Colorado Deer News
 Colorado: Wildlife experts to offer update on mule deer studies, population decline May 21, 2013 Colorado, Summit County Citizens Voice ... A long-term trend of declining populations has spurred several studies, as scientists look at predation, food supplies and energy development as possible factors.... Wildlife officials stress that the public’s understanding of the decline is critical and opportunities to have an open discussion with researchers and biologists can provide valuable insight... State parks officials try to keep story about one of their own caught poaching out of the media May 15, 2013 Colorado, 7News ... A Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer was caught poaching a trophy deer in October, but the state agency tried to keep the poaching incident from becoming public, a six-week CALL7 Investigation found... Deer rescue caught on video May 15, 2013 Colorado, KKTV 11 News ... The deer was wrapped in wiring from a tomato cage ... Wildlife officials told Jordan the animal may have not survived if Nikole Jordan hadn't stepped in... Wildlife ranger fined for poaching mule deer May 15, 2013 Colorado, Colorado Springs Gazette ... A Colorado Parks and Wildlife ranger has been fined and demoted for using artificial light while poaching a trophy mule deer after legal hunting hours last October. Trinidad Lake State Park ranger Travis McKay was cited in October ... Bear, mule deer have different problems, same solution May 12, 2013 Colorado, Denver Post ... Colorado has too many bears and not nearly enough mule deer to meet wildlife management objectives... mule deer herds continue to decline in parts of the state despite drastic license reductions in recent years ... The population estimates declined by 10 percent or more since last year in seven of 55 deer herds statewide. The far western portions of the state saw the greatest declines, with five of the seven declining herds located on the Western Slope. The statewide post-hunt 2012 deer population estimate is 408,000, compared with 418,000 in 2011... Parks and Wildlife awards Bitterbrush State Wildlife Area with a reclamation grant April 26, 2013 Colorado, Craig Daily Press ... Parks and Wildlife officials also plan to reclaim a 150-acre wheat grass pasture, which also will be seeded with alfalfa and small burnett... “This is a really important winter range for big game in the area,” Balzer said. “This project is going to focus on rebuilding the native forage important to Northwest Colorado’s famous mule deer and elk herds.” ... Officials urge against feeding wildlife April 24, 2013 Colorado, KJCT8.com ... It's illegal to feed deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, pronghorn, bears and elk in the state. "We're just cautioning new people when they are out enjoying their wildlife, let's keep our wildlife wild," explained Mike Porras with Colorado Parks and Wildlife ... Drone strikes coming to a neighborhood near you soon March 29, 2013 Colorado, Grand Junction Free Press ... Down in Texas a few years ago, a ranch owner started a novel hunting operation: For a fee, guests could hunt deer with a high-powered rifle, remote-controlled by a video-fed online gaming console — just like any shoot'em-up video game, only blasting real flesh and blood ... Antler collectors urged to avoid stressing elk and deer in spring March 21, 2013 Colorado, ReporterHerald.com ... As antler collectors travel the backcountry in search of fresh sheds this coming spring, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials are asking them to avoid stressing wildlife still struggling to survive the cold weather and the lack of forage. Although most are responsible, state wildlife officers occasionally receive reports of people on motorized vehicles chasing elk or deer ... Colorado Buck to Doe Ratio March 16, 2013 Hunting-Washington.com Here are the buck/doe ratios for Colorado. Again, they manage their populations by herd unit, and not hunting unit. Top ten units: 1...South Republican...72 bucks/100 does.....post hunt pop.....5,780 2...Big Sandy.............67 bucks/100 does.....post hunt pop.....4,180 3...Las Animas............56 bucks/100 does....post hunt pop......7,440 3...Arkansas River........56 bucke/100 does...post hunt pop......7,780 5...North Park.............49 bucks/100 does....post hunt pop......4,220 6...Boulder..................48 bucks/100 does....post hunt pop......7,500 7...Middle Park.............44 bucks/100 does...post hunt pop.....15,350 8...South Platte River....42 bucks/100 does....post hunt pop......3,690 9...Red Table Mtn.........41 bucks/100 does...post hunt pop.......2,130 10..Rifle Creek..............41 