Come Hunt With Us!
With more than 23 million acres of public land, Colorado is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise.
Check out Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s Big Game – What’s New in 2017 Video here.
NON-RESIDENT COW ELK LICENSE PRICE INCREASE
Non-resident cow elk hunter license price now will match the cost for a bull elk, so no longer is there a $200 price savings for non-resident cow elk licenses. The price for cow elk licenses is now $760.99 and that doesn’t include the cost for the habitat stamp, qualifying license or the application fee should you chose to put in for the primary draw.
LICENSE ALLOCATION UPDATE
Another thing to be aware of heading into the draw are the changes to license allocations between resident and non-resident hunters. The general rule that guides license allocations in Colorado is the 65/35 split. 65% of the licenses for a given hunt code go to residents and the remaining 35% go to non-residents (was not the case in high demand units requiring more than 6 points such as trophy units 1, 2… which were allocated 80/20 resident/non-resident). In 2023 Pronghorn/Antelope and bear licenses are at the 80/20 allocation. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has indicated hunt codes affected by this change with a “+” symbol in the sex column for the associated hunt code.
LICENSE SURRENDER
If you drew a license and no longer can hunt, you can turn it in for either a refund or return of points BUT you now have a small window of only a few days after both the primary and secondary draws to do so. The deadline for the surrender period associated with the primary draw is Monday, June 5th at 11:59 PM Mountain Time. The deadline associated with the secondary draw is Monday, July 10th at 11:59 PM Mountain Time. This surrender period allows you to get the license fee back and have your preference points restored to the pre-draw level.
For one new to Colorado hunting, he or she may want to check on the number of animals (animal density) in the GMU to be hunted.
Since most of the species have very limited seasons, hunting options are fairly limited. However, elk hunting has the most available options with mule deer a close second. Bow season for both species begins the last weekend in August and ends the third weekend in September. The weather is typically very warm and sometimes just downright hot, which makes for not-so-good hunting. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule. Also, be aware that thunderstorms and lightning – a hazard not to be taken lightly – can occur frequently this time of the year. Snowstorms and even blizzards are possible.
Elk have a tendency to stay in the high country the longest. Snow does not necessarily motivate them to relocate to lower elevations unless snow is significant and covers up grazing food. Mule deer, on the other hand, go into their wintering and transitional mode based on a lunar cycle not a weather event.
Most of Colorado’s hunters hunt elk, so if you are ever going to see an elk in your lifetime, you can surely expect that the odds are in your favor. If you have never hunted Colorado before, then we suspect that you are probably on cloud nine.
Unless you are a seasoned Colorado hunter, we suggest you keep things
simple: hunt one species of animal, two at the most. For example, hunt bull elk only or get an either sex elk tag. Or, if you’ve already killed an elk in a previous year, then go after a mule deer. The point is, whatever animal gets your blood pumping, go after that animal only.
Don’t spread your interests thin by throwing multiple tags into the mix.
However, if you do have multiple tags, then know how to concentrate your efforts to maximum advantage. For example, let’s say you have tags for elk and black bear. In this case, concentrate all your efforts on the elk. If you’re blessed with getting one, then hunt over the gut pile for your black bear.
To hunt in Colorado means one must study maps. Nowadays, with the use of GPS and mapping programs, you can just about find any type of mapping system that fits your needs. Our recommendations: learn to read maps, declination, GPS and compass, longitude (long) and latitude (lat). Don’t bother with UTMs because most coordinates are provided via long and lat. However, if you get lost, you may want to know how to easily convert long/lat to UTM because that is the system that some search and rescue teams use.
Unlike many states, Colorado is laid out in a North-East-South-West grid, which makes it much easier to follow property lines. Since all maps don’t show private property, you may need to have more than one map. Original survey markers in Colorado, which are not vastly numerous, were used to provide the theoretical geographical coordinates statewide.
So, a good rule of thumb is to assume that coordinates provided by any source are only approximate and you should leave a buffer between you and private property. If you are using a GPS to track your line of travel, please note that each “second” of longitude or latitude is approximately 100 feet on the ground.
The elk rut, however, is just around the corner. The best time to bow hunt elk is during the height of the rut, which would be the middle of September. That’s not to say you can’t be successful during the entire season; the action is just a little slower. Remember, Wild Skies is located in an early rifle deer season GMU so you can archery hunt elk and rifle hunt deer during the third week of archery elk season.
CONTACT US
If you have questions or would like to check availability, call 970.926.0216 or complete the contact form.