Just returned several days ago from elk hunt near Rifle, CO with my son. Saw one branch antlered bull (five pt?). One of son's friends got it. Other than that did not see anything else. But lots of fresh tracks.

Problem was- full moon. At night, with snow on ground, was like daylight. Elk, and deer, holed up in timber during day and feeding at night; nothing moving during the day. Everyone we ran into having same experience. Heard very few shots.

We ran into several fellas from Eastern Colo., acquainted with some of our group who have successfully hunted the area for many years; they were having same experience.

Of interest was something they mentioned about Colo. DOW; that its staff has been infilitrated by the anti-hunting element and that has had a deleterious affect on regulations and hunters. About 10 years ago, when on a hunt in Alaska, I heard that this had happened to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service up there. But, this is first I had heard about it happening in Colo. Can anyone enlighten me on this? I am thinking I should take my $570 for an elk lic. (not to mention what we spent for food, lodging, fuel, etc.) and spend it in another state if this is true.

I have heard that just about every Game and Fish and Natural Resources Agency (both federal and state) has been infiltrated or is being run by an anti or similar.

It has been rumored that the head of MT Fish Wildlife parks is not fond of hunting.

I've dealt with the Colorado DOW for about 23 years now and by and large they seem to be a group of sportsmen or dedicated to wildlife management for sportsmen. The watchable wildlife program (non hunting) gets some money spent on it but it is not their main thrust.
I've seen no evidence of anti hunting sentiments in the people I've dealt with. It wouldn't be in their best interest to eliminate hunters as license sales are 100% of their operating budget, I am told they do not recieve tax monies from the state for their operation.

I don't buy it either. I'm sure there are a few employees here and there who fit that description but as a whole I think they have good intentions.

I have hunted in Colorado off and on for the last fifteen or so years, and found the DOW nothing but friendly and cooperative, right down to the Game wardens out meeting the hunters. One of my favorite places to hunt in southern Colorado was actually recommended to me by a warden.

Every Colo. DOW person I have encountered was a professional in every way. Years ago, there was an officer named Einer Palm out of Ft. Collins, who was not only legendary for bringing back the Canada goose population to N. Colo., but was a prince of a gentleman. I doubt he is still around, but I will never forget him.

For the most part the DOW folks that I have dealt with have been good people but there are some in the legislature that control the DOW's money and on the wildlife commission board that oversees their operations, that appear to hate them. Since the board is appointed by the governor it can get a little political.
C.G.B.

I have hunted Colorado off and on since 1992.

There may have been some changes in attitude by some D.O.W. staff towards hunters/hunting in general, the main thing I noticed, and this was not on the part of D.O.W. Personnell, was the attitude of Resident hunters toward Non-Resident hunters.

The increase in license prices for Non-Residents and the percent limits of Non-Resident licenses were brought about by the actions of resident hunters, and not only in Colorado, but all or most of the Western/Mountain states.

quote:

Originally posted by olguy:
About 10 years ago, when on a hunt in Alaska, I heard that this had happened to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service up there. ...

Hey olguy, I feel sure you can remember when the scum of the earth, adulterer, dope-smoking, lier, moscow bill was trashing the Oval Office. He appointed bruce babbit to head up the Fed F&G and they decided it was in everyones interest to reintroduce the Wolf where it had FINALLY been erradicated by the people it affected.

As a general observation, you can usually(but not always) find democrats running things when the Hunters get the bad deals. One serious exception would be the califoney Governator allowing Lead Bullets to be Banned in parts of that mess. Simply a political fiasco.

One prime example that has had me puzzled for many years is in N.C. The Rules & Regs appear to have been written intentionally to make it "where" you can Hunt on a specific date as confusing as possible. You can Hunt on one side of a road but not the other. Different date and you "might" be able to hunt both sides, but perhaps with a different kind of firearm.

You can use a shotgun or a revolver in one place, but a muzzle Loader in a different place at the same time.

It is so simple to set it up where people can Hunt without having a chance of "accidentally" breaking a law, but that is not the way it is in N.C. - pitiful!