Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Boycotting Colorado Might Be A Good Thing

This 2011 response was pulled from F&S Stream website. Lays it out I believe especially the numbers on harvest success. Factoring in Licenses Cost/Harvest Success/Quality of Elk out of state hunters might be better served going to another state.

"Last year 4 of my friends from Minnesota who are meat-hunters opted out of Colorado, as they were shocked that the already-expensive cow elk tag went from $250 to $364. No way to justify that.

Elk hunting success in Colorado is VERY LOW compared to the other western states, partially because there is an army of elk hunters tramping all over and riding their ATVs throughout the habitat. The elk get extremely wary, and most units have a success rate well under 20 percent. The unit I traditionally hunt had a success rate of 18 percent (bulls), 16 percent for cows in 2009.

The quality of Colorado elk are not nearly like those from the other western states, especially New Mexico, Arizona and Idaho. Not only are the bulls considerably larger, but the success rates are all above 50 percent. I love Colorado country, but there is much better elk hunting to be had elsewhere. Clearly, the elk hunters who educate themselves have decided what is the best deal for their hard-earned dollars and Colorado is not it. Especially for those who want to actually bag an elk.

Those are the facts. The success rates are available on Colorado's DOW website.

I'm an Arizona resident, who gets drawn for AZ bull elk only about once every 6 years. I used to spend the off years hunting cows in Colorado, but no longer. I skipped out last year too, because of the price increase. Instead, I convinced my spouse to put in for an Arizona cow tag, which are easily drawn by residents. We got our elk meat that way.

CO bull tags are still $564, and are unlimited. Of course, any Colorado unit that produced a good bull(s) one year will be overrun with hordes of hunters the next year. It's the Colorado way.

If Colorado was truly interested in attracting more hunters, they should not have raised the cow tag prices in the middle of the Great Recession".

If hunters, fisherpersons, shooters, skiers, snowboarders, and otyer foilks who enjoy the wilderness and hunting/catching their own food bail Colorado will learn a lesson that ouir elected idiots gotta learn soon - all power - AND MONEY - flows from the working people!

Terry

I read the other day the legistlsators beieve that the new laws will only cost the state around 500K. We'll see.

Colorado $586 for NR Bull tag the overall sucess rate is about %21. Which includes limited draw, RFW, and private land. The Success rate for OTC for 2nd and 3rd rifle season, which the majority of out of state hunters hunt, is lower.

Wyoming $641 for NR Bull tag the overall sucess rate is 44%.
Would you pay an extra $55 to more than double the odds of a sucessful hunt?

I support the CO boycott,but I live here.ThatF&S article is skewed. First off,CO is the dumping ground for all that apply for elk tags in other states and don't draw. Secondly, it is still one the the cheapest states for NR and tags can still be had OTC.Of course other states have higher success ratio.The limit the number of licenses. NR's can be guaranteed to go elk hunting in CO every year,not so in other states.

Guys whine about the number of hunters,but then whine when they can't get tags in other state. Can't have it both ways.CO makes no bones about it that they manage elk for quantity rather than quality. Yoy can draw in some of the higher quality areas every 6-7years and only pay about $560 vs waiting for 10-12 years in NM,if that, and pay $800+

Elk hunting is what you make it.

I'm no big fan of the CO CPW, bt if you know what you are doing,you can kill an elk every year in CO. It's just that 10% of the hunters kill 90% of the elk. I don't have problems killing an elk every year.Some years it's a bull,some it's a cow

Well, I think this is fine with me. I don't hunt for percent or for antlers, and CO seems to have plenty of opportunities on public land, without a guide and with tons of leftover or OTC tags. After looking at the out of state tag prices in other states I think that CO are in the same ball park.
As far as "quality", I haven't eaten other states' elk but find nothing wrong with the quality of CO elk as table fare.
I think that the time spent analyzing the percentages and odds at the computer is better spent scouting. Increases those odds, usually.

Areas manage for trophy like Unit 2 require 15-20 points to draw.

Yes ,but while waiting to draw Unit 201 with 20 points,I shot bulls and cows every year while waiting.Sometimes two a year when permitted and even 3 in the one year when 3 tags were permissable.Check with NM were even residents only get to hunt once every 7-8 years unless the pay exhorbitant amounts for landowner tags.

Poor kill succes rates are the fault of only one person,the hunter.

