, but I did want to respond to your posts.

I can appreciate your feelings on turning in tags, and at some level I share it. But like many on this site, I apply each year for in-state and out-of-state tags knowing I may need to turn in tags depending on what I draw, what my friends draw, etc. I apply for 50+ tags in 9 western states, Maine and periodically plan hunts in AK, etc. So my tag application strategy comes with an understanding that I may/will have to strategically turn-in tags at times. Some states allow you to turn in tags, some don't. You use that knowledge in your application strategy and in dealing with the tags you draw any particularly year. Just part of the game.

Speaking specifically to CO tags, I share (shared... given situation doesn't exist any more) your sentiment when it comes to trophy tags and the ability up to last year to turn in a tag up until the start of the season. This policy prevented trophy tags from being picked up by other hunters an the opportunity to hunt was wasted. With CO moving to the policy of having to turn in a tag 30 days in advance, this almost ensures turned in tags will go to other hunters. Clearly this applies to trophy and non-trophy tags, but I expect your strong negative feeling toward turning in tags applies primarily to a trophy tag where a hunter could scout up until the day before a trophy hunt (e.g. 4 season mule deer in 44 or something along that line)? An interesting side note... one of the DWM's I talked to about the Unc bear tag and forage conditions stated he applied for the bear tag this year and didn't draw... so would be happy to pick up my tag if I turned it in!

To continue the thought on currently turning in of CO tags, not only do the majority of the tags get picked up by other hunters after they are turned in but CO keeps the money from the original applicant (assuming they want to keep points vs money, which I assume most do). So, in that sense, it is really a win-win-win scenario... the original applicant wins because they can turn in their tag and get their points back, the CO P&W wins because they keep the original applicants money and get to sell the tag again (doubling their revenue/funds used to manage wildlife in CO)... a second hunter wins because they get to pick up a tag they wanted and hunt.

Regardless, the need to turn in a tag this year doesn't necessarily exist for me since I didn't draw any premium in or out of state tags this year, but I still do have more CO tags than I can hunt effectively given the amount of vacation time I have available after taking 2 weeks in the spring to turkey hunt NM, CO, SD and WY. If you have enough time to hunt all tags you draw, I am envious. I unfortunately don't. And if you want to add in the variable of being able to help a friend on a premium hunt on top of your own tags, it makes being able to turn in a tag a very valuable option that is appreciated (thanks CO!).

 

[coloradoman]

There is so much wrong and selfish BS babble in your post I'm about to puke.

 

[DW]

You left out the part about hurting the rest of the hunters because you've just added to point creep.


#livelikezac

 

[LoneGriz]

Wow... okkydokky then. Nice chat fellas.

 

[LoneGriz]

CM, I'd be curious to hear what you think is "wrong", "selfish" "BS babble" or cause for "puke" to you. The subject seems straight forward and clear cut to me. You either got up on the wrong side of the bed or we are coming from completely different places. I had many great chats with you and beanman back in the day under COGriz (and even PMs), so not sure if I have changed or you guys have changed, but something feels "off". Jim

 

[DW]

Reread post 13. When you turn in your tag you keep your points. When someone picks that tag off the leftover list they keep their points. See what it does?


#livelikezac

 

[LoneGriz]

Yep. Point Creep is a valid concern.

 

[brushcreek]

>Reread post 13. When you turn
>in your tag you keep
>your points. When someone picks
>that tag off the leftover
>list they keep their points.
>See what it does?
>
>
>#livelikezac


only if the tag required less than 5 points to draw, correct?

 

[FrontRange]

I believe for elk & deer a returned tag that requires 5+ points to draw is offered to the next 5 applicants in line and it does cost them their points if one of them accepts the offer. If none of the five accept the tag, it goes on the randomly populated left over list for anyone to purchase at zero points.