Colorado Deer Population: The state estimated a post-hunt deer population of 416,426 in 2021 with 395,605 mule deer and 20,821 whitetails. The population is down from 427,570 in 2020, 418,310 in 2019, 433,140 deer post-hunt in 2018. Up from 418,800 post-hunt in 2017; 418,500 in 2016, a decline in part as a result of a harsh winter. In 2015 about 435,660 deer. The mild 2014-15 winter allowed for better survival, especially in the northwest. The 2014 post-hunt population was estimated at 424,190 compared to 390,660 in 2013. An estimated 1.2 million or more mule deer in the state during the 1940s.
Colorado Deer News
CPW issues fewer hunting licenses due to Colorado snowstorms May 25, 2023 FOX21 News
... CPW said the past winter had the most severe snow conditions seen in the past 70 years for the state’s northwest corner... Statewide, CPW is issuing 12,600 (-12%) fewer deer licenses than last year. For the northwest region, it’s a reduction of 12,800 (-33%) deer licenses...
Highway wildlife safety corridor along Highway 160 near Fort Garland to begin this summer May 20, 2023 Colorado, Alamosa News
... Most of the wildlife-vehicle fatalities in the area are mule deer and elk ... will consist of an 8-foot high fence that will funnel wildlife to three yet-to-be-constructed game underpasses that will be beneath the road where the animals will safely pass...
Colorado Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Slowed the Reintroduction of Wolves May 18, 2023 Field & Stream
... According to the bill’s supporters, the state’s reintroduction plan doesn’t grant ranchers and other rural landowners along the Western Slope adequate authority to kill an introduced wolf, should the animal be caught preying on livestock or pets. Their bill would have pumped the brakes on reintroduction long enough for the Feds to sort out that problem ...
Colorado Has One Of the Fastest Growing Moose Populations in U.S. May 15, 2023 Kool 107.9
... 1978... wildlife experts transplanted 24 male and female moose from Wyoming and Utah to create a breeding population ...By 2012, the reintroduction program had established a breeding population of about 2,300 moose in Colorado.
CPW reserves more big-game licenses for residents May 11, 2023 Colorado, The Daily Sentinel
... The commission approved a license allocation of 75% for residents and up to 25% for nonresidents for lower-demand bear, deer, elk and pronghorn limited licenses, up from the previous 65/35 split, starting for the 2024 big-game season...
Chronic Wasting Disease prevalent in Colorado herds May 10, 2023 Colorado, Thetribune
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife last reported in April of 2022 that CWD was detected in 40 of 54 deer herds, 17 of 42 elk herds, and two of nine moose herds..,
CPW commission OKs winter-driven license cuts May 5, 2023 Colorado, The Daily Sentinel
... ... Parks and Wildlife staff say that while winter was more severe than normal across the Western Slope, the severity was historic from Rangely to Steamboat Springs and the Wyoming state line. Snow was deep and persistent ... The license cuts, which Parks and Wildlife says are unprecedented in size ..,
Elk carried rope swing stuck on antlers for 6 months. He’s finally free, CO video shows April 28, 2023 Colorado, BND
... when the rope unraveled and wound around his hind hoof, it was time to intervene.... Rylands tried to find the elk to tranquilize him several times and was finally able to do it on April 6...
Big-game hunting interest soars beyond Colorado's capacity April 19, 2023 The Brunswick News
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife received nearly 218,000 applications last year for deer-hunting licenses, but the agency only had about 102,000 to give, state data shows. For elk, wildlife officials received nearly 238,000 applications for just over 123,000 available licenses..,
Wildlife across Western US starve to death amid unprecedented winter April 14, 2023 Colorado, Denver7
... Starvation has hit pregnant female animals especially hard. Gonzales says they have reported an increase in aborted fetuses as well... Utah has left out pellets for deer and Colorado has left out hay for elk, trying to prevent wild animals from taking food from livestock..,
Colorado Winter Wildlife Death Toll Mirrors Wyoming's April 3, 2023 Cowboy State Daily
... Much of northwest Colorado along the Wyoming and Utah state lines is buried in 30 inches or more of hard, crusted snow ..,
CPW plans to cut NW Colorado hunting licenses by more than 40% to protect challenged herds March 28, 2023 Colorado, The Denver Post
... Thousands of elk, deer and antelope have been migrating out of northwestern Colorado due to hard winter conditions and many have died of starvation ... Multiple factors including persistent summer drought conditions and above-average snowfall during the winter led to poor conditions for animals...
Wildlife officials work to help elk, deer survive tough Northwest Colorado winter March 21, 2023 Colorado, Craig Daily Press
... On Feb. 2, wildlife officers began a baiting operation to reduce conflict with livestock and game damage from elk... Since the baiting operation began in January, area wildlife staff have reportedly distributed more than 1,000 tons of hay to around 100 landowners and ranchers in Craig, Maybell, Rangely and surrounding areas...
Big fines still in place for illegal antler collection in Colorado March 20, 2023 The Tribune
... shed antler collection tends to send participating parties specifically to areas where animals are located. Additionally, an increase in participation has led to a more competitive environment, which can mean more people looking for antlers earlier in the season...
Pale Colored Mule Deer Being Spotted in Colorado, What Are They Called? March 18, 2023 K99
... white or blonde-colored ... Leucistic deer have dark noses, dark hooves, and good eyesight. This is not the case for albino deer. Albino deer have poor vision, pink eyes, and white hooves...
