DOW conducting big game counts

DOW conducting big game counts

Jan. 6, 2001

BY THE COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE

GRAND JUNCTION-Colorado Division of Wildlife biologists are in the process of flying their annual counts to assess the status of the state's big game populations. The counts are flown every December/January and the numbers obtained are compared with previous year’s data to determine how the animals are faring.

"These counts amount to being an annual physical for our big game herds and are very important for us to be able to determine how healthy the herds are," commented DOW big game supervisor John Ellenberger.

He explained that there are actually several different counts that are made each year. In certain areas the deer, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, and moose populations are actually classified to determine the sex ratio of the herds. These counts allow the biologists to determine the ratio of males to females and this year’s young animals to females. It helps biologists determine the number of female licenses to allocate for the next season as well as how the animals born the previous spring have survived over the summer.

In some areas the biologists also do quadrant counts where they try to count the total number of deer and elk seen in the same area year after year. These counts help them to determine whether the overall populations are increasing, declining, or remaining stable. Since there are specific deer and elk population goals for all areas of Colorado, these counts help determine the total number of licenses to be issued.

The counts are done this time of year because the snow makes the animals easier to see and the counts can be more accurate. By comparing counts done under the same conditions year after year, biologists can make accurate assessments of how well the herds are doing. They generally try to finish the deer counts by mid-January at the latest as the bucks will still have their antlers. Bull elk generally don’t drop their antlers until early February giving the biologists a few more weeks for the elk counts.

Both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are used. Because of the importance of correctly classifying individual animals, the counts have to be done fairly close to the ground. While the biologists try to conduct the counts when there are no hunting seasons underway, occasionally the need to get them done expeditiously can conflict with late hunts in December.

"We try to give the hunters a wide berth when we see them but because you’re focusing on the animals, you often don’t see them," commented biologist Bruce Watkins, DOW biologist in Montrose, "But we certainly aren’t out there trying to herd the game or disperse them."