The price is the killer.
Western States Draw Deadlines: 2017
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Last: 6 yr ago by AgEng06
I've seen bulls and cows on each of my 3 Colorado hunts. It was not hard to get within bow range of any of them. Then again they could probably sense I didn't have a tag...
Lungblood said:
The only cow I've ever seen there reminded me of a high % Brahman Brazos River bottom cow.
It's not exciting unless something is trying to take your head off.
We saw 3 bulls and one cow last year. The 3 bulls were pretty docile unless you accidentally walked into their bed (thankfully neither me or the bull crapped ourselves). Plus they pretty much grazed all day, every day around the lake.
The cow? Good luck.
The cow? Good luck.
You had all the fun. At least they warned you ahead of time that you would literally have a pet moose.
We saw elk, and one random coyote.
We saw elk, and one random coyote.
Did I tell you about the ice slip and slide ride we had as well. I lost my footing while inventing cuss words at the route selection of my hunting partner that got us on the steepest ridge I've ever seen. There was no going up or even further sideways because the ice and slope and downed timber made it impossible.
The next thing I know I'm doing Mach 2 down the ridge towards a drop off to a deep ravine. Thankfully I hit that last large tree dead center and it stopped my fall. Bent my poles in half, my rifle came apart, and it felt like I was in a car crash from snapping large branches the entire way down.Yah, fun.
And I can't wait to go again this year!!! It's a disease.
The next thing I know I'm doing Mach 2 down the ridge towards a drop off to a deep ravine. Thankfully I hit that last large tree dead center and it stopped my fall. Bent my poles in half, my rifle came apart, and it felt like I was in a car crash from snapping large branches the entire way down.Yah, fun.
And I can't wait to go again this year!!! It's a disease.
AgLA06 said:
And I can't wait to go again this year!!! It's a disease.
Yeah, like alcoholism or drug abuse. You should give it up and then join a support group or you'll waste tons of money and personal time before finally losing your family and ultimately your sanity.
We found elk. They do exist.
We hiked about 3/4 of the way around Trapper Peak (got us to right around 11,700). From camp and on the topics it didn't look all that bad. There was a saddle to the east we were watching (an area you and I talked about beforehand). Got done and turn the corner. We quickly discovered it was way steeper and flat a huge, clear ice sheet.....and distinctly in the hell no category. So we got to trapse our way back around the mountain.
We were told that there was a bull that hung out on the north side of Trapper, above the tree line. We found the game trails going up. We'll just say Richard flat out said "He's a bull of a lifetime, but good luck getting him out because we can't get the horse remotely close and I'm not killing myself". His other info worked out great, so we just let that one go.
We were told that there was a bull that hung out on the north side of Trapper, above the tree line. We found the game trails going up. We'll just say Richard flat out said "He's a bull of a lifetime, but good luck getting him out because we can't get the horse remotely close and I'm not killing myself". His other info worked out great, so we just let that one go.
It never doesQuote:
From camp and on the topics it didn't look all that bad.
Very true. Without ice, it would have been doable (but in the borderline stupid category). There was a trail that snaked through, but up close, what looked like snow was about 2 inches of compacted ice.
Got out to SE New Mexico a couple weekends ago to scout my unit for archery deer.
Studied GE, mytopo.com maps, and talked to the GW beforehand.
Found a nice little waterhole on BLM, in BFE.
Followed this old 2 track up to the dunes.
Hiked 5 miles in the desert, saw 10 does, set a camera.
Gonna head back in a few weeks to pull pics and set a couple more cameras.
This was the first of several areas I scouted but it looks like the best of the bunch. Now we wait, like a puma in the nite.
Studied GE, mytopo.com maps, and talked to the GW beforehand.
Found a nice little waterhole on BLM, in BFE.
Followed this old 2 track up to the dunes.
Hiked 5 miles in the desert, saw 10 does, set a camera.
Gonna head back in a few weeks to pull pics and set a couple more cameras.
This was the first of several areas I scouted but it looks like the best of the bunch. Now we wait, like a puma in the nite.
Hot dam real OB stuff.
I've been scouring google earth trying to figure out what I want to do about Colorado otc but I can't decide where this poor cow is that I'm going to shoot is.