Winter taking heavy wildlife toll in northwest Colorado March 15, 2023 Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... The death toll has been particularly high for young deer, elk and pronghorn, and some of the losses of animals of all ages have been occurring on highways, as they are struck by vehicles while they seek food along roadways or find themselves confined there by the snow ..,
CPW says to leave shed antlers on the ground March 14, 2023 Colorado, 9News
... collection of shed antlers on all public lands west of Interstate 25 is prohibited from Jan. 1 through April 30... to protect wintering animals from unnecessary human disturbance during the late winter and early spring months...
Development of a low-dose fipronil deer feed: evaluation of efficacy against two medically important tick species parasitizing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) under pen conditions March 9, 2023 Parasites & Vectors - BioMed Central
... The fipronil deer feed efficaciously controlled ticks parasitizing pen-reared white-tailed deer. Efficacy in reducing survivorship of blood-feeding female I. scapularis exceeded 90% in all instances except for when ticks parasitized 48-h treated deer at day 21 post-exposure (47.2%). Efficacy in reducing survivorship of A. americanum females exceeded 80% in all instances. In the 120-h exposure group there was 100% tick mortality at day 7 post-exposure for both tick species...
Colorado Springs woman reached out to 11 News for help when she found an injured deer in her yard March 10, 2023 Colorado, KKTV
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife... told her the best thing to do is to try to scare the deer out of her yard, but they weren’t able to come out and help when Fisk first called. ... CPW told 11 News that the deer had a compound fracture on its leg and had exposed bone. An injury CPW says it would not recover from. CPW was forced to euthanize the animal...
'Slow down': Colorado mountain residents concerned over wildlife deaths caused by trains February 6, 2023 Colorado, Denver7
... Officers found evidence of more than 80 deer killed along the tracks in 2022 ... There are herds of deer, and they're constantly going back and forth because that's the river there and that's BLM land there ...
Harsh winter conditions can take a toll on wildlife in northwest Colorado February 5, 2023 SkyHiNews.com
... “Deep snow has made it difficult for wildlife to access vegetation, leading to starvation and in some cases death,” ... “Pronghorn fawns are typically the first to die, then deer fawns followed by elk calves and finally adults,” Gonzales explained..,
Troubling surge of poaching cases in Colorado has wildlife officers trying to keep up January 29, 2023 coloradosun
... Colorado wildlife officers write 2,600-2,700 tickets per year for various forms of poaching, ... the dog [K-9 officer]... underwent extensive training more than three years ago, is certified to detect nine specific scents — elk, deer, pronghorn, mountain lion, waterfowl, to name a few...
2 mountain lions killed in Colorado after killing, injuring dogs January 26, 2023 The Coloradoan
... Denver Broncos defensive lineman Derek Wolfe's Instagram post last week telling how he killed a large mountain lion that was "wreaking havoc" on pets in the mountain community of Grant...
Politics undermines Colorado wolf plan January 25, 2023 Colorado Politics
... In my time on the stakeholders group, no evidence was presented that indicates wolves in fact reduce Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer and elk, and you won’t find a credible peer-reviewed study that concludes it either. All of these efforts are intended to restrict the management proscriptions that are to be available to CPW to properly manage wolves in the future along with the host of other wildlife populations in the state..,
Colorado Parks and Wildlife seeks public input on distribution of big game hunting licenses January 24, 2023 Craig Daily Press
... The commission is also considering updating the high-demand hunt code split from 80% to residents and 20% to nonresidents to 90% for residents and 10% for nonresidents and an across-the-board license allocation of 75% to residents and 25% to nonresidents...
Dismantling the walls to wildlife in Colorado January 17, 2023 The Daily Sentinel
... Two wildlife overpasses along with underpasses and fencing north of Silverthorne completed in 2017 have been valuable examples. Studies showed a 90% reduction in collisions. “An 80 to 90% reduction right off the bat is pretty typical for these structures,” ...
Film aims to raise awareness of chronic wasting disease January 12, 2023
Montrose Daily Press
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife developed these films in partnership with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department ... watch the film on Vimeo
Need BLM to prioritize wildlife habitat, migration corridors January 11, 2023 Colorado, The Durango Herald
... Millions of acres of our BLM lands in Colorado also constitute high-priority seasonal and migratory habitats for big game animals, such as elk, mule deer, pronghorn and bighorn sheep... Yet many BLM lands are at risk. In Colorado, BLM lands make up one-third of the federal public lands in our state, but only 8% of these lands are permanently protected ...
'Big ideas' proposed to help deer and elk in Aspen area December 27, 2022 Colorado, Aspen Daily News
... deer and elk populations in parts of the region are declining, the study suggests loss of habitat isn’t the issue. "Forage quality does not appear to be a limiting factor ... The large landscape that provides good habitat in the watershed has been fragmented by major highways and smaller secondary roads ...
Critters crossing the highways, oh my! December 25, 2022 Colorado, PostIndependent.com
... . The estimates of wildlife killed on Colorado highways is probably going to go over 10,000 animals a year, with about 80% being deer and elk. We know where the hot collision zones are as we identified them 10 years ago ...
CPW officers rescue same deer from drainage ditch in Colorado for second time December 12. 2022 OutThere Colorado
...On December 1, 2021, wildlife officers pulled the deer out of a concrete culvert ... on December 1, 2022, CPW confirmed that the same tagged buck was trapped in the same concrete culvert ...
Colorado releases first draft of plan to reintroduce gray wolf December 12, 2022 Colorado, Missoula Current
... A slim 50.91% of voters supported a measure backed by environmental groups like the Sierra Club to reintroduce wolves. The proposition received strong criticism from residents and ranchers along the rural Western Slope, which is ideal wolf habitat...
the draft plan ...
