Good hunting for elk expected this season

Good hunting for elk expected this season

October 11, 2001

BY THE COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE

DENVER — While John Ellenberger, big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife, can’t predict the weather for this year's hunting season, he does predict the 2001 season will be another good year to hunt big game in Colorado. That's good news to hunters who prepare for the first of four regular rifle hunting seasons that begin this weekend (see related story). A special elk-only hunt will begin Saturday, Oct. 13, and run through Wednesday, Oct. 17.

In fact, the biologist is hoping for a good harvest this year. "Elk are doing well," Ellenberger said. "They are almost doing too well. We are over herd objectives in about three quarters of our elk herds across the state." Even after last year’s record elk harvest there are still 260,000 elk in Colorado. The objective for the state is 180,000 elk. This first elk only rifle hunting season runs from Oct. 13-17. The last combined deer/elk rifle hunting season will run from Nov. 10-14. Between now and then, Colorado should see approximately 250,000 hunters. Check out the links below for more on Colorado's 2001 Hunting Seasons.

Colorado hunters killed 60,120 elk last year, the largest elk harvest ever since the DOW has been keeping track of elk harvest statistics.

All of the variables are shaping up for another successful year for elk hunters, according to Ellenberger.

"It should be a good season," Ellenberger said. "We didn’t have a hard winter. Elk survival should have been very good. We were dry early, late spring and early summer was very hot and dry. We started getting a lot of moisture on the Western Slope so that should spread elk distributions out. They are going to be from the high elk line down to the PJ (pinion juniper)."

Even after last year’s record elk harvest there are still 260,000 elk in Colorado. The objective for the state is 180,000 elk. In the 2000 season the Division issued a record number of antlerless elk licenses. The number of antlerless elk licenses remained near the number issued in 2001. Ellenberger said hunters who pursue antlerless elk are an important tool when it comes to managing herd numbers.

"We are really trying to harvest antlerless elk," Ellenberger said. "They are the key to reducing the elk population."

Hunters killed antlered (bulls) and antlerless (cows and calves) elk in almost equal numbers last year, 28,611 and 28,674 respectively, a record for the number of antlerless elk killed in one year. Usually bulls are killed in far greater numbers.