Fall 2025 Colorado Archery Elk - Whose interested?

[jnd1959]

So, I'm posting this now to gauge interest for a diy archery elk hunt in 2025. I have no preconceived plans or dates. I will have 6 points in CO for 25 and it's time to burn them. If I can't find a group I'll have to go with a guide, which is my current plan. But I'd like to do this one (probably my last CO elk hunt) diy.

Here are my initial thoughts:

If we're not camping, we'll need to secure lodging now. But I'm more inclined to camp as travel eats up your sleep time.

If not enough people want to hunt archery, I'm open to gun. I really don't care.
You don't need to be able to call to hunt elk with a bow. If you hunt early there are better options anyway.
I don't care which unit. I've hunted up near Craig and I've been in the southern units around Pagosa Springs and Durango. I don't know a lot about the other units but I'm open to exploring.
I'm old (65). I've hunted, climbed and backpacked in CO so I know what level of shape I need to be in. But I would propose that we secure a wrangler to haul out the first elk killed (entire group pitches in for the cost ahead of time). That saves everyone from burning a day. Any subsequent elk can be hauled out by the group or the successful hunter can pay individually to have a wrangler haul it.

I'm pretty easy going and easy to get along with. I will say, I'm going for the hunt and not the party. If you want to party that's up to you as long as you do your fair share. But if you're my hunting partner that day I will expect you to be ready to go. Hangover is not an illness or injury.

If you have zero points and think you want to go (next year or in the future) you should buy a preference point this year (April 2nd deadline). Depending on which unit the group settles on,I would propose that, based on the likely preference points to draw that unit, hunters be grouped by those likely to draw and those less likely to draw. Thus filing two group applications (you use the points of the hunter with the least in the group. If three hunters in a group have 6, 4 and 2, the group has two points). I have a gohunt subscriptions we can use to make decisions on draw odds.

If its decided that I'm in charge of any group money (it seems the CPA always get appointed treasurer), there will be hard deadlines to meet and those deadlines will be in advance of the hunt. The group will decide in advance how to handle those and we will want to figure out how to make those finances transparent to everyone in the group.

I will also have points for Wyoming that I'll likely burn in 26 or God willing, 27 and will want to do the same thing there as well.

If you're thinking of something cheaper, I'm also going to go back to Arizona in January of 25 to hunt either Coues or desert mule deer. That's a pretty inexpensive hunt if you're interested.

Also, I have posted on another hunting forum an invitation to hunt waterfowl in South Dakota. If you're interested in that PM me and I'll send you a link.

[justletmein]

Don't have any plans yet, not do I have a group, but I should have 5 points for CO in '25.

[jnd1959]

Don't have any plans yet, not do I have a group, but I should have 5 points for CO in '25.

Give it some thought. I'd much rather go with a group than do a guided hunt.

[justletmein]

Give it some thought. I'd much rather go with a group than do a guided hunt.

I'm interested., will definitely be paying attention to this thread. We're campers as well and Elk hunting I'm too wiped out to party though I'll still be the last to bed as it's just a personality tick I have to secure camp after everyone turns in. I confirmed 5 pp for Elk and deer going into '25 and 4 pp for bear. The only monkey wrench being I was planning to hunt Wyoming in '25 as I'll have 6 points there (unless I strike random this year) but wouldn't be terrible to push that back and reassess.

[jnd1959]

I have 4 points in Wyoming now so I will have 6 in 26. I haven't decided where I'm going to try to draw. Maybe something down near the border with CO. The only reason I was thinking CO in 25 and WY in 26 is that it would give me another years points for WY plus using my CO points before wolves get a foothold outside the flattops. 25 is the start of CO's new 5 year plan, which may mean harder draws as residents are pushing to eliminate non-resident OTC licenses but I don't see the draws tightening up that much. With 5 or 6 points we'd be drawing a 3 or 4 point unit, with a couple possible exceptions.

[ORIONTHEHUNTER]

Just a heads up the draws are tightening up this year as nonresidents are only getting 25% of draw tags instead of the previous 35%. High demand units are staying 80/20 res non res and sheep goat moose are staying 90/10.

[wytex]

Sounds like a good plan to me, Wyoming needs a couple of years to settle down after all the elk changes this year.
And yes, the draw may change in CO too with residents pushing for less pressure, NR/OTC is the target.

[justletmein]

Just a heads up the draws are tightening up this year as nonresidents are only getting 25% of draw tags instead of the previous 35%. High demand units are staying 80/20 res non res and sheep goat moose are staying 90/10.

^definitely gonna be a point creep spike.