Wolf reintroduction plan may bring 30-50 December 9, 2022 Colorado, CBS Denver
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife will release dozens of gray wolves in its first draft of the wolf reintroduction plan. Voters narrowly approved the reintroduction plan in 2020...
Buck wanders into icy ditch — and gets stuck until a pickup truck saves it, video. December 7, 2022 Colorado, The State
... The deer was found trapped in a ditch on the west side of Colorado Springs ...
CPW investigating rash of suspected poaching cases over the last month in San Miguel County November 21, 2022 Colorado, CPW News
... Three cases of suspected poaching of a mule deer buck occurred within Dry Creek Basin. Two bull elk were discovered at the Dan Noble State Wildlife Area south of Norwood, and another bull elk and two cow elk were also shot and left to waste in the Callan Draw area southwest of Norwood. “All of these animals were found shot and left to waste...
Colorado Parks and Wildlife seeks comment on 14 elk herd management plans November 21, 2022 The Durango Herald
... In an effort to streamline its herd management, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is seeking approval for 14 elk herd management plans in the southwest region of Colorado, as well as 16 deer herd management plans in the northwest part of the state...
CPW OKs boosting resident big-game licenses, limits on Grand Mesa elk archery licenses advance November 20, 2022 Colorado, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... address, to a degree, concerns that the agency has been hearing about the number of big-game licenses available to nonresidents versus residents in limited license draws, and about increased crowding in the early hunting seasons, specially archery season, because of other hunters and non-hunting recreationists...
Doe no! Colorado deer faces starving to death after getting a blue Halloween pumpkin stuck over its nose October 29, 2022 Daily Mail
... 'The problem is it’s still mobile, so it’s hard for us to keep up with it and get it in a situation where we can safely remove it,' ...
Conservation Groups Cheer Biden Administration's National Monument Designation October 19, 2022 Colorado, Field & Stream
... President Biden officially designated Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument—the first national monument of his presidency. With the designation, he indefinitely protected 53,800 acres in the central mountains of Colorado, including 10,000 acres of critical winter range for elk as well as mule deer habitat, migration corridors ...
Colorado Wildlife Durango: Big buck gets tangled in tomato plant cage October 14, 2022 FOX31 Denver
... The tomato plant cage was hooked around one of the buck’s antlers, which would sometimes swing in front of its face, making it difficult to eat ... they got the cage off
In Colorado, A New Plan Aims to Protect Wildlife Migration Routes September 26, 2022 The Pew Charitable Trusts
... the office said it would amend all of the state’s resource management plans (RMPs)—which provide guidance on how the BLM lands should be managed—in order to conserve big game migration corridors and other important habitat...
Moose dies at Keystone Resort after becoming entangled in cords of snowmaking equipment September 21, 2022 Colorado, Post Independent Citizen Telegram
... The cause of death for the moose, according to Parks and Wildlife, was capture myopathy, or a non-infectious disease in animals in which muscle damage results from extreme exertion, struggle or stress...
Mule deer numbers find new normal as CPW works to address challenges September 18, 2022 Colordado, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... in the Meeker area, that herd alone was estimated to have more than 100,000 deer in the early 1980s, but in the decade before the new plan’s approval hadn’t exceeded 40,000 animals... they have biologically and ecologically stabilized at a lower population level ...
Conservation effort preserves elk and deer migration corridor September 15, 2022 Colorado, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... A conservation effort by landowners and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will preserve a section of northwest Colorado to remain an elk and mule deer migration corridor...
Huge Bull Elk With Enormous Antlers Gets Tangled in Fencing September 14, 2022 Colorado, Newsweek
... the animal had about 30 feet of fencing tangled in its antlers... The fencing that the elk's antlers became tangled in was initially put up to protect certain areas from elk damage... The animal is expected to make a full recovery ...
Chronic wasting disease on the rise in local deer populations September 10, 2022 Colorado, Vail Daily
... In 2020, the most recent sampling year, 14% of the 155 bucks sampled in the Sweetwater Creek area tested positive for CWD, one of the highest rates in the state... Samples from neighboring unit D7, which is located just northwest of D43, had a 15% rate of CWD among its bucks..,
Here’s the general region where Colorado plans to reintroduce wolves September 9, 2022 Colorado Public Radio
... the state’s best wolf habitat due its to vast deer and elk populations. At the same time, researchers concluded the region had a higher potential for conflict between wolves and people. Most voters in the region voted decisively against wolf reintroduction...
Stretch of Snowmass Canyon deadliest for deer and elk August 29, 2022 Colorado, Aspen Daily News
... there have been 61 reported carcasses removed between milepost 26 and 29 over the last decade ... “Over 15 organizations and agencies have joined the project, which aims to identify and prioritize specific high-volume crossing points where a bridge or culvert could dramatically increase the safety of our roadways for people and wildlife,” ..,
CPW may cut mule deer population goal in Glade Park herd, keep status quo for others August 16, 2022 Colorado, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... the Glade Park herd is a “very small herd” that takes in the Glade Park/Piñon Mesa/McInnis Canyons area, reaching the Utah border... the herd has been consistently below population objectives for about 25 years. “We have not been able to get that population up,” ...
