You really think hunting opportunities in Colorado compare to states like Montana and Wyoming? Seriously? Based on what exactly?
I have family in Colorado and they constantly complain about how lucky I am when it comes to hunting. They also have a place in Wyoming they visit to get away from the crowds in Colorado. They have not seen an elk in 2 years with their OTC tags and it makes them sick when I talk about the tags available to WY residents.
Montana gets 3 months of elk season, Colorado hunters get a week. Colorado simply has to many residents to compete with for tags and the season structure is setup for NR's not R's. Not to mention things like transferable landowner tags or getting into other species like antelope or sheep/goats where places like Wyoming/Montana blow Colorado away. If you actually compare western states Colorado is pretty far down the list for resident hunting opportunities.
My comment about more Colorado hunters coming to Wyoming than vice versa is the absolute truth based on yeas of experience and living on highway 287 so I see the line of green plates every weekend. People is Wyoming go to Colorado as well, just not to hunt. Why in the world would someone is Wyoming go hunt in Colorado?
For example why would someone in Wyoming go to Colorado to elk or antelope hunt on a regular basis? What units? Do you realize how long it would take to draw decent tags?
The flow of hunters between Colorado and Wyoming is almost entirely Colorado folks heading to Wyoming to hunt.
I do agree that hunting in Wyoming is better for some species.....one in particular: Antelope.
Not so with Deer. I have max points for deer in Wy and have trouble getting a tag for the unit I want to hunt (even a Special tag!). Here in Colorado I can hunt units I want to hunt (in the season I want) with very few points. The units I hunt (in the season I want) take a lot of points for NRs take, usually 12 to 15.
I am very selective on elk, I won't hunt in otc seasons. I usually can get a tag every year...again being pretty selective on the units I like. My experience in Wyoming is not great on NR tags. I had max point for 10 years and couldn't get a tag for the units I wanted, so I finally used them a couple of years ago on a unit I really didn't want, but was successful anyway. I don't apply anymore for elk.
When I get the deer tag I want (probably in 2019), I won't be buying any more. The only hunt in Wyoming I'll be doing in the future is Antelope.
If you do your research and spend time in the field scouting, it is not hard to find good units that you can draw a tag pretty regularly. Recent changes by CP & W in the way we now apply for tags could change that in the future, only time will tell.