I've been scouring google earth trying to figure out what I want to do about Colorado otc but I can't decide where this poor cow is that I'm going to shoot is.
5 miles into that seems like a long damn way btw
It was a hot sumbeetch. I questioned my decision several times of starting a hike into the desert in the early afternoon. It was definitely worth it though. Truck said 91 when I got back around 6. The deer I bumped were big bodied and wild as F. January will be glorious.
What unit? Looks like the sand scrub just east of Roswell.
Bingo... 33
Think I'm going to parlay a work trip into an early July Colorado scouting trip.
There you go. I like it. Do work.
Elk
Just got to Lubbock for the night. Halfway to the elk!
Speaking of the plains... I'm thinking of buying a Plains Elk ES OTC tag. I'm driving up to Winter Park in late July to visit a cousin, so I could scout some areas in the Comanche Natl Grasslands on the way up.
This is a list C tag so as far as I understand, I think I can buy one even though I'll already have purchased an Archery OTCtag, which is list A.
There are more disadvantages than advantages assoc with this tag but....
It's a 4 month long season/any weapon ES tag, I could make multiple 3 day weekend trip, and I'm Elkhorny.
This is a list C tag so as far as I understand, I think I can buy one even though I'll already have purchased an Archery OTCtag, which is list A.
There are more disadvantages than advantages assoc with this tag but....
It's a 4 month long season/any weapon ES tag, I could make multiple 3 day weekend trip, and I'm Elkhorny.
Have you looked much at the public lands out in that area? Or know anyone that's done this successfully.
Asking as the concept has interested me, but looking at what public land is out there it's really checkerboarded. Been a while since I looked at a map for that area tho.
Asking as the concept has interested me, but looking at what public land is out there it's really checkerboarded. Been a while since I looked at a map for that area tho.
Yes, I have. I've read the gohunt.com descriptions/info, looked at ownership maps, success rates/unit, online comments, etc. The common remarks I've seen about the Plains Elk tag is that "it's a waste money", "most of the elk are on private", "there's not much public land", etc, etc.stdeb11 said:
Have you looked much at the public lands out in that area? Or know anyone that's done this successfully.
Asking as the concept has interested me, but looking at what public land is out there it's really checkerboarded. Been a while since I looked at a map for that area tho.
I've wasted more money on dumber stuff than this, and I'm only looking for 1 elk... cow, bull, yearling or calf... Straight up meat hunt. As I've come to realize, the average comments regarding public land hunting (which are usually negative) are made by the average average effort-givers, so that crap doesn't phase me.
I don't know anyone that's ever hunted on this tag. It seems like there aren't many. There are elk killed in every Plains unit every year, so if others are having success I reckon I can as well.
Gotcha...I've read most of the negative stuff too and after looking at a map kinda just discarded it for that reason.
But good luck. Maybe I'll have to look again and pick up a tag
But good luck. Maybe I'll have to look again and pick up a tag
I've now struck out on:
New Mexico Elk (65% draw odds)
Kentucky Elk (<1%)
Colorado Deer (90%)
Utah Everything (<5%)
I'm about to throw some points at Wyoming deer. It might be another OTC elk year for me.
New Mexico Elk (65% draw odds)
Kentucky Elk (<1%)
Colorado Deer (90%)
Utah Everything (<5%)
I'm about to throw some points at Wyoming deer. It might be another OTC elk year for me.
Lungblood said:Yes, I have. I've read the gohunt.com descriptions/info, looked at ownership maps, success rates/unit, online comments, etc. The common remarks I've seen about the Plains Elk tag is that "it's a waste money", "most of the elk are on private", "there's not much public land", etc, etc.stdeb11 said:
Have you looked much at the public lands out in that area? Or know anyone that's done this successfully.
Asking as the concept has interested me, but looking at what public land is out there it's really checkerboarded. Been a while since I looked at a map for that area tho.
I've wasted more money on dumber stuff than this, and I'm only looking for 1 elk... cow, bull, yearling or calf... Straight up meat hunt. As I've come to realize, the average comments regarding public land hunting (which are usually negative) are made by the average average effort-givers, so that crap doesn't phase me.
