I just saw where Colorado is eliminating over the counter tags for Elk for non-residents. Copy and paste link below, or google it if you care to.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/colorado- eliminates-nonresident-otc-archery-elk-tags/? fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Kz81cxwFs4684- WAxS4OQ-MlN28a3ZqXAWexNJQ3Hld- yHHQVdsaUK1k_aem__MFAjEHvQVEPOZFAPXyv5w

I'm sure glad I bow hunted Colorado for elk and muledeer the seven times when I did.

If I remember correctly to apply for the moose drawing in Colorado you have to buy a hunting license before being able to enter the drawing. Not sure but there may also be an application fee also to enter the drawing. If you don't get drawn you don't get any of that money back. I wonder if they are going to do the elk drawings the same way.

Funny how we keep hearing how the number of hunters is declining, and yet hunting pressure is so high that results like this occur.

An interesting thing in the article was that non-resident OTC tags outnumbered resident tags the last 2 years. However, when you really look at it, while the non-resident OTC tags HAS steadily increased in Colo, the number of resident OTC tags has SHARPLY decreased in the last 9-10 years.

I have no doubt that there are crowding "problems" while Colorado Elk hunting with OTC tags, but I think it is WAY more complicated than just blaming out of state hunters.

Changing Time, we have to abide

The Colorado OTC elk tag was what made it possible for me to plan my first trip there back in 2016; I'm grateful that the OTC tag system was in place then. Now that it's waaaay under my skin, I have no problem with going through the whole lottery process each year-- you just buy a small game license first, since only licensed hunters can enter the lottery. The application fee is pretty affordable...but when you get picked, especially for a bull tag, get ready to dig a bit deeper in your wallet. I personally view it as a very reasonable overall price tag for a two-week vacation camping in the San Juans, with any elk that comes my way being just that much frosting on the cake.

I'm happy to report that I did get my first choice this year, and will be headed out (by car this year) towards the end of August. Get ready for the upcoming thread "No Elk is Safe: Season 8", as I will do my best to take the 'Wallers along for the trip once again. I just acquired a set of brush buttons that I think may make all the difference this year, lol.

Good for Colorado. Archery season weapons have advanced, hunters are more mobile, wolves have been introduced ( bad ), so hunter opportunity will necessarily decrease.

Money, money, money

In many of the OTC units, no- res outnumber residents. There are growing complaints of overcrowding from hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts, especially in archery season.

Originally CPW recommended that all archery OTC, for both NR and R be limited entry. This would have put the new limited draw quota in effect: 75% R, 25% NR. The R hunters launched a major campaign to keep OTC available for R's, letters, emails, and testimony to tbe wildlife commission. In the end, the commission voted to limit NR's only.

My understanding is they wil use previous years otc license numbers, and set the NR cap to 25% of that number, although nothing about licence allocation numbers has been "officially" announced.

As far as funding, with the advent of a law passed a few years back, which gave cpw the ability to automatically increase license fees, point fees, draw fees, and mandate purchasing a proper license to participate in the draw, CPW has a 50 million dollar surplus. So they can withstand the reduction of income from no resident otc limitations.

It’s a money game for sure! LOL

it is about politics, residents can vote in Colorado, non residents cannot. Best to please the residents.

Oh well, I hate to give my money to Colorado anyway.

Much better states for elk anyway.

I'm fortunate that the out west bug has not bit me....I'm happy enough to do my hunting close to home.

Good, hunters take your money elsewhere.

This is killing me. For 20 years, it was always “well, maybe next year”, pretty much… Now it costs me $100/year just to gain a point….

One thing that may actually be good about this is that I think a lot of guys who have been stockpiling points are finally going to have to burn them or hunt another state. Not that the other states would be able to accommodate all of the CO NR overflow. Yes, it’ll suck for at least a few years as people like me (with now just One Whole Preference Point) will be locked out the point hoarders… and I suppose by the time that’s over, I’ll have to burn 4-5 points for an OTC unit…..

"No Elk is Safe: Season 8"

Looking forward to it. Going to do one week in the backcountry, good lord willing and the creek don't rise!

[["it is about politics, residents can vote in Colorado, non residents cannot. Best to please the residents.]]"

Very little about politics. Very little about votes.

[["...I'm happy enough to do my hunting close to home."]]

I'm stuck with doing it close to home. Unfortunately, "home" is where lions have decimated the deer herd. Where even with a guarantee of an OTC Elk tag the hunt quality has declined to the lowest point I've seen since arriving here in 1963.

I have friends in other states (eg., Nebraska, SC, MI and having lived and hunted in WI) and envy their hunting opportunities. No Elk, but great deer hunting.

Another State I do not get to spend money in. :)) Enjoy Residents! I guess I will "Buy" some Elk meat OTC......... from a different state if possible.