[justletmein]

Sounds like a good plan to me, Wyoming needs a couple of years to settle down after all the elk changes this year.
And yes, the draw may change in CO too with residents pushing for less pressure, NR/OTC is the target.

I probably should've just put in for my South general this year with 5 points but I wanted to see how all the dust settles first so I put in for cow tags again and applied for a high point unit I can only hit in the random. Wife put in for SG with 4 points. I think points will go up for SG but just in case they don't she'll be ready.

[jnd1959]

SG is probably the ticket. I haven't taken a hard look at anything in NW Wyoming. Just a lot of wilderness up there. Farthest I've been up that way is Lander and Riverton, well, I went to Yellowstone 60 years ago. Only thing I remember was a geyser and a black bear wandering in and out of peoples tents. Don't store your snacks in the tent. Rule one.

If we have any other takers (no commitment required at this point, just if you're interested). post up or send me a pm if you don't want to make it public. The boss says I'm too dang old to go by myself. She's probably right. Usually is. But still, hard to admit.

[AJMag]

I guess the units you're looking at in CO don't have OTC tags, even for cows? I'd love to chase elk some day, and would love a group setting over a guided hunt. Knowing people for the group and price has always kept me from even buying points in western states to spend on closer-to-home adventures.

[jnd1959]

I guess the units you're looking at in CO don't have OTC tags, even for cows? I'd love to chase elk some day, and would love a group setting over a guided hunt. Knowing people for the group and price has always kept me from even buying points in western states to spend on closer-to-home adventures.

Buy the points. Colorado is $100 for a license and $9 for the point. Then, you can attach yourself to a group for an otc hunt while you build points. I'm not opposed to hunting an OTC unit. I've done it before. But I have these points and need to spend them sooner rather than later. Having said that, if the group that I can put together is an OTC group I'm up for that too. I really don't care a bunch. I plan on having fun whatever I do. That's why I'm not all gung ho for a guided hunt. I've enjoyed the guided hunts I've been on but they are all about getting an animal. I enjoy the planning, scouting, logistics, packing, camping and hunting. While I desperately want to shoot one, getting an animal is a bonus and I'm as likely to shoot the first legal bull I see. With a guide, I put too much pressure on myself to perform and feel bad if I screw up and we end up hunting an extra three days cause I didn't close the deal. When I'm hunting with a group and I screw up it's just me or me and my hunting partner. In which case it passes to his turn.

My personal view, just put it out there that you are looking for a group. The worse that could happen, well not the worse but likely worse, is it ends up being a bunch of dirtballs and you don't have a good time. But you will learn something for the next trip. and you may end up with a few out of the group that are lifetime hunting buddies. I look at my OTC trips as camping trips with a chance at an elk. Everytime I go I learn something new and I believe to truly enjoy elk hunting it's best to look at it as a multi-trip process. Yes, you will spend $800 for a tag so you're in for about $1,200 (I don't count food. Your eating whether you are hunting or not). No doubt that's a lot but it's cheaper than a lease by at least half.

Sorry to drone on but I see and talk to a lot of people that say some day. There is no some day. There is only today and tomorrow. Chuck the pressure to go kill an elk and go for the experience and the chance to learn something. Expect to fail. Expect the hiking to suck. Expect it to rain, snow and some other hunter blow out the elk. Expect to ask yourself what the he!! you're doing on the side of a mountain at 10k, barely breathing and wondering if you will make it back to camp. You will, probably. And if you don't you'll have an experience to talk about the time you had to sleep on the ground and **** near froze to death.

This whole screed has two objectives. To tell everyone the time is now and get started and to try to put a group together. We may have one started, we'll all know for sure in a year or so. I started alpine climbing when I was in my late 40s. I was way overweight and out of shape (still am, really). I started hiking in the hills every week. At first I thought 5 miles was impossible. Wasn't long before I was doing 11 with weight in the summer. I never got down to my college track weight. Never even have come close. But I climbed anyway. I was slow, old and struggled. But I put one foot in front of the other and managed some peaks. Even a couple 20 mile multi-nighters to 14ers. I still want to learn glacier rescue and travel. I'm just saying pull the trigger on it because it won't do it for you.

Now, for all you "some year" planners. April 2nd. Buy a point and commit to go in 2025 either on an otc hunt and buy another point for the next points hunt. That's $100 a month starting now until you leave to get you $1,600. For many of you that's your monthly beer budget. You'll have to pack out your own elk and butcher him yourself. You'll probably have to set out a couple days to recover from hunting but you will be there. And then you will know what it is like. And, honestly, once you know, I would bet 75% would never look at hunting from a stand in Texas the same. I still hunt here, but I have a different attitude about it.