bucks/100 does....post hunt pop......7,530 Bottom ten units: 1....Wet Mountain..........19 bucks/100 does...post hunt pop......7,730 2....Bears Ears...............21 bucks/100 does...post hunt pop....31,110 3....White River..............21 bucks/100 does...post hunt pop....43,680 4....Lower Rio Grande......21 bucks/100 does...post hunt pop......5,800 5....South Grand Mesa.....21 bucks/100 does...post hunt pop.....8,320 6....Cripple Creek............22 bucks/100 does...post hunt pop....10,450 7....Sand Dunes..............22.bucks/100 does...post hunt pop.....1,790 8....North Grand Mesa......23 bucks/100 does...post hunt pop....19,210 9....Cottonwood Creek.....23 bucks/100 does...post hunt pop......4,400 10...Groundhog...............24.bucks/100 does...post hunt pop.....22,690 Colorado no longer publishes fawn/doe ratios, at least that I can find, but in the past fawn ratios have been in the high 60's on the spring counts in many units. Antler Collectors Advised to Avoid Stressing Wildlife March 14, 2013, Colorado, Pagosa Daily Post ... Although most are responsible, state wildlife officers occasionally receive reports of people on motorized vehicles chasing elk or deer herds in hopes of collecting a fresh pair of antlers dropped by a startled animal. ...keep your distance and consider searching for shed antlers on foot or horseback instead of a motorized vehicle... Guisher is a friend to the deer March 7, 2013 South Dakota, Custercountynews ... “I have anywhere from 10 to 18 deer who come to eat the corn I put out,” he said. “They’re here 90 percent of the time.” Guischer, who lives east of town, began feeding one deer three years ago. Since then, the deer not only visits Guischer every day, but brings his family and friends... Colorado: Conservation groups say BLM gas-drilling plan for Piceance Basin threatens wildlife January 30 2012 Summit County Citizens Voice The next big battle over fossil fuel development in Colorado is shaping up in the Piceance Basin, where a new draft BLM land-use plan would permit up to 15,000 new oil and gas wells in what's been called the state's mule deer... The White River mule deer herd has plummeted to an estimated 43,700 from more than 120,000 in the early 1980s. Ellenberger said the reasons are varied: loss of habitat; drought; the spread of noxious weeds that deer can’t eat; disease. ... Balance oil and gas with deer's best interest January 30, 2013 Colorado, Denver Post ... the plan that will determine the administration of more than 1.5 million acres of public land and prime game habitat in western Colorado for the next 20 years ... some refer to as the "mule deer factory." ... "The proposed management plan allows for a 30 percent decline in mule deer and elk numbers compared to Colorado Parks and Wildlife's long-term population objectives," CBHA co-chairman David Lien told members last week via e-mail... Sportsmen Advocate Responsible Development in Colorado January 28, 2013 AmmoLand.com ... Led by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the sportsmen are calling on the Bureau of Land Management to carefully regulate energy development, maintain public access and uphold hunting opportunities in a region known as the “mule deer factory.” Lands administered by the BLM’s White River Field Office, based in Meeker, Colo., will be overseen under the new resource management plan for the next 20 years... Mountain Lion Kills Deer in Springs Family's Front Yard January 28, 2013 Colorado, KKTV 11 News "I woke up in my bed, I heard some screaming and I looked out the window...the mountain lion had just gone into full attack on the deer," said homeowner Julie Walton. ... Broken antlers the only thing left behind by Rockrimmon buck January 24, 2013 Colorado, Gazzette.com ... the Rockrimmon buck with the mangled antlers, swollen leg and drooping ears was missing from his ledge at Vindicator Drive and Rockrimmon Boulevard ... as the deer napped on his ledge, it was deer-napped by wildlife officers who tranquilized it for safe transport.... treated for an infected wound to its leg, clipped of its antlers and put in a heated garage for the night... The old buck woke up Saturday and was healthy enough for release. Assessing Success of Mitigation Treatments for Deer and Elk Habitat Impacted by the Bull Mountain Pipeline [PDF] Danielle B. Johnston, 2013 Colorado Parks and Wildlife In 2008, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (now Colorado Parks and Wildlife, CDPW) and Gunnison Energy Corporation began creating big game habitat improvement projects to offset the impact of the Bull Mountain pipeline in Garfield, Mesa, Delta, and Gunnison Counties, Colorado. The limiting