Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado elk herd numbers

Cool SS!

We had a jenny for packing that was probably not much taller than 44". Hardest damn mule to catch I've ever dealt with..........

I've been hunting in CO since 96. Missed a few years, but not in the last 10. I agree, the last five years, even more so the last three years we've seen less and less elk. There were hunts we used to see over 100. The last two years we saw 10, combined.

I have not lived in Colorado elk country for many years now, unfortunately. What are the odds that elk are finding their way onto private land sooner in the season and is there more acreage around hunting units being bought or sold? I know some of the ranches are being sold and could it be some are not allowing hunting access? Too many variables and as AlpineC mentioned weather can play such a huge role in scarcity some years. Is the surge in internet and modern day hunter/huntresses putting info out there giving many a false sense of success? It is scary how many elk would migrate back into the RMNP and some of the surrounding ranches during the rifle seasons. I never paid much attention to the numbers being put out by Division of Wildlife back then, but all the officers I knew or had any dealings with were straight shooters. Can't say one way or the other about the higher up the food chain types , though!

Hi ya'll,
This isn't sounding good. Just had a get together with my huntin buds, we decided to quit Montana and give Colorado a try this year. I haven't been in Co since 2012. We found elk then but there was a lot of hunting pressure, By the sounds of it elk numbers are down, what's the pressure like on public ground? And is there anywhere to hunt you won't run into (or get run over by) atvs? Thanks

I have hunted elk unsuccessfully on public land in central Colorado two of the last three years--not counting last year due to work. It's my fault. Two years ago, I only could hunt for a few days also due to work. There were absolutely no hunters within miles of where I was. There were thousands of elk tracks. In that place, the elk were there no more than a few days before I was hunting (given the timing of the snowfall), and there were no hunters anywhere nearby. I just didn't get within sigh of one. I also have a 120 acre mountain property in central Colorado, and there are elk tracks everywhere--in and aside from hunting season. They continually are ruining my fences. There are lots of them in this area, but they are very elusive.

Hunting pressure has become ridiculous. Any OTC unit is overrun, You can get away from ATV's by hunting wilderness areas. Th elk are there,but they come hard .Really, I would look at Wyoming if I were spending NR dollars for tags..

A person might see thousands of elk tracks which can be made by a herd of 50 moving around,but most likley they were headed for private land or it was late enough for them to be migratiing

I agree with doing the out-of-State hunt in Wyoming.

Montana seems to be having trouble reconciling reality with FWP's numbers too. They're sure bent on killing off all the elk. All these shoulder seasons and cow tags and such. I don't think it is happening by mistake.

I agree. They are trying till kill every cow and offspring letting this go into February. Then kill a second with your leftover general tag. Be no elk left in HD410 after another year of this crap.

I'm a finger's breadth away from lynching some mofos, that's for sure. Elk hunting is (was) my thing. Breaks my heart to see....no elk.

Just come to Washington to elk hunt. More elk hunters than there are elk. Spike only in many units. Happy Trails

SS,

The glass is always half full. Me thinks your line is in the water.

Hunting pressure can be a good factor in some public land units. If one knows or studies the unit, scouts and knows where to be when the rodeo starts then the odds go up for success. And after a few days hunting pressure usually goes down as most hunters fill their tags or get discouraged and move on in search of "better spots".

And packing into public wilderness areas doesn't always mean you're going to have the place to yourselves. Outfitters sometimes dominate the best areas with their clients. A savvy hunter always adapts to the unit when hunting public land.

Weather always plays a huge factor even in high quality draw units especially if it's warm with a full moon.

Instead of bitching about elk herd numbers I would pay more attention to success rates and how much private land the unit is comprised of.

The question was where to get away from ATV"s .Might want to re-read the Thsatto"s post. As for bitching about elk herd numbers, if you want to drink the CPW Kool aid go right ahead.The post wasn't about how to hunt elk, but the numbers CPW puts out.If you want to discus that fine. Other wise go start your own post about how to hunt high pressured elk.Most of us long term high success Colorado elk hunters already know how to do that

SS,

You're moving the goal posts again.

It's clear like others pointed out you are unhappy with CPWs elk herd estimates yet offer no solid proof other than your experience and observations with a few units. How often do you cover all of CO's 42 elk herds day in and day out?

Some of what you posted is baloney and meant to discourage others. And your negative doom and gloom attitude isn't helping anyone.

Wait till the wolves show up in greater numbers, then bitch. Your state and yourself had a chance to repeal that wolf reintro bill and you residents did nothing!

Do you have any solid proof of this you posted earlier ???? ::

I am not moving the goal post,you just want to talk about something else.

The figures I posted are direct quotes from 10-15 years of herd count figures from CPW according to their publication of total herd counts in Colorado Outdoor Magazine. Are you insinuating that is not proof when CPW themselves have been saying they are reducing herds, not growing them.Like when they changed those OTC archery tags in the SW of the state to draw because of elk numbers being down. I have friends that are WCO' s for CPW in Meeker and Gunnison and talked to WCO"s for the Vail herd (Unit 36) , Unit 25 and the Gunnison herd. Have also hunted many units in NW CO, Sangres and .Yes,I do get around. AS another example, several years ago CPW cut the Unit 54 herd form about 6500 to close to 3000. 2-3 years later because hunters quit coming locals had meeting with CPW and now CPW wants to build it back up,but it is not happening. They did the same in units 25,26.