Took my first elk hunt in Colorado in 2011. First rifle season in a limited draw unit. We were in elk every day. Monday we had a nice little dose of snow,and one of our party scored on a rag horn bull. I had a herd bull in my scope,but passed on a running shot with cows in the mix. About 60 yards and too many cows afoot to risk a shot. I really can't complain. In and out with travel and grub was about $1600 door to door. Had a great time in the Rockies and had a nice bull in my sights. Pretty good for our first time in that unit. If there isn't any point creep we will draw again for this fall. I'm looking forward to it. I have a couple friends up in Wyoming nd should jump in their system too I suppose. They do shoot some very nice bulls,but being residents they draw some good tags in good units. Being 7 p-points into Colorado for deer,I figured I can do a little deer scouting while chasing the elk. Being a single income family of 4,I can't play as much as I would like,and Colorado fits my budget pretty well.

Can a nonresident hunt elk in AZ or NM every year. Don't think so

Idaho has an OTC with caps.

Colorado is the only place that nonresidents can go every year, unless you count Montana now that they have raised their price so high.

But I put in for Utah every year. 12 years and counting! Gotta believe!

I just had this discussion with a friend of mine tonight,he lived in Colorado for 15yrs,but said he'll never hunt there again,I've been going the past few years myself but after all the craziness going after the 2nd amendment,I look at them the same as the Peoples Republic of New York and don't even want to spend gas money going through those states let alone the extremely high game tags..

"Gun Stories", the Outdoor Channel show, is pulling all production out of Colorado because of the new anti-Second Amendment laws that were just passed.

They figure it will hit Colorado with losses of revenue to the tune of 1 million.

See what happens when Californians migrate to other states they screw up those states too how do I know this I live in Oregon. So long CO

It's a disease. It really is.

If is a disease and continues there won't be any hunting in Colorado at all in a few years. 2014 is a turning point for Colorado, just as 2012 was a turning point for the US. If Colorado go down the path of Obama then hunting is doomed in Colorado and Colorado is doomed. We will see if the people of Colorado have woken up and put the state back on the right track in 2014.

You're right about CO being the dumping ground for nonresidents who can buy OTC bull tags. A newbie NR to our state, with an OTC bull tag, hunting public land, has a slim chance of even seeing an elk, much less killing one.

You are also right about being able to kill an elk every year, if you know what you're doing. Most folks don't.

I don't think boycotting hunting in our state hurts anyone but hunters. If revenues from license sales dwindle, so will our hunt opportunities. The politicians could care less, in fact they would be delighted to see hunters/gun owners further hurt by their own actions.
We may not agree with the actions the DOW takes in game management, but the fact remains that hunting is a critical part of keeping herds in balance. I would really hate to see that change for the worse as a result of actions by hunters themselves.

I'm still optimistic that after Nov. 2014, many of these liberal politicians will be back working at their law offices and beer breweries, and their conservative replacements will begin repealing stupid anti-gun legislation.

Looks like the boycott is getting some momentum.


Hunters threaten to boycott Colorado after passage of recent gun laws

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...r-passage-recent-gun-laws/#ixzz2Ol402g4b

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...-colorado-after-passage-recent-gun-laws/


My personal view is that a boycott of the shooting/hunting industry harms the allies in the fight for 2nd amendment rights. I think it is more effective to boycott Colorado Ski Resorts, National Parks, Sports Teams, and so on - especially anything based in the Denver metro area.

I have been to Colorado seven time and have killed six elk out of the seven trips on Public Land, 2 Cows 4 Bulls. You have to hunt to find them . Last two trips last two bulls. I won't hunt Colorado again due to the new laws

The whole idea of the boycotting is to impact government and businesses enough so that they start to complain to their representatives. The liberal democrats won't care anyway. It's not going to change anything until the 2014 elections,but it should make those impacted by it get out to vote and vote the right way.

Yes it is going to hurt hunting ,game management, and all those small towns that depend on hunter dollars. However it has been demonstrated many times that change is only brought on by getting into peoples pockets.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Hunters across the country are boycotting Colorado because of recent legislation meant to curtail gun violence.

Michael Bane, a producer for The Outdoor Channel, announced he will no longer film his four shows in Colorado and hunters are joining the protests.

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, hunting outfitters say people began cancelling trips after the legislation passed.

The numbers are few, but growing. Legislation, drawn up in response to the Aurora theater shootings and other massacres, bans magazines that hold more than 15 bullets.

Legislation also requires universal background checks, a state fee for background checks, regulation of concealed-carry training and regulations to remove guns from those convicted of domestic abuse.

I'm boycotting my state. WY and NM are much more fun.