Colorado's new big game season structure: Submit your ideas!
- Thread starter live2huntelk
- Start date
Granby guy
Active Member
I don't think many locals see it that way. The wildlife is benefitting everyone, not just the trophy hunters and if you read the results from the latest hunter surveys, trophy hunting is well behind opportunity in Colorado.
Musket Man
Veteran member
I expect it would be with the lines you have to wait in to get tags for most of the better units. Also with so many more otc tags then LE tags I bet the majority of hunters surveyed were OTC hunters. If they surveyed everyone that had points in CO it would get much different results then surveying everyone that drew a tag, especially when you take into account alot of guys that just burned 15-20 points on a tag are not going to start building points again because they would never draw again so now they are looking for opportunity since they cant get another LE tag.
Granby guy
Active Member
MM,
The results that I was referring to came from their website. I agree that the high point holders have definitely paid their dues and I don't have a solution but the high point holders also represent a very small percentage of the people who hunted here. However, since many of those point holders didn't hunt here in the last few years, they probably were not surveyed so their views weren't represented.
Musket Man
Veteran member
Surveys can be manipulated in different ways to have any outcome they want. All I am saying is there is a big difference in how many people would like to hunt a good LE unit and how many actually got to hunt one.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Colorado has an appointed Wildlife commission that basically makes the rules. It is appointed by the Governor and has private landowners and outfitters as member along with professionals from the P & W and a single public member. To say that it is very political is an understatement. I've attended meetings and heard members make statements that were just crazy. The decisions they make regarding how many tags go to the private sector, residents and nonresidents are sometimes not in line with what the professionals in the department want and recommend.
They are also supposed to be putting together a Sportsman's Roundtable that will be made up of hunters, fisherman and other interested people from all over the state. They will discuss the issues and make recommendations to the Commission. I was encouraged to apply as a rep from the SW section of the state, which I did. It was 4 months ago and have not heard a word, supposed all appointments are on hold as we got a new Director the Governor just appointed (from Az no less!!).
Stay tuned............
There lies a problem b/c quality is a byproduct of proper management. When people start managing based on what's best for the pocketbook and the frequency of hunting opportunities they often lose sight of that. You can try to manage for both quality and opportunity (opportunity as in funneling hunters through), but it requires some serious restrictions on what can get shot.
Granby guy
Active Member
I agree but it is supply and demand. Until Colorado enacts more LE units it will remain the same.
I shall stay tuned.
We have a Wildlife Commission as well. It was put in place after the county commissioners got stripped of their decision making abilities concerning wildlife. I can't complain about them, but they often set blanket rules that are helpful in some areas while being counter-productive in others.
huntinsmart
New Member
- Feb 28, 2014
- 17
- 0
I would like to see you lose your points if you get any tag in the draw or a landowner tag. now if you got the $$$ you can due what ever you want every year . Not right or fair to 99% of us. When the game belongs to the state and the people, not just the few rich people that will pay thousands to hunt a deer evey year . not me tag, fee is enough.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Here in Colorado, your points go to zero when you draw a first choice tag......even it only takes 5 and you have 10. That's why lots of us apply for a point for our first choice and hope to draw a second choice (and sometimes even a 3rd choice). I don't recall any state that takes away your points if you draw a 2nd choice or worse.
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BruinPoint
Member
Other than Arizona and Nevada you mean. IIRC, Nevada even takes them if you buy a leftover.
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Musket Man
Veteran member
The way their draw works I can see why NV takes your points for drawing any choice but it really dont make sense why NV takes your points for leftover tags. I was looking at a leftover ML hunt last year until I found that out.