LONGCRUISE, I can relate I moved to CO in 1979 my first archery Elk season was "83" I saw one other Elk hunter the whole season. By the early 2000's I was pretty much hunting wilderness areas only. Northern CO on the east side. It still has the most Elk of any other state but hunting pressure is pretty bad. Other mid western states have great deer hunting but it's not chasing Elk in the high country. Good luck out there!

It seems like most states with elk hunting seasons have found a way to limit the number of non-resident tags.

What I don’t understand is the individual states ability to reduce, limit, and or eliminate non-resident tags when much, if not most of the hunting for elk occurs on federal lands that we all support.

Elk hunting in the unit we have been going to for many years had become a giant mess. Camps of bowhunters as large as 8-10 were driving trails nonstop during the day,

If they ran into you or discovered where you were hunting then they would go there everyday no matter what the wind or thermals were doing. Hunting the escape routes timed out very quickly.

Since the unit went to draw only we have yet to encounter a hunter while we were hunting. The elk stay in their patterns the whole time we are there as we are very disciplined concerning entry and exit.

Overall the 2 hunts we've had since they implemented draw only in our unit have been 100 percent more enjoyable.

Some of those units in the mountains get so full of hunters it’s crazy. If you want a change of pace try hunting them in the canyons and high prairie in the south central south east part of the state.

My brother just told me that an article by KRDO.com has OTC tags ending, effective 2025 - 2029. Not this year.

Toby, you can enjoy Fed lands all you want, but when it comes to hunting, the States have total control of wildlife management and hunting regulations and can develop regulations and seasons and who can hunt that includes both residents and non residents. I hunt AZ, Neb, Kansas, and the same applies there also on public, private or Federal lands.

Yes, 2025-2029 Big Game Season Structure is when Non resident OTC archery elk license will be eliminated. Not this year, 2024

My best, Paul

Many years ago a buddy and I planned a trip to Colorado to elk hunt. I had a Michigan friend out there living and working so we were set for a guide. I cost me $198.00 for round trip air fare and $225.00 for the license. Time came and we headed out to Fairplay to set up a camp a couple days early so we scouted. We saw elk all over the place including in our camp when we got back from scouting. The day before our hunt started the military choppers arrived and dove at the herds to scatter them. Needless to say no one shot an elk and very few were seen. When I got home I called Colorado's version of the DNR to see what that was all about and was told the elk were herded up which made it way too easy to kill them. My parting words to the person I was speaking to was, "do you understand it was an archery only season, no guns were involved". I vowed to never spend another dime in Colorado since then.

Virginia had an elk drawing for the third year. 6 tags were drawn. 5 residents and 1 non resident. That made a LOT of people mad, myself included. It cost $15 non refundable, to apply and there isn’t a point system used.

I have 23 PPs for elk. Maybe next year....

Ive hunted many times OTC. Everything comes to an end I guess.

I'm kind of ok with it... when I've hunted deer in Colorado, there were out of state elk hunters everywhere... it was really annoying.

As crookedstix said, non-residents are not shut out…they can participate in the tag draw in many units..in 2021 the spot we hunted had no OTC tags but we got our first choices in the first draw we could enter…

READ Jon Stewarts post.

I'm surprised it took this long for Colorado to make this change . I have hunted mule deer in Wyoming and needed at least a couple preference points for most of those hunts. And I am currently buying-collecting points for Elk in Wyoming . Michigan has been on a preference point sytems for bear tags for a long time and in my personal experienced it has helped to make better more satisfying and rewarding bear hunting . Depending on what unit and season a person desires it can take many years to draw a bear tag in Michigan. I'm a resisdent and it takes me a minimum of 6-7 years to draw my preferred tag . In 2009 I tagged a boar with a dressed weight of 367# and in 2019 I tagged a boar that dressed 313# . These were DIY hunts , not guided . I was 18 years old, fresh out of high school in 1980 the first time I hunted bear . Bear hunting in the upper peninsula is better now than it was back in the 80s , before the preference point system was implemented , IMO.

"READ Jon Stewarts post."

Read it. Calling total BS!!

"Years ago" How many exactly?

lol... It's funny reading these comments. Most don't see the numbers to know what with over 1100 archery elk tags for units 77/78, non residents still drew over 800 of the archery elk tags. Even units 80/81, non residents drew over 3/4 of the archery elk tags. It's not going to be impossible for non residents to get tags, most will draw with no points or 1 preference point a year. The units 80/81 ans 77/78 will never be otc for residents, like the northern units. Our elk numbers are extremely low, cow/calf ratios are terrible.

Well you figure the liberals want to save the elk to feed all the pretty wolves.

This should have happened years ago

I read through the posts here. Luckily I’ve gotten the privilege to hunt western states before any health issues. It makes perfect sense to put residents first. I can tell you that I have had very unpleasant conversations with some folks while being a guest-non resident hunter. The locals got sick of seeing land leased up, and non residents pushing them off ground and ruining their opportunities in which they once had. Also we have to look at all sides of this. If I were a resident I would applaud this decision. As a non resident it hurts. I stand by my statement—residents should come first.

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