broneal

Fellow hunters,
This is a take off on a recent survey by the DOW. I wanted to see what you all think of Elk management in Colorado. Your opinion is valued here:

QUESTION 1
Would you like the number of Elk in Colorado to:
Increase:
Stay the same:
Decrease:
Don't know:

QUESTION2
Would you like the distribution of elk to change (e.g., less elk in Private land, more elk on Forest service land)? Why?

QUESTION 3
For the purpose of hunting, should Game Management Units (GMUs)be managed for:

Increased quality of hunting opportunity (higher bull to cow ratio, but more difficult to draw license):____

Increased quantity of hunting opportunity (lower bull to cow ratio, but easier to draw a bull license):_____

Status Quo:_____

QUESTION 4:
Please rank the following in terms of which is the most important to your wildlife viewing experience (most important=1, least important = 4
_______Being able to see large groups of elk
_______Being able to easily find elk
_______Being able to see large antlered bulls
_______Other (please explain below)

QUESTION 5:
Where do you live (GMU or Town)
Ex: Outside Colorado, Fort Collins, GMU 20, etc.

COMMENTS:

Howler

I live in unit 104. I elk hunt every year, BUT in my way of thinking is, I think the DOW knows best. For example, I don't know from one end of the state to the other if the elk are too many, too few, etc. I don't know if the land can handle more or if the elk are killing the eco. system in some areas. Not sure how you're going to get less elk on private lands, without somehow getting all landowners to open thier gates to hunting. The fact is, landowners have the say, so if there are elk on private, that's a fact of life.
We'd all like to see more elk, including a 350" bull, and have a chance at getting one, BUT at what cost. Not getting to hunt elk every year isn't an option that I like to entertain. BUT, by hunting archery, OTC, and building PP, then I know some years I will get to hunt where big bulls roam.

The voucher system is one part of the tag allotment that I'd like to see some changes too, maybe. Since I don't know exactly how it works, It's hard for me to really say I'm against it completely.

Alsatian

As Howler said, I think the Colorado DOW knows best about what number of elk is appropriate. I think this question involves mediating the interests of several parties -- private landowners who may bear the brunt of damages caused by wintering elk, state agencies that may either reimburse private landowners for damages caused by wintering elk or have to provide food for wintering elk, hunters who want to have better/more elk hunting opportunities, etc.

I am a non-resident and a novice to elk hunting. I will hunt elk for the first time in first rifle season this year in GMU 75. Still, it appears to me that there is a lot to like in the Colorado elk hunting picture. If you want a high quality hunt for a big trophy animal, there are some limited entry units which provide, at least in some way, for this interest. If you want a high probability of hunting elk, albeit with low expectations for a trophy bull or exclusive hunting privileges, this desire is also satisfied by the present system. If you are willing to work harder, you can improve your hunt -- for example by going into a remote wilderness area. While this is not my interest, for those who want higher quality bulls, the standards might be raised for bulls from a minimum of 4 points per antler to 5 points per antler or even 6 points per antler (I acknowledge that there may be reasons against this change -- for example, too many animals dieing due to natural causes before they achieve the minimum number of points, this is a notional idea).

I think if I wanted to focus on a problem area to address I would lookat the issue ofhunter access to quality hunting lands. While I do not have this problem with my planned hunting area this year, I have read that some people have difficulty accessing public lands because of a strategy of buying up private land bordering public lands, essentially removing these lands from use as commons by enclosing them. This seems a greater issue for concern to me than the Colorado elk herd management philosophies.

early

i hunt unit 23

i think the DOW is doing a fine job as far as management of elk numbers vs tags

however;
outfitters that use aircraft, and ATV's ta locate elk fer clients is a regular occurance.

current laws should be inforced
this gets ta be disruptive, and anoying

early