2020 Big Game: Deadline is April 7th

[Irving]

Here is your reminder to file for big game. Don't let current events distract you. I'm posting because every year I get distracted and someone posts up and reminds me at the last second.

I don't think I'll draw much this year, so everything might end up over the counter. We'll see though. Good luck everyone.

[TRnCO]

filled mine out this past weekend. With a freezer full of moose, I applied for more PP's then anything, although my brothers talked me into going rifle elk this year. Been many years since I've gone rifle elk hunting. With 3 of my brothers in camp, should be a good time.

[Hummer]

Given the current situation I think there will be fewer applications this year, and due to people who are furloughed, unemployed and financially stressed there will be far fewer hunters. This means better odds to draw limited licenses with less preference points than one might otherwise need. Maybe a chance to draw that trophy managed elk unit, or a moose, sheep or goat tag if you're short on points. Worth thinking about....

[hunterhawk]

Yup, either way I was going to draw my elk unit this year since im actually using my points.. im just hoping there is also less people too. Should be 10 times less people than my OTC units anyway so im excited.

[theGinsue]

Here is your reminder to file for big game. Don't let current events distract you. I'm posting because every year I get distracted and someone posts up and reminds me at the last second.

I don't think I'll draw much this year, so everything might end up over the counter. We'll see though. Good luck everyone.

Well, flip, flop and fly....I'd forgotten all about it until your post - Thanks Stu. So danged busy with work and dealing with the repercussions of this pandemic it just slipped my mind.

[XJ]

I just put in for some points, too much uncertainty. And every one of the last years I've been too busy in summer to even consider getting out in the fall.

But thanks for the reminder! Maybe the fishing license will get some use this year.

[Irving]

I'm surprised there haven't been reports of lines of people trying to buy fishing licenses, just in case.

[Waldo1]

Not to hijack the thread, but how about a little advice?

1. After decades of hunting in numerous states, it now appears that I have to take a Colorado Hunter's Safety Course... Which is great- especially since the ones I was looking at have now been cancelled. There is the online, opt-out test that I can take. Anyone know what that is like?

2. The 2020 Big Game book reads like the US Tax Code. It was confusing enough, but now I am slogging through the PDF version with all of the corrections. This year, I just want to sit on my own land and hunt. What is the simplest way to accomplish that?

[Irving]

1) I took an online class and it is a couple of tests about the basics. Very easy and not very time consuming. Back in normal times, I went in to a live class on Saturday to finish up and I think it was something like two hours and then a live shoot with .22s. All of it was very simple.

2) I'd think the simplest way is to apply for whatever unit your land is in, for the animal you want to hunt. There are private property only tags, but I don't have enough experience to guide you about applying. You can apply for one or the other, then choose the other option as your second, third choice. When browsing large PDFs, don't forget that you can sometimes use Ctrl-F to pop up a search bar, then type in the word or phrase you're looking for and scroll through every time that word shows up in the document. Sometimes that makes things easier. Finally, there is a website that shows you historical data for each area you want to hunt where you can find out about how many points it takes to pull a tag in that area, success rates, etc. I'd use that to see if your chances of drawing a tag change between just the unit your property is in, or if you want to go private property only in that area. Hopefully people with more experience will chime in soon.

[TRnCO]

Waldo1, if you have 160 acres, or more, of ag. land then you can go to this link and find the information that you're looking for.

https://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/P...reference.aspx