Need help with elk license draw colorado
02-11-2016, 09:17 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rifle, Colorado
Posts: 2,012
Not necessarily. A lot of my family (all residents) and friends (all residents) put in for points as first choice because we know we can draw tags as a second choice so we get the best of both worlds. Some of the places I hunt always have leftover tags and those are basically bonus tags. Many times, such as last year I got a point, my second choice tag and a leftover tag. This allows us to build points for the special tags and still fill the freezer.
Additionally I built up a lot of my points when the Navy kept me deployed. I knew I couldn't hunt so i stockpiled points. Right now I can pull nearly any deer, bear or elk tag in the state and am at max weighted points for moose and sheep. I've drawn the goat and the pronghorn so I'm back to building those up.
Additionally I built up a lot of my points when the Navy kept me deployed. I knew I couldn't hunt so i stockpiled points. Right now I can pull nearly any deer, bear or elk tag in the state and am at max weighted points for moose and sheep. I've drawn the goat and the pronghorn so I'm back to building those up.
02-11-2016, 09:55 AM
#12
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
Success rates can be very misleading. First off they don't ask every hunter. For another I know lots of hunters who won't do the surveys, or lie on them saying they didn't get an elk. They do that to keep other hunters from choosing their units.
Right or wrong. It is what it is.
Right or wrong. It is what it is.
02-11-2016, 12:12 PM
#13
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,230
For what it is worth, I have 21 points for elk and will cash them in for a unit 2 tag sometime in the future. But I have hunted unit 2 for cows more than 10 times while I've built the points. So I have got to do a lot of scouting in the unit I plan on taking a big bull out of. That will be the last bull I take.
I also have 15 points for deer and 13 for bear.
02-11-2016, 01:24 PM
#15
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,230
I hunt every season as long as I'm in the country. I also get points. There are lots of areas you can get a bull tag with 0 points but they won't have the size of the bulls in the premium units nor the bull/cow ratios. Some of those units have nearly 60 bulls to 100 cows. I've killed all the raghorns and average 5x5s and 6x6s I want. I hunt cows for meat but will take a big bull from Unit 2 in the near future and to get that tag takes 20 points minimum but that doesn't mean I haven't hunted elk for 20 years.
02-11-2016, 02:45 PM
#16
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rifle, Colorado
Posts: 2,012
The only way you're going to pull a tag for one of the premium units like 1, 2, 10, 201 etc... with 0 points is if you try for a late season cow tag. Even the hybrid hunts require a minimum of 5 points to enter. But from the way the OP has asked and replied I doubt he is looking for one of the premium units.
02-11-2016, 02:55 PM
#17
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
I hunt every season as long as I'm in the country. I also get points. There are lots of areas you can get a bull tag with 0 points but they won't have the size of the bulls in the premium units nor the bull/cow ratios. Some of those units have nearly 60 bulls to 100 cows. I've killed all the raghorns and average 5x5s and 6x6s I want. I hunt cows for meat but will take a big bull from Unit 2 in the near future and to get that tag takes 20 points minimum but that doesn't mean I haven't hunted elk for 20 years.
I hunt for the love of the hunt and to feed my family. Antlers and taxidermist have no interest for me.
02-11-2016, 07:21 PM
#18
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 24
Wow, you guys know your stuff. I don't even know what a hybrid draw is. I am not hunting for a trophy just to harvest an elk and get some meat. No doubt I wouldn't mind killing a nice bull but it is not a requirement of the hunt. I haven't got an elk yet and would love to do so cow or bull. So Muley is saying that I don't need to put in for a pp 1 st choice and I believe flag is saying that he does and still gets a draw in an area. So now I still don't know what to do.
Do you suggest the areas that I should be looking at? I am all about doing my homework and have almost every map of colorado in the trails illustrated maps. I love looking at maps and finding new areas but want to be looking in the right place to start. As of right now I have 1 pp I was thinking of trying to get 49 area but that takes 3 min. Still not really sure what to do.
Do you suggest the areas that I should be looking at? I am all about doing my homework and have almost every map of colorado in the trails illustrated maps. I love looking at maps and finding new areas but want to be looking in the right place to start. As of right now I have 1 pp I was thinking of trying to get 49 area but that takes 3 min. Still not really sure what to do.
02-11-2016, 07:35 PM
#19
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rifle, Colorado
Posts: 2,012
Wow, you guys know your stuff. I don't even know what a hybrid draw is. I am not hunting for a trophy just to harvest an elk and get some meat. No doubt I wouldn't mind killing a nice bull but it is not a requirement of the hunt. I haven't got an elk yet and would love to do so cow or bull. So Muley is saying that I don't need to put in for a pp 1 st choice and I believe flag is saying that he does and still gets a draw in an area. So now I still don't know what to do.
Do you suggest the areas that I should be looking at? I am all about doing my homework and have almost every map of colorado in the trails illustrated maps. I love looking at maps and finding new areas but want to be looking in the right place to start. As of right now I have 1 pp I was thinking of trying to get 49 area but that takes 3 min. Still not really sure what to do.
Do you suggest the areas that I should be looking at? I am all about doing my homework and have almost every map of colorado in the trails illustrated maps. I love looking at maps and finding new areas but want to be looking in the right place to start. As of right now I have 1 pp I was thinking of trying to get 49 area but that takes 3 min. Still not really sure what to do.
02-12-2016, 05:13 AM
#20
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
I live 2 min from unit 49. It's a good unit for elk and deer. It does take a few points to get a tag.
broncocliff.........I didn't say to not save points. I said to not make your 1st pick for just taking a point. You get 1 point for failing on your 1st pick. So, why waste it by just buying a point. Take a chance at drawing a unit. Even if it has bad odds. You might get lucky and have success. If you win you have a tag instead of just 1 point. If you fail you still get the 1point and have a chance at your 2nd pick. Just the same as if you just bought a point as 1st pick and got your 2nd pick.
Does that make sense to you? Don't waste your 1st pick on just buying a point. Try for a tag instead, and if you fail you still get the point.
Always remember if you fail at your 1st and 2nd pick. You can still get an OTC tag. There's never a reason to not hunt for elk every year.
broncocliff.........I didn't say to not save points. I said to not make your 1st pick for just taking a point. You get 1 point for failing on your 1st pick. So, why waste it by just buying a point. Take a chance at drawing a unit. Even if it has bad odds. You might get lucky and have success. If you win you have a tag instead of just 1 point. If you fail you still get the 1point and have a chance at your 2nd pick. Just the same as if you just bought a point as 1st pick and got your 2nd pick.
Does that make sense to you? Don't waste your 1st pick on just buying a point. Try for a tag instead, and if you fail you still get the point.
Always remember if you fail at your 1st and 2nd pick. You can still get an OTC tag. There's never a reason to not hunt for elk every year.