What's the hunting forecast? Weather can have a big say in how season goes August 12, 2022 Colorado The Daily Sentinel
... Deer populations down, elk more stable ... While Western Slope mule deer populations long have been lower than Parks and Wildlife would like to see, Banulis said elk populations, especially in northwest Colorado, have been more stable by comparison..,
Wasting disease testing returns to deer this year after last year's focus on elk August 12, 2022 Colorado, The Daily Sentinel
... The disease has been found in 40 of Colorado’s 54 deer herds, 17 of its 42 elk herds, and two of its nine moose herds, with prevalence rates highest in deer and lowest in moose... The testing also discovered infections in the case of about a half-dozen yearling elk ...
Big game amendment looks to limit energy industry’s impacts on elk, mule deer and pronghorn August 8, 2022 Colorado, The Aspen Times
... For the next few weeks, the Bureau of Land Management is asking for public comment regarding its decision to evaluate its oil and gas program and other management decisions across the state to promote the conservation of big game habitat... submit a comment online ...
Colorado stakeholder group outlines recommendations about when wolves could be killed August 2, 2022 The Aspen Times
... Recommendations also consider what to do if the presence of wolves leads to a decline in ungulate — deer, elk, moose — populations in a particular area. The group agreed these wolves could be relocated, but they did not take a vote on whether they could be killed...
$12 million wildlife crossing completed over U.S. Highway 160 July 29, 2022 Colorado, The Durango Herald
... The completion of a wildlife crossing on U.S. Highway 160 between Durango and Pagosa Springs is expected to reduce collisions involving vehicles and wildlife by a staggering 85%... in 2021, 75 deer and three elk were involved in wildlife-vehicle collisions where the new wildlife crossing was constructed ...
Bambi on board July 28, 2022 Colodrado, Durango Telegraph
... Wildlife collisions are a huge issue ... around the world, and manmade crossings are seen as a highly effective solution. The concept was first developed in France in the 1950s and has since caught on on nearly every continent ... Even New Jersey ...
Final steps for crucial preservation of over 400000 acres in Colorado July 27, 2022 Colorado Newsline
... “It also safeguards wildlife corridors and critical habitat for elk, mule deer, rocky mountain bighorn sheep and desert bighorn sheep.” ...
Bureau of Land Management seeks public comment on big game habitats July 19, 2022 Colorado, Craig Daily Press
... The Bureau of Land Management’s Colorado State Office is considering an amendment to oil and gas program decisions in existing resource management plans ... Those interested can submit comment and find more information about the amendment ...
Wildlife officers rescue fawn stuck in sewer July 7, 2022 Colorado, 9News
... Adler went to a nearby street drain, where his body camera video shows the fawn peeking out of a sewer pipe and then coming close enough for Adler to catch it with a snare...
Wildlife Professionals from Around the World to Discuss The Role of Fertility Control in Mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflicts May 17, 2022 Colorado, DigitalJournal.com
... Next week, May 23-25, nearly 130 wildlife professionals from around the world will be discussing the role of fertility control in mitigating human wildlife conflicts as well as the development of wildlife fertility control methods during the 9th International Conference on Wildlife Fertility Control ...
Stalking prey: How hunters could help control an influx of apex predators into Grand County May 16, 2022 Colorado, Sky-Hi News
... Colorado’s elk, deer and moose populations are some of the most prosperous and largest in the nation. As of 2021, Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimated that there were 308,901 elk, 416,426 deer, and 3,505 moose living in the state... “We do not expect statewide impacts to ungulate populations from having wolves on the landscape,” ...
Legislation would lead to wildlife crossings in Colorado May 10, 2022 9News
... A bill awaiting the governor's signature could help with that by bringing more wildlife crossings to the state..."They estimate that there are more female mule deer killed on the side of the road each year than are harvested by hunters," ...
Lower rates of chronic wasting disease found in Southwest Colorado May 10, 2022 The Durango Herald
... Northeast Colorado had the greatest concentration of deer herds with infection rates of more than 20% ... where the disease was first identified in the late 1960s ... deer herds in Southwest Colorado had infection rates of less than 5%...
Testing showing wasting disease relatively low in Colorado elk herds May 4, 2022 The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... Chronic Wasting Disease ... “We have detected CWD in 40 of our 54 deer herds, 17 of 42 elk herds, and 2 of 9 moose herds... Prevalence in the White River elk herd ... was just below 5% overall. But prevalence exceeded 5% in two game management units within that herd, north and northeast of Meeker..,
Neighbors spot shackled deer, argue CPW policy April 23, 2022 Colorado, FOX21 News Colorado
... there is growing concern that the clamp will become increasingly restrictive, further cutting off blood ... Tim Kroening, CPW’s Area Wildlife Manager, stated it is standard and best practice to leave the animal alone, since the metal band has not hindered its mobility and can still eat and drink normally ...
Wildlife fencing project underway April 22, 2022 Colorado, NewsBreak Original
... The Colorado Department of Transportation will begin work on a wildlife fencing project... work includes concrete panel rehabilitation, deer guard installations and wildlife fencing construction...
'Unsightly,' Wart-Covered Deer In Colorado Is No Danger To Public April 14, 2022 Patch
... Photos posted on social media by the agency showed the animal with massive growths on its face, neck, ears and torso... are cutaneous fibromas caused by a virus... typically do not cause any problems for deer, though in rare cases they can interfere with sight, breathing, eating, and walking ...
Young elk was twisted in tarp and stuck in Colorado ditch before rescue April 5, 2022 The Kansas City Star
... Video ... shows the elk “blowing bubbles in the water (and potentially inhaling it)” as he was stuck in the blue tarp... cutting the animal free ...