I'm passionate about this. Not sitting in a chair and saying some day. When I die I want to take memories with me. Memories of family, friends and experiences. We all have these idealized concepts of the things we want to do someday. We'll never live up to the ideal. Go anyway.

[AJMag]

Buy the points. Colorado is $100 for a license and $9 for the point. Then, you can attach yourself to a group for an otc hunt while you build points. I'm not opposed to hunting an OTC unit. I've done it before. But I have these points and need to spend them sooner rather than later. Having said that, if the group that I can put together is an OTC group I'm up for that too. I really don't care a bunch. I plan on having fun whatever I do. That's why I'm not all gung ho for a guided hunt. I've enjoyed the guided hunts I've been on but they are all about getting an animal. I enjoy the planning, scouting, logistics, packing, camping and hunting. While I desperately want to shoot one, getting an animal is a bonus and I'm as likely to shoot the first legal bull I see. With a guide, I put too much pressure on myself to perform and feel bad if I screw up and we end up hunting an extra three days cause I didn't close the deal. When I'm hunting with a group and I screw up it's just me or me and my hunting partner. In which case it passes to his turn.

My personal view, just put it out there that you are looking for a group. The worse that could happen, well not the worse but likely worse, is it ends up being a bunch of dirtballs and you don't have a good time. But you will learn something for the next trip. and you may end up with a few out of the group that are lifetime hunting buddies. I look at my OTC trips as camping trips with a chance at an elk. Everytime I go I learn something new and I believe to truly enjoy elk hunting it's best to look at it as a multi-trip process. Yes, you will spend $800 for a tag so you're in for about $1,200 (I don't count food. Your eating whether you are hunting or not). No doubt that's a lot but it's cheaper than a lease by at least half.

Sorry to drone on but I see and talk to a lot of people that say some day. There is no some day. There is only today and tomorrow. Chuck the pressure to go kill an elk and go for the experience and the chance to learn something. Expect to fail. Expect the hiking to suck. Expect it to rain, snow and some other hunter blow out the elk. Expect to ask yourself what the he!! you're doing on the side of a mountain at 10k, barely breathing and wondering if you will make it back to camp. You will, probably. And if you don't you'll have an experience to talk about the time you had to sleep on the ground and **** near froze to death.

This whole screed has two objectives. To tell everyone the time is now and get started and to try to put a group together. We may have one started, we'll all know for sure in a year or so. I started alpine climbing when I was in my late 40s. I was way overweight and out of shape (still am, really). I started hiking in the hills every week. At first I thought 5 miles was impossible. Wasn't long before I was doing 11 with weight in the summer. I never got down to my college track weight. Never even have come close. But I climbed anyway. I was slow, old and struggled. But I put one foot in front of the other and managed some peaks. Even a couple 20 mile multi-nighters to 14ers. I still want to learn glacier rescue and travel. I'm just saying pull the trigger on it because it won't do it for you.

Now, for all you "some year" planners. April 2nd. Buy a point and commit to go in 2025 either on an otc hunt and buy another point for the next points hunt. That's $100 a month starting now until you leave to get you $1,600. For many of you that's your monthly beer budget. You'll have to pack out your own elk and butcher him yourself. You'll probably have to set out a couple days to recover from hunting but you will be there. And then you will know what it is like. And, honestly, once you know, I would bet 75% would never look at hunting from a stand in Texas the same. I still hunt here, but I have a different attitude about it.

I'm passionate about this. Not sitting in a chair and saying some day. When I die I want to take memories with me. Memories of family, friends and experiences. We all have these idealized concepts of the things we want to do someday. We'll never live up to the ideal. Go anyway.

You're dead right on that. I'm not getting any younger, but the finances are slowy getting better. I need to read up a little more on the complete draw process but think I'll definitely start putting in this year (really started dabbling in researching western states this year). I'd say keep me in mind if the group forms, there's plenty of time for additional saving for gear, expenses, tags, etc. Could talk more later, but I'm like you, in for the hunt and adventure more than the kill, and less for the "party".

[jnd1959]

If you need some info PM me. I use gohunt for draw odds. While I can't share the screen I can tell you the odds of drawing. And I think some of the articles are available to everyone. Check back periodically to see how the group forms. I'm going. I hope, for my wife's sanity and my peace of mind, I'm not alone but I'm gonna go anyway. Heck, we may end up putting two groups together. One for OTC and one for points. I would consider going to run camp for an OTC hunt if I have a points hunt also.