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Saturday, May 12, 2012
Parks & Wildlife sets hunt license numbers for 2012 season

Daily News staff report



Summit Daily News
GRAND JUNCTION — The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission approved big game hunting license numbers on Thursday for the upcoming fall hunting seasons. Agency staff utilized herd population estimates to recommend reductions in license numbers for mule deer, elk and pronghorn while recommending increases in licenses to manage growing populations of moose and black bears. According to a 2008 study, big game hunting in Colorado provides more than $430 million per year in economic impact to the state and supports 4,660 jobs in the state.

This year, Colorado will issue more than 240,000 limited licenses for the state's “big three” species — elk, deer and pronghorn. Wildlife managers and biologists around the state recommended the issuance of 139,461 limited elk licenses, 79,800 limited deer licenses and 23,862 pronghorn licenses for the 2012 fall seasons.

Statewide, mule deer license quotas declined 5.8 percent from 2011.

“Mule deer populations are being intensively monitored and we've seen some declines, especially in the northwest part of the state,” said Andy Holland, statewide big game manager. “Between severe winters, increased development, habitat decline, migration corridor fragmentation and predation, most western states are seeing declines in mule deer populations. We adjusted license numbers accordingly.”

In addition to issuing nearly 140,000 limited elk licenses, Colorado plans to issue an unlimited number of over-the-counter bull elk licenses in the archery, 2nd rifle and 3rd rifle seasons. The number of unlimited licenses available makes Colorado the top destination in the U.S. for elk hunting opportunity. The 2.2 percent decline in the number of limited elk tags offered this year is mostly related to elk populations reaching management objectives after several years of intentional efforts by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to reduce elk damage on private lands. Despite the elk license number reduction, Colorado remains the destination state for elk hunters, offering more elk licenses by far than any other state.

Black bear hunting license numbers will be increased in the state after biologists determined that the statewide population is larger than previously believed. New estimates show that approximately 16,000 to 18,000 black bears live in the state.

“The emergence and increased affordability of things like DNA, tooth cementum analysis and GPS tracking collars have given us new tools to know that Colorado's current black bear population is robust and larger than previously believed,” said Jerry Apker, carnivore biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Apker further explained to the Commission that the agency's black bear knowledge exceeds some other species because every hunter-harvested bear in Colorado is required to be checked by Parks and Wildlife personnel and significant historical harvest information about black bears is maintained by the agency. The historical harvest information coupled with new technology led to the increased population estimate and the increased number of hunting licenses approved for this coming fall.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.