factor for big game in the study area is winter browse... Big game pellet density declined between 2009 and 2011 in the treatment area, but was constant in the control area. The mitigation treatment was not successful in mitigating the estimated 1,800 kg of winter forage lost due to the southern end of the pipeline corridor. Reasons may include heavy cattle use of treatment during summer, which prevented winter forage production. This project highlights the need for flexibility in designing mitigation treatments in order to avoid negative effects. Season extension to benefit hunters of Colorado mountain lions January 13, 2013 Colorado, Denver Post ... Supporting public testimony from ranchers and outfitters cited the impacts of predation on Colorado's diminishing mule deer population, a factor that some commissioners agreed was worthy of consideration with regard to timing. ...With a best-guess estimate of up to 4,500 adult cats statewide, mountain lion licenses are issued in unlimited quantity... Injured mule deer buck draws a crowd January 12, 2013 Colorado, Colorado Springs Gazette An injured mule deer buck, its antlers broken and bloodied, continued to rest on a ledge of a retaining wall in Rockrimmon on Friday generating calls of concern to the Division of Parks and Wildlife. Mule deer rescued on icy lake near Coors brewery January 11, 2013 Colorado, Denver Post Colorado wildlife officials, with help from Coors employees, rescued a large mule deer stranded on an icy lake near the Golden brewery... rescuers lassoed it just after noon and were able to drag and coax it across the lake ... Copter counts help estimate wildlife populations December 26, 2012 Colorado, Glenwood Springs Post Independent ... these aerial wildlife censuses are key to herd management, including the allocation of licenses and noting how drought, development and other factors have affected animal movement and distribution... Aerial count techniques were being tried in Colorado as early as 1953 but it wasn't until 1967 that a method was developed to estimate deer numbers across entire herds... Counting the animals in pre-selected quadrats and extrapolating that to the entire region ... The Mule Deer Wars December 17, 2012 Colorado, Huffington Post ... It began in the 1990s, when state wildlife managers started reporting lower mule deer populations and decreased fawn-to-doe ratios throughout the West.... in 1999 the Colorado and Idaho wildlife departments launched long-term investigations into the true causes of the perceived mule deer decline. Both studies soon enough reported, in line with previous research throughout the West, that coyotes and other predators indeed are capable of keeping isolated and already critically low deer populations from recovering via a rare phenomenon known as a "predator pit." White deer visits Parker neighborhood December 15, 2012 Colorado, 9News ... seen in the Rowley Downs neighborhood in Parker a couple of times during the past week. A young lady named Alexis took this recent picture ... Scientists Trying To Solve Case of the Disappearing Mule Deer Colorado, December 12, 2012, KUNC ... Since the 1970s, biologists in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah have seen deer populations drop by 50 percent.... Theories as to why they’re vanishing vary. Oil and gas drilling and a growth in coyote populations top the list.... state wildlife researcher Chuck Anderson... leads this particular study, which is trying to find the best way for oil and gas operators and mule deer to live in such close proximity... This ten-year study is just one of many going on right now in the West ... Deer count scheduled in Southeast Colorado December 11, 2012 Pueblo Chieftain Colorado Parks and Wildlife ... biologists will be using a low-flying helicopter to conduct aerial deer surveys ... "We will primarily be flying in the Arkansas River Valley in Prowers, Bent, Otero and Crowley counties," ... Deer duel for the most desired does, decline of mule deer December 1, 2012 Colorado, Vail Daily News ...Fawns born too early are susceptible to late spring weather, while those born too late will have a shortened time to grow and prepare for the following winter. During the rut, male mule deer compete for the right to mate ...