Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting CO Elk Dilemma - advice needed

Here's the situation:

First some background, in 2013 our group got drawn for archery bull as a second choice, ML was our first with 3PPs. Long story short, due to my wife/daughter being in a bad car wreck in the summer, I couldn't go. We skipped 2014, but got another PP, so now a total of 5 preference points. We are certain to draw our area this year.

So now to the situation, I can't go this year due to a family situation, breaks my heart not to go with our group. They will "cash-in" their points leaving me with 5. My buddy's dad is no spring chicken, so not sure how many more drop camp hunts he'll be up for... Which basically means this opportunity could be the last or near the last, which as you all know, every elk season in a cherished occasion no matter what, so this makes it even harder not to got.

So, with that said, would you get a 6th point, or just hold at 5? If you went for 6, would you even wait for more and use it in a specific area/hunt, if so, at what point does one reach the pinnacle of preference points in CO? Say if you reach this point, what area/hunt would you use it for?

My thoughts initially, is to use my points sooner than later on a guided hunt, or hunt with buddies in other states and keep accumulating points until I reach a level needed for the crown jewel of CO hunts, if such a thing exists.

Any advice or insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

I would apply for a preference point only (hunt code E-P-999-99-P, I think) and get a sixth point. I assume that out of staters can do this as well and it only cost $3.00.

I can't think of a single disadvantage to getting the 6th point, You'll be out 40 bucks, whoop de do.

and I really don't care about a "pinnacle", you get the chance, you go.

Crown Jewell unit, 12 to 15 years from now, 20 points, all for one hunt.

Life's too short, get Busy.

Get the point. Cash them in when ever you want. Won't belong until CO revised the PP system. It sure won't be 20 years from now.

Here's another scenario John, I mean mapn4elk, apply for a tag this week before the deadline.... let your whitetail leases go Elk hunting! :-)

You should always collect the point.

You can find units that require nearly any number of points that you might have, but there are certain numbers of points that seem to get you qualified for groups of more desirable units.
1 or 2 points open a few doors.
10-13 points get you into some very nice hunts.
The very best hunts take, I guess, 20-24 points now.

You can certainly put any number of points to good use if you are willing to pour over the maps and statistics.

Cost more than $3 for a non resident point only

I don't think you'll ever reach the pinnacle now unless you are in your early 20's and want to wait for 20 more years. So I agree with others to get the point as it can only help you except for the current expense. All States have a non-refundable fee to get points so there's no way around it. I'd personally use your points whenever you can although it makes it more challenging if all your friends use their points this year and you on your own. With the amount of points you have, it will be tough to draw a high quality hunt but it should be better than an OTC unit unless you are willing to do a backpack hunt.

mapn4elk:

Collect another point. There is no maximum limit to the number of points that a person can draw. But there is a plateau after which you go into limbo collecting more points and not getting much closer to the ultimate goal.

Most of the draw units in Colorado can be gotten with 8 points or less. And many of those units are good places to get a representative bull. Then there are a handful of premium units that take a bunch.

I have 17 points and after this year I will 18. But that's not enough to draw the unit that I want and it may take another 5 years to collect enough points. I'm not getting any younger and I may die before I draw the unit that I want.

But I'm not waiting for that to happen. Every year I collect another point, I get a cow tag in the draw and buy an OTC bull tag. So I go into the field with two tags. So I'm hunting elk every year just not in the premium unit that I hope someday to draw.

KC

Thanks everyone for the input. So basically, there's a stretch of points that will get ya into most of the units. So if someone plans to hunt within the next 3 years, there might not be an advantage to 9 points verses 6 points. I guess what I'm asking, would be wise to just cash in and hunt the best area you can likely get with 6 points, or hold out for say 10 points, would the 10 points bump ya into the potential of that much better of an area?

It will cost you $464 up front to apply for an elk point. They will keep your money until aproxJune 15 and send you a refund minus $43 dollars.

If you think you will go for the same tag your group is going for this year, this it doesn't make much sense to spend the money for the extra point. And since they will have lots of intel on the area, you will have a leg up. Not only that, but many times, as mentioned above, maybe one of your friends can get a cow tag as a second choice next year and go with you