Limited Draw Licenses

[SDoolittle]

I just applied for an elk tag for 1st rifle season in Colorado. What tag(s) are you applying for this year? 

[SWVABass]

I put in for mule deer here in nm. Don’t have the time in oct or sept to chase a bull, I miss it though. Where in CO did you apply?

[SDoolittle]

11 minutes ago, Swbass15 said:

Where in CO did you apply?

Pagosa Springs (GMU77). We usually hunt 2nd season in GMUs 23 & 24 around Meeker, but we decided to change it up this year. If we don't draw for 1st season, we'll buy over the counter tags for 2nd.

[Brown Town]

Doing my first Western trip this year and putting in for archery pronghorn in South Dakota. Hopefully archery tag in Wyoming for elk next year

[SDoolittle]

@Brown Town, antelope are a lot of fun, and they're tasty! I've never bowhunted them though. I'm a rifle guy.

[Brown Town]

1 minute ago, S. Doolittle said:

@Brown Town, antelope are a lot of fun, and they're tasty! I've never bowhunted them though. I'm a rifle guy.

I've heard they might be the best tasting game out there so I'm excited. Chasing them with a bow is going to be a challenge. I would like to try spot and stalk for a couple days but probably will then end up sitting over a waterhole and taking whatever gives me a good shot. Not going to be too selective

[SDoolittle]

Spot and stalk antelope hunting is tough even with a rifle. I don't have the self-discipline required to do it with a bow.

[SWVABass]

Best tasting game hands down is oryx for me. Antelope was pretty good though. I feel for non residents applying out here outfitters and certain sportsman groups are making it harder and harder for diy hunters 

[Brown Town]

9 hours ago, Swbass15 said:

Best tasting game hands down is oryx for me. Antelope was pretty good though. I feel for non residents applying out here outfitters and certain sportsman groups are making it harder and harder for diy hunters 

It definitely seems like it's getting harder. Wyoming increased all of their non resident tag prices this year which sucks because Wyoming was originally my number 1 state for this antelope hunt. I also feel like I'm well behind seeing people with lots of points still not getting drawn for premium units and I'm just beginning to start accumulating points in multiple states now. Luckily I'm still young

[SWVABass]

Colorado changed its draw to where somebody with less than max points can draw some of the limited hunts. I did like what I saw there. Yea outside of being able to hunt moose or caribou I’m pretty lucky to have everything else available to hunt in state.

[SDoolittle]

I've never tried Wyoming or New Mexico, but I haven't had much trouble drawing tags in Colorado. Most years, it takes one preference point to draw a deer tag in the unit I hunt, so I draw a tag every other year. In years that I don't draw, I buy an over the counter or leftover elk tag. This year is different because we're going 1st season, and all 1st season tags are draw only.

[SDoolittle]

Well, I didn't draw the 1st season elk tag, so I guess it's going to be a 2nd season over the counter tag for me this year.

[12poundbass]

On 3/29/2018 at 2:34 PM, Bird Dog said:

Pagosa Springs (GMU77). We usually hunt 2nd season in GMUs 23 & 24 around Meeker, but we decided to change it up this year. If we don't draw for 1st season, we'll buy over the counter tags for 2nd.

What a small world, the last two years my step-dad went to CO elk hunting and of all places they were in Meeker. He got the over the counter license. Both years came back empty handed. 2016 I guess was really warm so the elk stayed up in the mountains. Last year it was 'you should be been here last week' deal. I don't think he's going back this year. He pondered going to Canada to hunt moose this year. 

[SDoolittle]

@12poundbass I believe that this will be my 15th season hunting in Colorado over the course of the past 30 years, and it almost always seems to be feast or famine. There have been times when we had elk roaming right through out campsite, and times when we didn't see hide nor hair of an elk for a week. I hope your step-dad doesn't give up. The success rate is not high for DIY guys like us hunting public land with over the counter tags, but with a little persistence, his time will come.

 

It took a good friend of mine several years to finally connect with this bull on the final day of our 2015 hunt.