US 160 wildlife crossings project resumes next month March 18, 2022 Colorado Department of Transportation
... “Wildlife-vehicle collisions make up more than 60 percent of crashes in this area. This $11.3 dollar project is expected to reduce those collisions by at least 80 percent,” said CODT Regional Transportation Director Julie Constan...
Colorado lawmakers aim for federal wildlife crossing funds March 10, 2022 Kiowa County Press
... Senate Bill 151 ... aiming to reduce collisions between wildlife and motorists ... would create a fund for some 25 wildlife crossing projects on roads and highways ...
CPW reminds public of ban on antler hunting till May February 18, 2022 Colorado, GJSentinel.com
... animals such as deer and elk are trying to survive harsh winter conditions and a scarcity of food in order to make it until another spring. The stress from having to move to avoid people looking for antlers on their concentrated winter range consumes precious energy reserves ...
Mule Deer Foundation Adds Sagebrush Partnership Coordinator January 31, 2022 Colorado, Pagosa Daily Post
... Through chapter fundraising efforts, conservation grants, and volunteer restoration projects, we are effectively implementing the large landscape conservation and restoration projects that will make the biggest difference for deer...
With wolves in Colorado, here's everything you need to know: It's complicated January 31, 2022 YAHOO!News
... For the first time in eight decades, the state has a wolfpack whose six pups were born in Colorado... over the past month has killed three cows and a working cattle dog ..,
Draft management plans reflect falling deer numbers January 25, 2022 Colorado, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife is seeking public comment on local mule deer and elk herd management plans that propose reduced population objectives for deer and reflect habitat changes over the years that include fire and persistent drought... Higher buck-to-doe ratios increase the number of trophy animals available for harvest by hunters, but evidence indicates they contribute to lower deer herd performance in Colorado, according to CPW...
Colorado Parks and Wildlife asking for public comment on herd management near Grand Junction and Rifle January 21, 2022 KJCT
... Since 1993, the Rifle Creek deer herd population has been largely stable between 6,000 - 8,000 deer ... The Bookcliffs deer herd north of Grand Junction near the Utah border has been stagnant at historically low levels for nearly two decades ...
Upper Rio Grande Deer D-36 Herd Management Plan
Game Management Units 76, 79, and 791. January, 2022. Colorado Parks and Wildlife
... The estimated post-hunt population size for D-36 has been around 2,500 animals for the past five years. The population estimate reached its peak at around 3,500 mule deer in 1995. The population declined over the next few years, ranging between 2,500 and 2,900 animals, until 2007. After that, the population declined further to its lowest level at roughly 1,900 animals in 2011. However, within the timeframe of the previous HMP, the population climbed again to the upper end of the current objective range.
The D-36 observed sex ratio fluctuated but closely followed the model estimate until 1999, around 12 bucks per 100 does, at which time buck licenses became limited...
Apparent stability masks underlying change in a mule deer herd with unmanaged chronic wasting disease January, 2022 Communications Biology
... High apparent prevalence (~30%) since at least 2005 ... Despite stable appearances, prion disease nonetheless impairs adult survival and likely resilience in this deer herd, limiting its potential for growth despite refuge from hunter harvest and favorable habitat and winter conditions...
Deer with its head stuck in a trash can lid is spotted in Colorado, photos show January 14, 2022 Miami Herald
... a plastic trash can lid stuck around its neck ... Wildlife officials found the deer in the area and helped it break free ...
The Magnificent Moose January 3, 2022 Colorado, Telluride Magazine
... There are currently around 3,000 moose in the state, compared to about 300,000 elk and 400,000 mule deer... Moose are twice as big as elk, the second largest member of the deer family. The type of moose in Colorado is the Shiras (A. alces shirasi), the smallest moose subspecies ...
Reindeer find a home in Northern Colorado December 23, 2021 KDVR
... The Jessen Reindeer Ranch in Loveland has gone from seven to 10 reindeer. ... Jessen’s reindeer are worked primarily during the winter as displays for public and private events...
Study aims to provide helping hands to deer, elk and bighorn sheep in Roaring Fork Valley December 3, 2021 Colorado, The Aspen Times
... The number of deer, elk and bighorn sheep is falling in the Roaring Fork Valley ... Once the maps and study data are released, it is his dream that the community gets together and determines through give and take what properties should be preserved...
Mule deer bucks already using new wildlife underpass on I-25 November 5, 2021 Colorado, KDVR
... four mule deer bucks causally grazing in a new wildlife underpass during rush hour along the Interstate 25 South ... photo from CPW
In Colorado, wildlife disease is the next frontier of climate change November 4, 2021 The Durango Herald
... It comes down to how hemorrhagic diseases are transmitted. Flies or midges bite the deer, infecting them ... it’s actually drought that worsens outbreaks... you have the water and then it recedes and it allows you to get more of this muddy habitat for the gnats to proliferate in...
Jaws of Life used to save deer from slow death in Colorado November 3, 2021 OutThere Colorado
... a deer stuck in the metal bar railing of a fence... 'Jaws of Life,' ... tool is able to cut through strong materials and can sometimes be used to pry a gap open...
Deer deaths in Alamosa linked to ‘bluetongue virus’ October 28, 2021 Colorado, FOX31 Denver
... two deer corpses that were riddled with a disease that poses a major threat to the surrounding animal population. The two white tailed deer in question were confirmed to have died after contracting the ‘bluetongue virus’ and the ‘epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus,’ ...
CPW warns owners to keep pets away from wildlife after two dogs kill doe deer October 26, 2021 Colorado, KRDO
... “People may forget that their pet dog is a predator and they can injure and kill wildlife if not properly controlled,” said Wildlife Officer Joe Nicholson. “Dog owners are liable for the damage they cause to wildlife.” ...
