Wildlife Commission approves license numbers

Wildlife Commission approves license numbers

August 2, 2001

BY THE COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE

DENVER — The Colorado Wildlife Commission approved a slight increase in the number of antlerless elk licenses while dramatically reducing the number of antlerless deer licenses at its meeting in Colorado Springs.

The Commission unanimously approved recommendations of Division of Wildlife game managers are designed to reduce Colorado’s elk population and increase the state’s deer herd.

Antlerless elk licenses will increase from 106,899 in 2000 to 109,104 in 2001, a two percent increase. The increase in hunting licenses is designed to help reduce an elk population that is still well above the division’s population objectives.

Colorado has more than 260,000 elk, which is higher than the long-term objective of 188,000. The state has far more elk than any other state or Canadian province. The recovery of Rocky Mountain elk is one of the 20th century’s most notable wildlife success stories. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were fewer than 2,000 elk left in Colorado.

"We are still substantially over our population objectives despite the fact we had a record elk harvest last year," said John Ellenberger, the division’s big game manager. "We’re increasing license to maintain the pressure on antlerless animals."

The hunting of antlerless animals is the DOW’s primary tool for managing deer and elk populations.

Hunters killed 60,120 elk in 2000, the largest elk harvest in North American history. But Ellenberger said even that harvest resulted in only a slight decrease of 1,300 in the state’s elk population.

"We’ll need at least another three to four years of large harvests before we will come close to reaching our population objectives," Ellenberger said.

Bull elk licenses during the first limited rifle elk season will decline seven percent from 22,252 in 2000 to 20,729 in 2001. The 2000 bull harvest of 28,611 was one of the largest on record.

While Colorado’s elk population is at near-record levels, the state’s deer population is well below the Division’ population objectives on the Western Slope. As a result, the Commission decreased the number of Western Slope antlerless deer licenses from 10,667 in 2000 to 6,559 in 2001, a 39 percent reduction.

Many game management units, including those in the San Luis Valley, extreme southwestern Colorado, North Park, along the southern Front Range and on the North Fork of the Gunnison River, will have few if any doe licenses in 2001.

Other areas, including Middle Park around Kremmling, the northern Front Range and the area around Meeker, Craig and Rifle will have fewer antlerless deer licenses than last year because herds have been brought closer to the population objectives but some fawn/doe ratios have fallen, Ellenberger said.

Either-sex deer licenses, will increase from 1,941 in 2000 to 3,538 in 2001. About 75 percent of the animals taken with either-sex licenses are bucks.

Buck licenses will decline 12 percent from 95,913 in 2000 to 84,298 in 2001. Hunters killed 37,940 deer in 2000, the best harvest since 1998.

The number of moose licenses will increase from 82 in 2000 to 131 in 2001 because the North Park moose herd is slightly over the population objective and the illegal harvest of moose has fallen sharply in the last three years. In 1998, 38 moose were illegally killed, primarily by elk hunters who mistook then for elk. Last year, the number fell to less than 10, the result of Division information efforts and regulation changes.

The Commission reduced pronghorn antelope rifle licenses by 10 percent, from 11,654 in 2000 to 10,460 in 2001 in accordance with population objectives.

Limited black bear licenses will decline three percent from 2,702 in 2000 to 2,612 in 2001.

The division adjusts the number of licenses available for a species as its population increases or decreases due to various factors. "There are a number of environmental factors that affect the big game animals in Colorado," Ellenberger said. "Hunting pressure is one factor we can control."