How many times have you hunted elk in CO?. I have not missed a season in over 40 years and those are full seasons not 2-3 days. From your post it seems you are not resident either. If so,that is strange,offering comments as it is truth from someone who doesn't live here. If you are resident,then I apologize for that, but you offer nothing except that you don't agree.Post some figures along with where they came from an change my mind.

Most on here that have been here awhile know me and know I don't post BS about elk hunting

SS,

Since when did having to be a resident be a requirement to post facts or a valid opinion? I have friends who live/hunt in CO and know plenty other non residents who have hunted CO for years. They all kill elk.

You falsely posted CPW was letting a computer simulate their elk herd totals:



When was the last time you flew CO's winter ranges and counted its elk herds?

Jan 2021


When was the last time you collared an elk for a GPS satellite study of CO's elk herds?

February 2020


Colorado Boasts Largest Elk Herd in North America

From the above link:

"Those that put in time to scout before the season and make sure they are comfortable with their equipment will have a much higher success ratio, especially if they are willing to adapt to weather changes and put in the work." End of quote.

You seem to forget you replied to me last August 2020 and admitted you never hunted unit 66 which is adjacent to your unit 54 near Gunnison:


End of PM
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Fast forward to November 2020

Here is a sampling of one of those Gunnison elk herds you claim to know so much about last season. I was there in November for a muley hunt btw:

Gunnison basin, right off the highway during 3rd season on public ground.


Just up the road off the highway again, same unit:


A day later in the same unit:


A friends wife from Montrose with her Gunnison basin bull last season:


When granted the same opportunity I can self-guide myself, kill and pack out a big public land bull just like you here on the 'fire too. And I'm not a local like you

2019 Colorado Public Land


And simply stated, CPW does not count ungulates as you have been claiming, it's a "fools errand" . Mark 9:35

Amen. One of the most important elk hunting skills my father has ever taught me.......

False.I did not say CPW lets the computer count elk.I said CPW does a few and then lets the computer extrapolate how many elk there are.
HelI, can put up photos of he bulls I have l killed in 54 too.

A friend of mine took a picture of 300+ head of elk about 20 miles away from me. Some might think that means there are elk everywhere. To the contrary. Elk herd up like that. I saw no elk while hunting this year. I saw no recent elk sign anywhere. The lack of elk should be obvious, and the abundance of cows shot among those who got elk. It's a problem. I wish more people would clue in. These Fish and Game organizations aren't being run by conservatives and wildlife lovers. They are being run by leftists who hate conservatives, who worship nature, and who want hunting to go away.

That is true.Just read the Bios of the CPW commissioners. Checkout the CastleRanch, 20 miles north of Gunnison along Ohio Creek. By 1st elk rifle season you can count about 400 head.That is about all the elk that make up that eastern edge of Unit 54

A person cant just make an assumption about elk herds by saying they kill elk on public land. There is public that is carefully controlled by draw only and there is public land that is OTC. Comparing that is apple and oranges.I hunted 201 after 22 pref points and the chance of taking a 300+ bull there far surpasses the chance of a 250 bull on OTC land. Of course they only issue 25 tags a year in 201.

Those abundance of cows tag took their toll in several units. In 54, now they have changed all rifle cow tags to "A " tags from"B" tags, unless the elk jump the fence onto private land (figure that one out). That sure doesn't signify and abundance of elk. In the Flat Tops, it was common to see herds of 200-300 elk in the summer up on top, now if you see a herd of 50 you are lucky.Talk to WCO's like Evan Jones up in Meeker or Bandon Diamond in Gunnison, or Brain Woodrich for the Vail area, or some outfitters like J Bar H in Unit 12 or Fred Stinson of Tenderfoot ou tof Gunnison. Ask them what they see.

To post videos put out by CPW of elk counts being done by Helos are also misleading. You see a couple hundred elk.Remember these are the same people who said shed hunting had to be controlled so as not to harass the elk yet here they are doing the same. Then people post videos of elk being collared.They do that to monitor movement and survival rate not to count elk. Look at the"C" tags east of I25.CPW wants to exterminate any elk they can in eastern CO so they won't have to pay crop damage.

Saw a comment on Facbook the other day about Biden. It said trusting him is about like trusting a fart after you took Exlax. Kind's rings true with CPW.

I've hunted elk in CO for 40 years now and plan to continue for the foreseeable future. I've hunted all over the state in many different areas, although I haven't necessarily hunted elk in all of these units. However, I'm always looking for elk, so note the numbers that I see and reach my own conclusions. I don't study the CPW elk population estimates because they mean little to me. We all know that just about anyone can put up pictures of big herds. That doesn't mean that there are more elk around, just that you were in the right place at the right time to get a good photo. I also suspect that there are certain units or hunt areas where the elk numbers may be growing. But I doubt that the numbers are increasing as much as they are saying statewide.

Personally, I agree with what Saddlesore is saying, i.e. that there seems to be less elk around than there were 10 or 20 years ago. I also agree with him that the CPW is all about the $. The majority of them (CPW managers and employees) really don't give a rat's ass whether any of us kill an elk or don't. They just want our money. And their PR machine does everything they can to prop up the belief that CO is the place to hunt for elk. If you buy their PR, then good for you, and I'm glad you're happy. But most people who will objectively look at the state as a whole, won't reach the conclusion that our elk numbers are increasing or that the the hunting is getting better. And, finally, let me add that anyone who thinks a 10% success rate in over the counter hunt areas is a good or even acceptable number doesn't appreciate how disappointing it is to those of us who remember better days.