Steven Mace
10-01-2005, 06:44 AM
As elk herds decline, hunters can expect fewer cow licenses
By Ed Dentry, Rocky Mountain News
September 30, 2005
As rifle hunters sight in and rig up for elk camp, the same sweet song rings true: "More elk than any state or province in North America."
Nor is that admirable status likely to change, what with Colorado's plenitude of high-country sanctuaries to harbor the large deer. Hunters should be aware, however, that the comfortable old chant, with its chorus of "too many elk," has toned down a few notches.
After years of liberal hunting regulations targeting female elk, the uncontrollable herds are coming under control in many areas. In coming years, hunters can expect the huge supply of cow-hunting licenses to dwindle.
"In some places, we are stopping the growth of the population, which is a very good thing. In others, we're seeing the population go down," said Rick Kahn, terrestrial programs manager for the Division of Wildlife. "What we're trying to tell hunters is that the unlimited opportunities for cow harvest in some parts of the state may slow down as we begin to reach population objectives."
Meanwhile, the feast goes on, with the addition this year of an all-limited fourth rifle season commencing after a four-day break in hunting. Both strategies primarily are designed to bring more selective pressure to bear on cow elk.
Anticipating high success rates during that Nov. 16-20 season, however, game managers cut back on bull and either-sex licenses, by 30 percent in some units.
Elk hunting is expected to be as good as ever this time around, subject as always to the whims and whiplashes of autumn weather in the mountains and to the pendulum effect that seldom allows one banner year to follow another.
Though it is unlikely hunters will match the record set last year (more than 63,000 elk, of which 35,000 were cows), Kahn expects a harvest of "more than 50,000" elk.
The best hunting areas haven't changed - the White River National Forest, Bears Ears area north of Craig, Middle Park, the Uncompahgre Plateau, San Juan National Forest north of Durango and the San Luis Valley.
The big winners among hunters seeking bull elk will be those with arrangements to hunt on private land, those with licenses for quality hunting areas and hunters who drew licenses for the limited, elk-only first rifle season.
About 70,000 of 200,000 rifle elk hunters are expected to wing it with over-the-counter bull licenses, which are good during the middle two rifle seasons in most Western Slope units.
The sun might be slipping lower on that traditional option, which is unique to Colorado, but it won't set any time soon. Wildlife commissioners briefly discussed all-limited elk hunting last year.
"It didn't catch on," Kahn said. "We know from surveys that there is a big segment of hunters who just don't want to get into a drawing process. They are spur-of-the-moment hunters, and if you go totally limited on elk, those folks fall by the wayside.
"They go golfing or bowling. From a hunting-legacy point of view, you have to be careful about cutting them out."
Most over-the-counter hunters will roam public lands, with hopes of finding a trophy bull but with more realistic expectations of, maybe, bagging a 2 1/2-year-old "raghorn."
Truly big bulls exist in Colorado, but few step outside quality units and private lands where hunting pressure is low.
"The chances of encountering a bull that is over 5 years of age in an over-the-counter unit are pretty poor," Kahn said.
"But it's very rare to find a hunter who kills a 4- or 5-point, 2 1/2-year-old bull who complains. The reality is that most hunters are satisfied."
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/sports_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_83_4121399,00.html
Steve Mace
By Ed Dentry, Rocky Mountain News
September 30, 2005
As rifle hunters sight in and rig up for elk camp, the same sweet song rings true: "More elk than any state or province in North America."
Nor is that admirable status likely to change, what with Colorado's plenitude of high-country sanctuaries to harbor the large deer. Hunters should be aware, however, that the comfortable old chant, with its chorus of "too many elk," has toned down a few notches.
After years of liberal hunting regulations targeting female elk, the uncontrollable herds are coming under control in many areas. In coming years, hunters can expect the huge supply of cow-hunting licenses to dwindle.
"In some places, we are stopping the growth of the population, which is a very good thing. In others, we're seeing the population go down," said Rick Kahn, terrestrial programs manager for the Division of Wildlife. "What we're trying to tell hunters is that the unlimited opportunities for cow harvest in some parts of the state may slow down as we begin to reach population objectives."
Meanwhile, the feast goes on, with the addition this year of an all-limited fourth rifle season commencing after a four-day break in hunting. Both strategies primarily are designed to bring more selective pressure to bear on cow elk.
Anticipating high success rates during that Nov. 16-20 season, however, game managers cut back on bull and either-sex licenses, by 30 percent in some units.
Elk hunting is expected to be as good as ever this time around, subject as always to the whims and whiplashes of autumn weather in the mountains and to the pendulum effect that seldom allows one banner year to follow another.
Though it is unlikely hunters will match the record set last year (more than 63,000 elk, of which 35,000 were cows), Kahn expects a harvest of "more than 50,000" elk.
The best hunting areas haven't changed - the White River National Forest, Bears Ears area north of Craig, Middle Park, the Uncompahgre Plateau, San Juan National Forest north of Durango and the San Luis Valley.
The big winners among hunters seeking bull elk will be those with arrangements to hunt on private land, those with licenses for quality hunting areas and hunters who drew licenses for the limited, elk-only first rifle season.
About 70,000 of 200,000 rifle elk hunters are expected to wing it with over-the-counter bull licenses, which are good during the middle two rifle seasons in most Western Slope units.
The sun might be slipping lower on that traditional option, which is unique to Colorado, but it won't set any time soon. Wildlife commissioners briefly discussed all-limited elk hunting last year.
"It didn't catch on," Kahn said. "We know from surveys that there is a big segment of hunters who just don't want to get into a drawing process. They are spur-of-the-moment hunters, and if you go totally limited on elk, those folks fall by the wayside.
"They go golfing or bowling. From a hunting-legacy point of view, you have to be careful about cutting them out."
Most over-the-counter hunters will roam public lands, with hopes of finding a trophy bull but with more realistic expectations of, maybe, bagging a 2 1/2-year-old "raghorn."
Truly big bulls exist in Colorado, but few step outside quality units and private lands where hunting pressure is low.
"The chances of encountering a bull that is over 5 years of age in an over-the-counter unit are pretty poor," Kahn said.
"But it's very rare to find a hunter who kills a 4- or 5-point, 2 1/2-year-old bull who complains. The reality is that most hunters are satisfied."
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/sports_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_83_4121399,00.html
Steve Mace