Muzzleloading in CO?

[BuckHarden]

Is the season for elk and deer extended in Colorado if you hunt with a muzzleloader? What is the season?

[txhunter58]

No, in Colorado you must pick one weapon and that is the only season that you can hunt that year. Muzzleloading season is 9 days long and runs from the second saturday in September through the following weekend. The longest season they have is archery, you have a whole month to hunt. Go to Colorado DOW website and look up the big game brochure. It gives all the particulars

[frontier gander]

No that is not true. If you buy a Buck or doe tag for muzzleloading season, you can only hunt deer that season only. If you want to buy a bull or cow elk tag for 1st,2nd 3ed or 4th season, you can do so. You can even go bear,moose, goat hunting after u've gone deer, elk hunting. Aslong as they are in season of course.

[Pglasgow]

The ML season for Deer (west of I25), Bear, and Elk run simultaneously for 9 days. This year from Sept 9 thru Sep 17. No guarantee next year will be the same, but if it is, it will run from the second saturday through the third sunday of september.

The ML season is longer than first (elk only) or third season but the same length as secondrifle season. Like txhunter58 said, you have to pick the season (for each species and can only draw one tag per species). F.G., I think this is where you misunderstood what txhunter58 meant, though you are correct in saying that one can hunt different species(or even the same species with two tags) in more than one season. One may be allowed to purchase a leftover tag, provided, one of the tags is a female of the species and in the case of deer, that tag is in one of the allowed units.

For a given GMU, rifle seasons are typically easier to draw. So while you can't hunt with a centerfire in ML season, nothing prevents you from hunting with a ML in rifle season, or using scopes, saboted bullets, or a Savage IIML charged with smokeless(all of which are prohibited during regular ML season). If you hunt 2nd or 3rd season in good elk country, be prepared to share public land with the "red army" (it sounds like a war).

Here is the link to the DOW http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/.

[BuckHarden]

Sorry for the questions - I'm temporarily in CA. How long is the regular rifle season. If I do rifle, can I not do bow? If I do bow, can I not do rifle? How long is bow?
THANK YOU!!!!!!

[frontier gander]

depends on what rifle season you want to go, usually between 5 - 7 days. You can go late season rifle this coming january. starts jan1st and ends either the 30th or 31st. That would probably be the best season for elk. If you go bow hunting during bowseason for deer, you can not hunt deer untill next year. Goes the same way for elk.

[Pglasgow]

ORIGINAL: BuckHarden

Sorry for the questions - I'm temporarily in CA. How long is the regular rifle season.

There are 4 main rifle seasons:

1st Separate - Which is elk only (and limited over the counter bear). Weather is still fairly warm, rut is tapering off. It is a shorter season than the rest. Due to the possibility of calling elk, the use of rifle, and first crack with a rifle,the season is necessarily short and tags are limited to compensate.

2nd Season (1st Combined) - Elk and Deer. May see bucks trailing single does (not this year though). Elk now pretty well boogered (though they are skittish things anyways). Weather still fairly warm. There are unlimited over the counter Bull tags. This season is a full 9 days, i guessto compensate for warm weather, boogered elk,lack of intense rut for deer.

3rd Season is only 7 days - Deer now rutting well, Snows stimulating elk migrations help to keep animals moving. Bull tags are still unlimited in this season. My guess is that this season has more hunters than any other season. Literally sounds like a war if elk are migrating in the midst of the red army. Only one weekend is allowed in this season to compensate for that.

4th Season/Late seasons/Special damage hunts. I think these are too complicated to explain with a few words. Bull tags are limited and the primary purpose is to meet management objectives for herd reduction, limit winter crop or wintering habitat damage, and so on.

If I do rifle, can I not do bow? If I do bow, can I not do rifle?

One can only have two (or more) tags for the same species if they meet certain guidelines. First, you can only apply for one tag, so as txhunter58 said, you have to pick what you want to draw. You will only draw one tag for a species in the draw, if in fact, you draw any tag. The chances of drawing will depend on how many times you have failed to draw in the past.

There are a number of ways to get a second tag.

You canget a voucher from a landowner who apply for landowner tags (which number is based on size and quality of his land holding) This voucher can be redeemed for a tag. The tag will have the same cost as the regular draw. In addition, you will have to pay the landowner for access to hunt (or be guided). I think the tag is only legal on the private land for which the allocated voucher was drawn.

You can get an extratag by raffle or by auction (at conservation group banquets).

Raffle, auction, and rewards program license (reportinggame violations)are the only legal ways to obtain a "second antlered (to include either sex) tag" For the regs, an either sex tag is the same as an antlered only for determining whether the second tag is legally obtained.

You can get a leftover license as a second tag. Only one of these tags can be antlered or either sex and the other antlerlesstag will be allowed only in specific units.

How long is bow?

Likea month long. Like everywhere else, it is before the gun seasons. Basically, the month of September.

[txhunter58]

Thanks guys for clearing up what I left unclear. As stated, you can can only hunt either sex or buck deer/elk in one season for each species. But, you could hunt a buck in one season, a bull in another season, and get a cow/antlerless tagthat as an "additional" tag in another season inaddition to the other two tags.

What you really need to do is click on the link provided above (Colorado DOW) and read through it. It will answer most of your questions.