It Is Insanely Easy To Go Elk Hunting In Colorado
Out of the many things that Colorado is known for, its wide variety opportunities for outdoor recreation has to top the list. That includes skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and yes, of course, hunting.
Hunting is an essential part to maintaining the majesty of Colorado's wildlife even though it sometimes gets a bad rap. This is accomplished both through the revenue generated from the permit fees that hunters pay and by culling the herds every year to ensure that come springtime, there is enough vegetation for newborn animals to survive off of. Without hunters, not only would the Colorado Department of Wildlife have a budget shortfall, but many of the state's animal populations would grow larger than the surrounding environment can sustain.
Colorado's elk herd is probably most famous out of all of the wildlife in the great Centennial State. Estimated to be 300,000-strong, Colorado's elk herd is not only the largest in the United States, but also the easiest to hunt. This accessibility will be important as Colorado's population continues to grow so that the herd's numbers can be effectively managed.
In Colorado, anyone with a valid hunter safety card from anywhere in the United States can hunt Elk during the third rifle season. While getting elk tags during the archery, muzzle-loader, and limited rifle seasons can be difficult and competitive, elk tags during Colorado's 3rd rifle season are unlimited and over the counter. What that means is that if you have a hunter safety card, you can walk into any approved location and purchase a 3rd season elk tag.
For Colorado residents, this will set you back just $49. For non-residents, however, a 3rd season elk tag will cost $490. Yes, that is expensive, but not nearly as expensive as other states. For resident and non-resident tag fees, all of that money goes to helping the Colorado Department of Wildlife carry out its mission.
Suppose you want to go elk hunting in Wyoming or Utah, but you're not a resident of either state. Not only are you going to have to pay hundreds of dollars just to apply for a tag, but there is no guarantee you will get one. Many people apply for other states' elk tags for years before finally accumulating enough preference points to draw a tag. While Colorado charges non-residents a pretty hefty fee for a 3rd season elk permit, it also comes with a guarantee that as long as you find somewhere in the state to hunt, you will be able to.
And that brings us to another huge positive of Colorado elk hunting. While many of the trophy elk are harvested on private ranches or in parts of the state that are incredibly difficult to draw a tag for, there is still plenty of public land left in Colorado to hunt on. Instead of having to pay thousands of dollars to get permission to hunt on a rancher's land - yes, they do charge that much - public land hunting in Colorado requires no additional fee. Yes, you will have to compete with other public land hunters, but that is a small price to pay for such unparalleled accessibility.