Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado cow tag price increase

I agree that the CO DOW over estimates the elk population. In the last ten years,I have seen fewer and fewer elk and each one I killed came harder and harder and they were mostly cows.

Couple that with the fact that elk have moved into areas that they typically did not frequent and the hunting gets worse.

If I were an NR, I would not buy CO cow tag and I would probably not buy a bull tag. Other states are harder to get tag for, but the chances of success seem higher, just from what I read. (might be mistaken there).

I agree completely about the elk numbers. I have hunted an area in Colorado over the last 12 years that has nowhere near the elk numbers it did before the 09-10 winter. Matter of fact, I have not hunted it for 2 years just hoping I might see numbers increasing.

As for me, I am not worried about the cost of the tags, I simply budget more for them as hunting elk is darn near priceless for me.

Not too many elk in Texas....

Wow, thanks for the info!

Rifle elk hunting has gotten harder, but archery has gotten even worse. Everybody and their grandma is running around the woods with a hoochie momma and a bow that can shoot 100yds, LOL.

I agree with others views on Colorado over estimating elk herd numbers. I live butt deep in elk wintering grounds. Up to 7 years ago I woke up every morning to elk on what used to be my lawn. The fields just below my house wintered @400 elk annually. My kids left early for school as to make up for the driving delays from herds of elk on the road. About 7 years ago we had a winter from hell, many traffic control signs completely covered with snow for a few months. Since that horrid winter our elk heard of 400 plus animals went to exactly 1 {ONE} seen in the spring. The numbers have never been the same since. This winter instead of seeing many hundreds of elk @ the house all winter, a small group of @50 have been seen twice.

Colorado has no elk. Go to Wyoming.

You can't swing a dead cat in Colorado and not hit an elk.

http://vimeo.com/81139982

Kind of reminds you of Africa and Wilde beast.

http://vimeo.com/81139983

Sorry the video is so shaky, the flies due to the amount of elk in the area where eating me up.

Shoe rag bull shoe!

http://vimeo.com/67764941

From a draw unit but a good clip for a butt freezing December day.

http://s429.photobucket.com/user/ZupancicJoe/media/P1030960.mp4.html?sort=3&o=173

The elk Olympics.

http://s429.photobucket.com/user/ZupancicJoe/media/P1030942.mp4.html?sort=3&o=174

This thread was started to provide info to NR hunters. It is funny to me that residents feel the need to come on this kind of thread and call us whiners and tell us to go elsewhere to hunt elk. Wishing there were fewer NR hunters to compete against, imagine that! I do understand your point of view but unless you want your tags to go up to our price and beyond and have us stop spending money on hotels, gas, groceries you are stuck with us. That said there is no need to kick us when we are down.

Ok, invite us to come hunt your private high fence spots in TX for a mere $450.

No elk in CO.

The winter of 07-08nthathad severe winter kill .Many of us told the CO DOW about it and they said their surveys didn't show that( computer models), then two years later,they fessed up and said they screwed up,but still were selling elk tags like they were 50 cent coupons and advertising to NR how many elk we had.

I don't begrudge NR hunters. I have had many in my camp for a lot of years. I just begrudge the slob hunters who complain that they spent 20 hours traveling and thousands of dollars. They deserve to kill an elk and take any shot presented to them, because they sure as heck are not going home with an unfilled tag.

I don't want to see anyone's license fees increase, NR or resident. The way things are going, you're going to have to be a rich man to continue to hunt. I know I'll most likely get bashed for saying this since there are always the few that feel they can and will pay anything for a license, no matter how ridiculous. However, if you have kids, bills, mortgage, etc. it is extremely difficult to continue to pay more and more for recreational activities, especially in this economy. I used to regularly hunt out of state in WY, MT, and AK. However, with the prices always going up, especially in MT, and my pay not increasing, it got to the point where I just couldn't justify it anymore. I'd love to continue doing it but had to choose other priorities. I do believe that NR should pay more than residents, but not to incredibly stupid levels. I also believe that each state has the right to manage game and set license fees wherever they desire, but the NR are taking the brunt of it and the residents are next. Unfortunately, that is what seems to occur in most states since, as others have pointed out, the NR aren't around to vote against it. As Colorado so proudly pointed out just a few weeks ago, we did not see a decrease in NR hunting licences this year due to the gun control laws that were passed and the supposed "boycott". In fact, the numbers increased. Unfortunately, this just confirms to the power brokers that they can continue to do whatever they please and the hunters will just swallow it down and dig out their wallets. At some point, at least I keep thinking this, they will reach a $ limit and then people will stop coming to our state. That's when they'll start looking to gouge the residents and even more of us will be forced out of the hunting pool. Then the anti-hunters will finally have it the way they want it. That is why I'm against anymore license fee increases. We keep seeing it over and over again. Your state is next.

If you wanna hunt elk at "discounted" rates, move to a state that has elk. As was mentioned earlier, Iowa whitetail tag prices are going through the roof, so it ain't like it's only CO that's bending NR's over.

I have always found the guys that say "just pay it" or "I am a non-resident and tags should cost more than the do" are the same guys that don't have two nickels to rub together. They usually owe more money than they could ever pay back.

I often wonder how many residents of western states could not come up with just the non-resident tag fee. Not counting travel, lodging or food cost.

Dink