CIMARRON DEER HERD MANAGEMENT PLAN DATA ANALYSIS UNIT D-40 October, 2021, Colorado, COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE
... in 1998, rifle doe hunting was eliminated on public lands due to the persistent decline of this deer herd... From 1989 to 2007, the D-40 deer population declined steadily from approximately 14,300 to 9,900, coinciding with decreases in December fawn:doe ratios (74:100 in 1989 to 56:100 in 2007). Perhaps aided by landscape-scale habitat restoration efforts, the population has stabilized since 2007 and the 2020 post-hunt population estimate is 6,400 with an observed post-hunt buck ratio of 16 bucks:100 does ...
Wildlife underpasses mostly complete and working through the Gap October 21, 2021 Colorado, KOAA
... In years leading up to the Gap project hundreds of animals a year were dying trying to cross the 18 mile stretch of I-25 ... There is video evidence of it already working ...
Tire around Colorado elk's neck removed after 2 years October 11, 2021 The Denver Post
... officers tranquilized the bull and cut its antlers to remove the obstacle...
High safety needs; few dollars at hand: Report makes funding push for protecting wildlife and motorists October 9, 2021 Colorado, Montrose Daily Press
... wildlife-vehicle collisions are costing an estimated $66.4 million a year in terms of property damage and human injury. Wildlife crossing infrastructure is seen as reducing this, per the connectivity report, which cites Colorado 9, south of Kremmling. There, collisions dropped by 90% after the construction of wildlife underpasses and overpasses, plus about 10.5 miles of fencing...
Gov. Polis releases report on big game wildlife conservation -October 1, 2021 Colorado, KOAA
... The report identifies several habitat threats including roads, industrial activities, residential growth, and outdoor recreation. According to the report, between 2007 and 2013, Colorado’s estimated statewide deer populations declined from 600,000 deer to approximately 390,000 deer...
Hybrid deer hard to spot October 1, 2021 Colorado, Montrose Daily Press
... hybridization occurs in both directions; mule deer bucks with whitetail does and vice-versa ... In genetic studies done in Alberta and west Texas, they have found hybrids can make up to 14% of a given population where the two species overlap, but a 6% proportion seems to be closer to the norm...
Hunting interest rebounds after years-long slump September 30, 2021 Colorado, PostIndependent.com
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife tracked an increase of more than 50,000 deer and elk hunting license applications this year ... “Up until recently, we were seeing a decline in hunting,”...
Goats Do More Than Eat Noxious Weeds, They Till And Fertilize Soil, Too September 16, 2021 CBS Denver
... the agency is trying to restore the vegetation for mule deer and elk population that winter in the area... goats were the best way to grow back more natural vegetation... nearly 800 got to work tilling the soil and eating the old grass. In the process ...
Making way for Colorado wildlife September 15, 2021 Colorado, telluridenews.com
... The Southern Ute Tribe provided critical support to this project, by offering “data that identified seasonal migration patterns and habitat in the area.” ... Two miles of U.S. Highway 160, east of Durango ... The crossing is the result of a collaboration between “federal and state agencies, academics, nonprofits, biologists and engineers,” ...
16 miles of wildlife fencing coming to I-25 September 13, 2021 Colorado, 9NEWS
... “In areas where we’ve put up wildlife fencing, just along I-25 for instance, and areas south of Colorado Springs, down around Fountain, Fort Carson area, wildlife-vehicle collisions went down 90%," said CDOT spokesperson Bob Wilson...
Predator, prey studies intersect August 19, 2021 Colorado, Montrose Daily Press
... research studies by CPW of mountain lions on the Front Range showed that 66 percent of lion kills were of mule deer, with over half of those being fawns. On average, a mountain lion could consume a deer a week...
The Western Megadrought Is Killing Mule Deer August 5, 2021 Colorado, Outdoor Life... For many years, Colorado has housed about 600,000 mule deer. Those numbers have dropped by a third to around 400,000 and have now stabilized for the last 11 years around 420,000 ...
Crossings on Highway 9 reduced wildlife collisions by 90% June 23, 2021 Colorado, Summit Daily
... The seven crossings on Highway 9 from Green Mountain Reservoir to Kremmling include two overpasses and five underpasses along with 10.3 miles of fencing, 29 wildlife guards and 61 escape ramps... more than 100,000 crossings on these passages by mule deer alone ...
US state reports first litter of wolf pups in 80 years June 10, 2021 Colorado, AFP
... "Colorado is now home to our first wolf litter since the 1940s," said Governor Jared Polis ... Coloradans narrowly voted last year in favor of a law to reintroduce the predator by 2023. A quarter of a million wolves once roamed from coast to coast before European settlers embarked on campaigns of eradication ..,
Colorado Senate Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Wildlife Corridors May 26, 2021 Pagosa Daily Post
... Colorado’s iconic wildlife — including moose, elk, deer, and pronghorn, as well as non-game species such as lynx and cutthroat trout — depend on intact seasonal habitats and the migratory routes that connect them...
New CWD test developed in Hamilton has potential for eventual use in the wild April 15, 2021 Colorado, Billings Gazette
... The new method utilizes a piece of tissue from the animal’s ear for testing. Previously, more invasive tests had proven effective but difficult to collect, including a rectal sample or biopsy of lymph nodes...
