Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Amount of hunters in the woods

Have not noticed any more or any less up here.

One year we will be almost alone in the same area. (Deep Lake CO), then the next year it will be wall to wall. Our group is old, so it is as much a camping trip as hunt. As for Colorado raising fees, they merged the parks and wildlife to cover over misuse of Pitman Bowes, and to "streamline" the gov. The parks never have enough money, game did until the merger.

If they raise fees, I will have to consider whether it is worth it. I feel for the out of staters who come, and I have even met a few who also had a bear license just in case. The traffic is worse every year if you have to leave from the front range. The high trespass fees, and probably salting on private land moves animals, too.

Antelope takes 5 years to draw for my area, and the local contact is gone to boot.

Spot on JB. Kids today have so many things they can do that hunting isn't a big draw anymore.

I work with about a dozen younger guys and while many of them love to shoot and know firearms, very few would be considered hunters. Most don't even go during the season.

because city people read where to go on fourms like this

In Colorado,all that don't draw a tag in other states l wind up here.CPW advertises they have more elk than any other state to draw in those nonresidents so CPW can sell all the unlimited tags they want to.Of course it is never mentioned that a lot of those elk are on private land and a lot more head to private land the first day of hunting season.

This big increase of back packing archery hunters is a big thing now. A lot of those foot hunters take up the closer to the road hunting areas within 3miles , further back in you don't see as many. Most of them know they can't hump an elk out on their back for 6-8 miles with out the meat spoiling so I think you see more of them concentrated.Same thing with 1st season foot hunters. I see very few hunters in the 2nd season and a lot more archery hunters during muzzle loader season

Appreciate everyone's comments. I'm seeing a trend that the east and midwest hunter populations might be declining a little, and the western states are becoming a popular destination for archery and rifle hunts. That explains the seemingly increasing population of hunters here. Whatever the reason, it's seriously getting out of control in CO.

I do have to disagree though about the age of hunters, well at least in Colorado elk seasons. Very seldom do I see grey-haired anybody outside of camp. In the woods it's 20's to early 50s mostly. And more and more so, it's younger hunters, especially bow season. Walking miles a day up and down mountains at 10,000' isn't an old man sport. In fact, I'd say it's becoming more and more of an athletic event which I think is adding to the appeal. It's not a box-stand, on a lease, overlooking a feeder. In some cases, it can be a real physical challenge and adventure. Despite all the bad things I can see about millennials, they do tend to like organic food. I've noticed that gardening and hunting (though to a lesser degree) are appealing to them for that reason.

I am strongly considering getting back to my childhood roots and pulled out the recurve this last weekend. Definitely not a permanent skill like riding a bike. Talk about rusty. Worst case I resort to the Matthews DXT. In any case an over-the-counter, archery B-tag is on the radar for this year - literally for the single purpose of enjoying the woods with less hunters.

Come to think of it Mountain10MM , most of the guys that go to Co. are younger guys. Seems right on, they use it as a camping, hiking, bow hunting trip.

[quote=Mountain10mm Very seldom do I see grey-haired anybody outside of camp. In the woods it's 20's to early 50s mostly.
[/quote]
You don't hunt where I do then You just can't see us old farts from the road

You don't hunt where I do then You just can't see us old farts from the road
[/quote]
Good for you! I'm not in old fart category yet, but not far away, that's for sure.

We have one guy under 50 that goes with us. He is 27. He is the son on one of the regulars. He has been coming since he was 17.
I urged him to get a group of guys his age to start coming but he claims he has tried and there is little interest. I look for him to drop out as he has started a family and has access to hunting ground where he lives. Younger guys are not taking up deer hunting and many older guys are looking for a easier hunt than walking in the big timber and then dragging game out.

This^^. I started seeing a lot of hunters, more than usual in mountains about 10-12 years ago. Then a LOT of 'em started using those damned quads, making more noise in the country. Too many new "hunters" for me. It's why I stopped big game hunting and just chase the upland birds now. Way more relaxing. Until I go after Chukar!