I don't know anyone that's ever hunted on this tag. It seems like there aren't many. There are elk killed in every Plains unit every year, so if others are having success I reckon I can as well.
That couldn't be more true. Supposedly the success rate for any type of elk in our unit for second rifle last year was 16.4%. Ursus and I both killed a bull. Our groups were at 40% success rate and should have been 60% if my hunting partner could shoot.
If my group with no elk experience can beat the odds so can you.
That deer miss really hurts (not to rub it in). I drew a tag with 1pp at 90% and never even considered the possibility of not drawing.arrow said:
I've now struck out on:
New Mexico Elk (65% draw odds)
Kentucky Elk (<1%)
Colorado Deer (90%)
Utah Everything (<5%)
I'm about to throw some points at Wyoming deer. It might be another OTC elk year for me.
It really hurts. I was banking on that tag. I have no interest in collecting many deer points in Colorado because I'm convinced there are giants in every unit. The unit I applied for had tag cuts but I still should have had great odds with my two points. And my 2nd choice unit had leftovers last year. (First world problems...)
But I've got a couple of people on board for a Wyoming deer hunt so I'm about to give myself another chance at an unsuccessful draw!
But I've got a couple of people on board for a Wyoming deer hunt so I'm about to give myself another chance at an unsuccessful draw!
YepQuote:
I have no interest in collecting many deer points in Colorado because I'm convinced there are giants in every unit.
I don't know about "giants" but you can find good deer. This is a 0 point unit. I have applied 2x, and been drawn 2x. The following year I missed a deer that was 20-30" bigger than this one.
Did you ever score that buck?
I've seen several muley bucks in a low pp unit in the 180+ range.
I've seen several muley bucks in a low pp unit in the 180+ range.
Yes, I consider that a giant. The one year I had a Colorado deer tag in my pocket I sailed an arrow over a big boy in a one point unit. Last year I was helping some guys hunt a zero point unit and we found several "elk-deer" silhouettes. We spotted one deer that had to be pushing 200" (I posted some PhoneSkope images of him last fall).
I've hunted units in Colorado ranging from zero pointers to 2 pointers. All have had giant bucks above treeline begging to be stalked and arrowed. Last year, in the zero point unit, I was convinced there was no need to save points in Colorado. Just go hunt them every year I can.
I was greedy this year and applied my points to a Gunnison unit I just knew I would draw. Even after reading about the tag cuts, the allure of deer hunting a unit without any OTC elk hunters was too much.
I've hunted units in Colorado ranging from zero pointers to 2 pointers. All have had giant bucks above treeline begging to be stalked and arrowed. Last year, in the zero point unit, I was convinced there was no need to save points in Colorado. Just go hunt them every year I can.
I was greedy this year and applied my points to a Gunnison unit I just knew I would draw. Even after reading about the tag cuts, the allure of deer hunting a unit without any OTC elk hunters was too much.
This is interesting to me. I really enjoyed mule deer hunting the one time I got to go when I was younger.
The wranglers were telling us how most hunters in the Flat Tops put in for deer tags, but didn't hunt for them until they were walking out because they were so plentiful and easy to kill. I didn't have a tag, but we didn't see a single one. Granted we saw 3-4 times the amount of elk of most hunters in camp and even a handful of moose, but not a single deer in country I thought was perfect for them.
Ursus did y'all see any Mulies?
The wranglers were telling us how most hunters in the Flat Tops put in for deer tags, but didn't hunt for them until they were walking out because they were so plentiful and easy to kill. I didn't have a tag, but we didn't see a single one. Granted we saw 3-4 times the amount of elk of most hunters in camp and even a handful of moose, but not a single deer in country I thought was perfect for them.
Ursus did y'all see any Mulies?
I saw one muley doe on the way down. I did see some tracks the closer we got to Trapper Lake. Literally all we saw were elk, and ONE random coyote. We didn't have moose that wanted to snug up with us.
Take that back, we had a random bighorn that we could pretty much find at any time.
Had both my cousins got set up a couple seconds faster, they both could have shot cows.
Take that back, we had a random bighorn that we could pretty much find at any time.
Had both my cousins got set up a couple seconds faster, they both could have shot cows.
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