OTC Elk Tag Question

[GilpinGuy]

I drew a muzzleloader cow elk tag but didn't harvest a cow. Can I still get an unlimited OTC rifle tag or am I shit out of luck until next year?

I emailed that question to CPW and got the answer of "Since it will be your first license for elk this year you can purchase it." But it's not my first license since I drew a tag. [facepalm]Confusion as always with these guys.

Anyone know the right answer?

[Irving]

I believe you should be able to purchase over the counter still.

[ACE2GOOD]

I think any left over license or over the counter tag is still fair game.

[ferrum]

You need to know if your first or second license is a "B" list license. You cannot have 2 licenses from "A" list in a year for the same species.

[GilpinGuy]

Hmmmm. The guy from CPW got back to me after I asked for clarification and he said WHOOPS, he was incorrect. Since I drew a cow tag, I'm done for the season. But I'm still not sure. I may just go to the hardware store and give it a try if I really want to go out again.

[XJ]

More than a month ago the guy at the local CPW office said don't bother with OTC, everything would either be on private land or too crowded to be safe.

[Hummer]

More than a month ago the guy at the local CPW office said don't bother with OTC, everything would either be on private land or too crowded to be safe.


Who said that? It's bullshit, untrue, and unacceptable. Name names.

[Ah Pook]

Stop by the helpful hardware place. There might be hope.

[GilpinGuy]

Stop by the helpful hardware place. There might be hope.

I wouldn't think of going anywhere else.

[Ah Pook]

My understanding is you can still get an OTC elk license. There is a limit on how many bulls you can have. Not so much for cows.

[BryanC]

It depends on which unit your original cow tag was for. Colorado hunting tag structure denotes every tag "List A, List B or List C." You can have an A+B or B+B for a given species. List C is unlimited but generally for management or damage areas and often private land only. In fact, I believe for elk this year there aren't any List C available. But don't quote me on that.

Example:
1) I had an over the counter either sex archery tag for my list A.
2) From the leftover list I got a cow tag for Unit 54, First season.This tag was list B.

If this is still a little confusing, let me know which unit your ML cow tag was for and I'll let you know for sure. Good luck! -Bryan

[jslo]

My understanding is you can still get an OTC elk license. There is a limit on how many bulls you can have. Not so much for cows.

OTC, at this point, is only bull and it is an A license. I typically get an OTC antlerless archery cow, if I don't draw, allowing me an OTC antlered for second or third rifle.
Most, but not all, muzzleloader cow tags are a B license which would allow an antlered license for 2nd or 3rd rifle season.

[XJ]

Who said that? It's bullshit, untrue, and unacceptable. Name names.


Just the guy working the counter at the main office in Colo Spgs. I'm paraphrasing of course, but his message was clear.

I did check the online list of units and tags afterwards, and most did say private land only. For both deer and elk.

[TheSparkens]

What is up with that? Colorado has a big problem with opening up private land for hunting, other states do a much better job of that.

[jslo]

Just the guy working the counter at the main office in Colo Spgs. I'm paraphrasing of course, but his message was clear.

I did check the online list of units and tags afterwards, and most did say private land only. For both deer and elk.

First off, there is no OTC tags for deer, besides whitetail in maybe a dozen or so units and mainly private lands. And not sure what list your looking at, maybe leftover, but there's probably about a hundred units for OTC bull tags with plenty of National forest land available for hunting.

[XJ]

First off, there is no OTC tags for deer, besides whitetail in maybe a dozen or so units and mainly private lands. And not sure what list your looking at, maybe leftover, but there's probably about a hundred units for OTC bull tags with plenty of National forest land available for hunting.

It was indeed the "get rid of white-tailed in mule deer units" program. It seemed like a good option because the dates were all of December, units were a reasonable drive from COS, and either-sex & antlerless were available.

Was looking at the leftover elk list, thought that was where I was supposed to look. I'm not someone with years of experience, just getting started. Next year I'll read the booklet like it is a thermodynamics textbook.