The Vail valley and the entire surrounding area have reduced elk herds too.When you shoot too many elk, and they lose their wintering grounds that is what happens.Then CPW can blame it on other things. 47% of the income for CPW is spent administration ( salaries ,etc)
The Gunnison elk herd was cut from about 6500 elk to about 3500 a few years ago because CPW decided there were too many elk there.Now they are scrambling to build it back up. Ditto on the eastern side of the Flat Tops even further back in time.You will see the same thing will be happening in the western side of the Flat Tops unless they quit issue those thousands of cow tags every year.
CPW needs to either cut archery season out of prime rut, or divide the season up into three even seasons like they do rifle seasons and then make archers chose what season they want instead of hunting the entire month of September.You can't keep disrupting breeding seasons and not expect elk herds to decline.
CPW is in the money making business, not elk herd management business. If you believe they are managing the elk herds for the benefit of the elk you are mistaken
BTW, NW Colorado has a lot National Forest and BLM land.
Last edited by saddlesore; 02/18/20.