Montezuma County commissioners assert opposition to wolves April 2, 2021 Colorado, The Durango Herald
... Commissioners passed a resolution March 23 called “Making Montezuma County A Sanctuary From Wolf Reintroduction.” ... “A big concern is that wolves will follow migrating deer and elk into the valleys where people are living, and cause problems,” ...
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service illegally paid for Colorado predator hunt, judge rules March 31, 2021 Colorado, ColoradoSun.com
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife decided in 2016 to conduct an experiment to see if limited killing of mountain lions and black bears would have an impact on deer numbers ...
Court Halts Funding of Unwarranted Colorado Mountain Lion, Black Bear Cull March 31, 2021 Colorado, Center for Biological Diversity
... The U.S. District Court of Colorado has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the law by funding a Colorado Parks and Wildlife plan to kill hundreds of mountain lions and dozens of black bears without properly analyzing the risks to those animals’ populations and the rest of the environment... intended to artificially boost the mule deer population ...
Road crews to begin constructing wildlife crossings on US 160 in Archuleta County March 18, 2021 Colorado, Pagosa Springs Sun
... “This project will span for two miles in an area that has been identified as a critical migratory corridor for both mule deer and elk,” ... This $11.3 million project is expected to reduce those collisions by at least 80 percent.” ...
Colorado poacher receives lifetime hunting ban for illegally killing deer, turkeys and bighorn sheep March 1, 2021 Colorado, The Denver Post
... accused of illegally killing 12 deer, two turkeys and a bighorn sheep ram... six months in jail ...
Colorado's Mandatory Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Now Includes Elk February 27, 2021 Colorado Public Radio
... "We haven't had historically a huge sample size of these animals before," Duncan said. "Having that data is going to be a huge help to our scientists, knowing where the real problems are." ...
Chronic wasting disease found in Four Corners area February 12, 2021 Colorado, Pagosa Springs SUN
... CPW has been monitoring the prevalence of CWD throughout Colorado for more than 20 years. This marks the first time that CWD-infected deer have been found in this location of Colorado ...
Colorado Parks and Wildlife releases Colorado Outdoors preference point issue February 9, 2021 Fort Morgan Times
... Big game licenses are the primary means of managing big game populations. Preference points, as part of the drawing process, are the method used to allocate these limited licenses. Almost all the plains deer and antelope tags are limited and issued through the drawing process...
Officials confirm death of beloved, white deer Tilde January 30, 2021 Colorado, KRDO
... Residents have been posting photos and messages following Tilde's passing on the Facebook group, "Tilde the White Deer," which has over 2,000 members...
Colorado Sand Dunes Deer Management Plan January, 2021 CPW Report
... The estimated post-hunt population size for D-37 reached its peak at almost 3,200 animals in the early 1990s. Since then, the population declined to roughly 1,600 animals in 1998. The population remained relatively stable until 2002, then climbed through to 2006. Thereafter, the population declined through to 2012, likely due to reduced fawn ratios. Since 2012, with a recovery in observed fawn recruitment, the population appears to be increasing..,
Colorado Deer Found With Arrow In Nose January 28, 2021 New Country 99.1
... an arrow that was sticking through its nose... Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers ... were able to tranquilize the deer and remove the arrow safely...
Behavioral and Demographic Responses of Mule Deer to Energy Development on Winter Range JM Northrup, CR Anderson Jr, BD Gerber, G Wittemyer - Wildlife Monographs, 2021
... assessed the demographic and behavioral responses of a mule deer population to natural gas development on winter range in the Piceance Basin of Colorado ... The strong reaction to wells in the drilling phase of development suggests mitigation efforts should focus on this activity and stage of development...
Litigation might complicate Colorado’s gray wolf plan January 19, 2021 The Columbian
... Colorado could have to navigate years of pending litigation over the Trump administration’s delisting of the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act as it tries to enact its own voter-approved initiative to reintroduce the predator ...
Mystery and history of the gray wolf in Colorado January 16, 2021 Colorado, Vail Daily News
... The gray wolf once roamed freely throughout more than two-thirds of the United States ... As settlers moved out west, ranches replaced a significant amount of elk and deer habitat. Wherever their main food source was mostly eliminated, wolves turned to livestock. This quickly made wolves the new enemy of the settlers...
Colorado begins wolf reintroduction plans OK'd by voters January 14, 2021 Washington Post
... By spring or summer, state wildlife officials will start identifying donor populations and locations for reintroduction; slowly begin development of a management plan; and create procedures for settling claims by ranchers, farmers and others who lose livestock to or have property damaged by wolves...
Wildlife Officers Help Deer With Bird Feeder Stuck Around Neck January 11, 2021 Colorado, CBS Local
... The officer was able to get the deer down and remove the white plastic cylinder ...
Wildlife overpass and underpass will make U.S. Highway 160 safer for drivers and animals December 29, 2020 Colorado, Estes Park Trail-Gazette
... slated to begin this coming spring ... a heavily used corridor by vehicles ...“Deer and elk spend the warm months in the high country to the north; but most big game move to the important winter range areas south of the highway during the winter...
Colorado Middle Park Deer Management Plan 2000 B Lamont
... Middle Park Deer Herd (DAU D-9) Game Management Units (GMUs): 18, 27, 28, 37, 181, and 371. Post-hunt Population: Previous Objective: 10,500-12,500 deer; Estimate for 2019: 16,668. Current Population Objective: 10,500-14,000. Post-hunt Sex Ratio (Bucks:100 Does): Previous Objective: 30-35. Post-hunt (3-year average) 40. Current Sex Ratio Objective: 30-35 Bucks:100 Does...