“Between severe winters, increased development, habitat decline and migration corridor fragmentation, most Western states are seeing declines in mule deer populations.” ... Colorado Parks and Wildlife big game manager Andy Holland ... Deer hunt planned at Air Force Academy November 29, 2012 Colorado, KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News ... "The Academy has safely and effectively used hunting since 1988 as a management tool to control the size of the deer herd," said Brian Mihlbachler, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service natural resources manager. "It helps minimize vehicle accidents and damage to the habitat and Academy grounds." Ignacio outfitter banned from hunts November 28, 2012 Colorado, The Durango Herald Colorado Parks and Wildlife received various tips for 20 years that Antler Meadows Outfitters owner Robert Peck had been killing mule deer during the winter months, when hunting deer is prohibited ... Investigators also set up “intensive surveillance” in 2011, and they were able to substantiate claims ... Colorado Parks and Wildlife conducting mule deer study in Piceance Basin November 27, 2012 Craig Daily Press ... in December Colorado Parks and Wildlife will begin helicopter capture and collaring operations in the Piceance Basin ... “This study attempts to ascertain the impact energy development has on our mule deer population, and the potential ways we can mitigate those impacts.” ... Chuck Anderson, mammals researcher for Parks and Wildlife ... Wildlife officers seek info in Akron-area poaching of deer November 27, 2012 Cololrado, Brush News Tribune Colorado Parks and Wildlife is seeking information about a poaching incident ... The carcasses of four deer were found dumped in a field west of the town of Akron. The field is located about one and a half miles south of Highway 34 on Washington County Road U... a $500 cash reward for information ... remain anonymous, contact Operation Game Thief toll free at 877-265-6648 (877-COLO-OGT). Hunting, fishing, wildlife injects $3 billion into Colorado's economy November 26, 2012 Summit Daily News ... “We're not trying to make everyone a hunter. But without hunting we don't have the ability to manage the 900-plus species we manage in Colorado.” said Randy Hampton with Colorado Parks and Wildlife... gets about two-thirds of its funding for wildlife management from selling hunting and fishing license sales. The state's $110 million in license fees can't go to anything else... Climate change presentation focuses on habitat November 17, 2012 Colorado, Valley Courier ... infestation in pine and spruce trees at higher elevations is influencing where the elk and deer roam like a one-two punch, according to Geer. The canopy loss above 6,000 feet is disappearing due to dying trees, which allows sun to pass and enable grasses, forbs and shrubs to grow. The vegetation is a favorite among game, and the state’s 283,000 elk population might find they like the increased habitat... | Search for deer news and information by keyword above or find links to state news stories organized by topic. Colorado data: The post hunt deer population in the spring of 2012 was estimated at 418,000 deer. Colorado statistics. One half to one third of the herd size in the 1940s and far below the pre-settlement numbers. At the beginning of 2012 there were about 280,000 elk, more than any other state, and about 71,000 pronghorns. In 2011 Colorado had an estimated 460,650 deer, 214,526 elk, and 76,710 pronghorn sheep; 3,500 to 4,500 mountain lions. Another estimate for 2011 was 430,000 deer and 286,000 elk. An estimated 16,000 to 18,000 bears. Colorado Resident Hunting Licenses: Deer (buck or doe) $34.00 Other useful links: - Colorado Department of Natural Resources - Colorado Division of Wildlife Goal of Wildlife Commission: "The Commission shall actively promote, encourage, and provide sufficient opportunity for public participation and input for the purposes of carrying out duties and decision-making processes." from Colorado Wildlife Commission Policy Goals: Minimize loss of quality fish and wildlife habitat. Fish and wildlife disease do not significantly impact fish and wildlife. From Colorado Division of Wildlife Strategic Plan, 2010 - The Cooperative Research Unit "program remains uniquely positioned to support the Department of the Interior’s strategic goal of linking science to decision making through Adaptive Management." - Colorado Mule Deer Association "Historical records testify to the original abundance of mule deer encountered by early settlers ... As a result of this large-scale harvesting, the Colorado Territory established its first wildlife protection agency in 1879 ... mule deer populations didn't fully rebound until after the dust bowl era of the early to mid 1930s. While exact numbers were not collected until the 1970s, wildlife professionals generally agree that herds reached modern highs in the 1940s, with populations between two or three times as large as the current 2012 post-hunt estimate of 420,000." John Ceballos |
Colorado |