Colorado gets quite a bit of added hunting pressure from unsuccessful NM applicants who come to CO to buy over the counter elk tags. To top it all off people from eastern states who were successful in drawing a NM elk tag hang around and hunt CO over the counter either the week before or week after they hunt NM. The good thing about NM is you have a chance to draw the first year you aplly. The down side is without a preference point system you might never draw.