Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado Elk Applications

Right! They know if you have the right tag for the dirt you are standing on and dates, etc. I know Evan Jones and he seems like a nice guy. He is a friend of my landowner buddy and I have visited with him a couple of times at the ranch. Call the CPW hunt planner folks in Denver.....listed in the brochure and online.

Double post......must be da corona....

Steve--I hope you are kidding about the high temperatires. In 2017 I was hunting second combined in Meeker, it was 75 degrees, I came home sunburnt and with a 5x5! I thought I was going to have heat stroke. Good luck all!

My pard is a county ag agent and was quoting a USDA forecast. He sent me the link, but I didn’t open it since it would not work on my phone. Hope it’s a normal year, but what’s normal this year? H

Yep, it was warm 2017 2nd Rifle but pretty normal 3rd season with a bit of snow. Happy Trails

No one can predict any weather in Colorado. We got snowed out in 2nd rifle last year.

Don't bother applying, if you haven't yet. Colorado cancelled the 20-21 hunting seasons due to viruses and such.

date stamp.

Whats everyones opinion on the bear tag? Put in for 1st rifle elk, debating on applying for a bear as well.

Many of the units have OTC bear tags that correspond with your elk tag. I'm getting one this year. I'm not a huge fan of bear steak, but I saw so many tracks this last fall it's hard not to buy one.

Screw it! I'm gonna go fishing instead

Having hunted CO since a 1974, I have seen three bears and a few tracks over several different Big Game Units. I know there are few more out there, but firmly believe this is a new tactic of CPW to convince hunters to buy more bear tags to get more revenue. We all know that in many areas, elk herd numbers are down, yet CPW still holds on to the280,00+ elk numbers. To say there are less,would mean hunters would look elsewhere and they would have a revenue shortfall.Same thing with bears

Preference point for me and my sons this year as they are both getting married. Archery next year again for us . I just can’t get enough of elk in September. As for a bear tag as a NR , I won’t buy a tag but my Res son will. Never saw one while hunting but plenty of sign , although we checked sons elk carcass daily last year and only had coyote hitting it.

Another nonresident preference point for me, that will make 11. I'll probably try to draw a decent muzzleloader tag at some point. The good rifle tags are forever out of reach unless they go to a hybrid draw.

We’ve seen a few in unit 13 during 2nd season and the archery guys on the adjacent ranch saw 13 last year (unverified).

I will say that I have seen quite a few bears in 71-711. The one time I did have a bear tag I only saw a small one that may have went 100lbs soaking wet. I trapped bears for UT at Camp Lejeune Marine base in coastal NC when I was in college. The biggest one I ever snared went pretty close to 700 lbs and I poked him with a jab stick at about 4 feet. In all honesty, shooting one is fairly low on my to do list. I will probably just end up helping my friend hunt and watch the mules while he does his thing.

I've seen bears in every unit I've hunted in, all in archery season some big uns too.


Last day to apply today.

Only fools and newcomers.... ha ha

We had a lot of snow on the ground last year during 3rd season, but it was fading towards the end of the week. 4th season was warmer than 2nd or 3rd. Ya never know. Just go and be prepared! Happy Trails