pronghorn unit3 CO

DougW · Jan 26, 2006

To those of you who play the pref. pt. game...

Am I reading the hunt recaps correctly, in 2005 there were 13 total rifle tags available (public land), and 300-some private landowner tags? (unit 3 Colorado)

ColoradoOak · Jan 26, 2006

Yeah, that's somewhat right. The "private land only" tags are not "landowner tags," though. Also the PLO tags are good in 6 units (3, 301, 4, 5, 214, 441), while the general tags are only good in 3 and 301. I agree with what I think you're thinking, though. It's a load of crap that those 6 units have a total of 35 general rifle buck tags and 306 PLO tags. The reason they did that is because most of those units have no or very little public land with antelope. They want to make sure people have a place to hunt lined up before applying for the license. I'd like to see them issue the PLO tags for specific units instead of making them good in several units. I'm sure that as it is, most of those PLO tags are being used in unit 3.

Oak

DougW · Jan 26, 2006

Oak: so are the 300+ PLO tags the total for all these units, or just unit 3?

Also, if I remember correctly there is plenty of public land in 3, at least in the western half. Isn't 35%+ of this unit public overall?

3 used to be a premier public land pronghorn area, or so I thought.

Thx

jims · Jan 27, 2006

I don't know if you've spent much time in the Craig area lately but all of the units within about 5 miles of Craig are overloaded with antelope (all private land). Once you get out past the small rural "subdivisions" where the BLM starts there isn't nearly the antelope density. If you get out as far as 2 and 201 the antelope density is almost nonexistent compared to what it was quite a few years ago.. I'm not sure if it was drought, predators, winterkill, or what but there is night and day difference between the 2 areas! I don't live in the area but this is just my observation driving down the roads in that part of the state.

DougW · Jan 27, 2006

Hey Jim...in late 2002 I had the unit 2 deer tag and in scouting/hunting saw very few antelope...but on the way home right when I got back into unit 3 they were all over the place, in the sage country. Haven't spent much time out there since then.

DougW · Jan 27, 2006

PS can you hunt the private ground with the general tag?

joshtepen · Jan 27, 2006

I have hunted in 3/301 the last three years for deer. There were antelope everywhere the first year I was out there. Last year there were not as many. There is tons of public land and when I saw antelope the bucks were very impressive.

jims · Jan 27, 2006

You can hunt anywhere within the unit if you draw a unit tag; however, if you draw the private land only tag you can only hunt private land. If you purchase a landowner voucher you presently can hunt anywhere within that unit (I hope that changes soon!).

There ought to be a few monster bucks in the NW corner since they have cut back on tags. I've only passed through a few times in the summer and usually glass the bucks I see. I haven't seen any booners but have only viewed a fraction of the country and bucks. There is a lot of country for bucks to hide and age out there. I've seen quite a few decent 13 to 14" bucks...especially close to the Craig city limits.

I know the Steamboat area has been overloaded with snow. Hopefully it hasn't been quite as deep farther west? Good early moisture usually equates to excellent horn growth but hopefully there won't be much winterkill to set the herd back worse than it already is in the extreme NW corner. Does anyone know how much snow they've gotten around Craig?

ColoradoOak · Jan 27, 2006

Doug,
The 300+ PLO tags are good in all 6 units. If you have one you can choose to hunt in any of those 6 units.

My beef with the PLO licenses is that it basically allows the landowners to choose who gets to hunt pronghorn in those units. The landowners complain about the pronghorn to the DOW, so the DOW issues a bunch of PLO licenses to help take care of the problem animals. But the landowner gets to choose who he gives permission to, and therefore who can apply for the licenses. If the landowners charge $1,000 to hunt pronghorn, the DOW has essentially created a separate pool of licenses for those that are willing to pay that much to hunt. Big money wins again.

I personally believe the DOW should issue NO male PLO licenses for any species. If the animals are a problem on private property the landowners can let hunters with antlerless/female licenses in to help alleviate the problem.

Oak