Colorado Parks and Wildlife PIO says agency likely lost $2 million due to hunter refunds in 2020 December 16, 2020 Craig Daily Press
... fires were at their peaks in mid-October ... the agency lost more than $2 million in refunded hunting licenses and tags ... CPW did see a significant increase this year in over-the-counter hunting and fishing licenses ...
Large elk herd west of Loveland a growing attraction to many this time of year December 12, 2020 Colorado, Fort Collins Coloradoan
... there are about 2,600 elk in the agency's Game Management Unit 20. That area roughly is bordered by Interstate 25 on the east ...
Colorado mountain lions help cull deer with chronic wasting disease. Could wolves? December 10, 2020 Colorado, Fort Collins Coloradoan
... A Colorado Parks and Wildlife study has shown that adult deer infected with chronic wasting disease are four times more likely to die from mountain lions than uninfected adult deer. Similar studies in Wyoming have shown similar results...
From coronavirus to wildfires, Colorado's hunting season brings a slew of uncertainties December 9, 2020 Colorado, The Colorado Sun
... there’s the 100% statewide drought, something Colorado hasn’t faced in eight years... In south-central Colorado ... smaller elk herds than normal this year... “Elk population in (unit) 68 is horrible,” Holbert said. “Overhunted, overgrazed.” ... They are selling more tags and not really focusing on anything but money..,
$11.3 million project aims to reduce wildlife collisions by 85 percent on Colorado highway December 9, 2020 OutThere Colorado
... several new wildlife safety features along US Highway 160 in partnership with the Southern Ute Indian tribe ... Among the features to be constructed are a wildlife overpass, a wildlife underpass, an 8-foot-tall exclusion fence, earth escape ramps, and multiple deer guards...
...
Wildlife flights begin for CPW in the northwest December 5, 2020 The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages more than 400,000 deer, nearly 300,000 elk, 82,000 pronghorn, about 3,000 moose and hundreds of other species. Management of big game species provides millions of dollars to Colorado’s economy each year through hunting revenues for communities and small businesses..,
CPW Using Helicopters to Assess Big Game Herds in SE Colorado November 20, 2020 Colorado, The Prowers Journal
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists will assess deer and elk populations by conducting low-altitude helicopter flights in southeast Colorado ...
Reindeer Will Be Delivering Beer for a Colorado Brewery This Year November 20, 2020 Food & Wine
... This year, ten lucky Colorado residents will have a minikeg of Christmas Ale from Anheuser-Busch’s Breckenridge Brewery sent to their door by a Santa-approved method: reindeer delivery...
Deer rescued from home's window well in Colorado November 19, 2020 UPI.com
... Wildlife officials in Colorado are reminding residents to keep window wells covered after a deer fell into one outside a home ...
Moose are thriving in Teller November 17, 2020 Colorado Springs Gazette
... moose were rarely seen ... in Colorado as recently as 20 years ago ... Dozens of moose have found their way to Teller County ... part of a larger area that was opened to moose hunting...
Remove tangle hazards from yards to protect wildlife November 14, 2020 Colorado,
Montrose Daily Press
... Over the years, CPW has seen deer and elk tangled with a variety of items, including: tricycles, tires, garden cages, clotheslines, plastic fencing, lawn chairs, Christmas lights and more...
Chronic wasting disease testing mandatory in southwest Colorado
Pagosa Springs Sun
...Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) reminds successful deer hunters in southwest Colorado that their harvested animals must be tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The testing is being done this year as part of CPW’s CWD Response Plan and is critical for deer management planning...
Wolves winning by a whisker November 4, 2020 Colorado, soprissun.com
... Proposition 114, the ballot initiative mandating the reintroduction of gray wolves into Western Colorado by the end of 2023, appears to have been approved by voters by the slimmest of margins ... [wolves] will follow elk down into the farmers’ hay meadows ...
Hunters reportedly confuse moose for elk in Colorado November 4, 2020 OutThere Colorado
... Moose are fairly solitary... with the exception of when they're accompanied by their young. Elk ... often migrate in large herds... Moose are the largest members of the deer family, weighing as much as 1,200 pounds. That's nearly twice as much as the average bull elk , which weighs between 660 and 780 pounds...
Wildlife officers rescue deer from chicken feeder in Colorado November 3, 2020 Colorado, UPI.com
... The feeder was making it difficult for the deer to eat ..
Colorado Parks and Wildlife posts photo of massive elk rack November 2, 2020 OutThere Colorado
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife took to Twitter recently to remind their followers just how large an elk can be ... "It died of natural causes on the grounds of the @AF_Academy and was recovered by @COParksWildlife
Parks and Wildlife tests for chronic wasting disease in deer October 30, 2020 Colorado, The Durango Herald
... “Testing is required because CPW is working to determine the current prevalence of the fatal disease in western Colorado,” ... If it is detected in Southwest Colorado, managers may consider an increase in buck licenses in affected areas to try to reduce the spread of the disease...
Some Colorado hunters now required to get heads tested for "zombie deer" disease October 27, 2020 OutThere Colorado
... Southwest Colorado deer hunters must now bring their harvested animal heads to sampling stations to be tested for ... chronic wasting disease. Precautionary testing is critical in helping Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) monitor the spread ...
Why we hunt | Wildlife Matters October 27, 2020 Colorado, Colorado Springs Gazette
... After nearly being extirpated from Colorado in the early 1900s, mule deer populations have rebounded to over 400,000. Elk populations, bolstered by introductions from Wyoming, now stand over 280,000 — more than any other state in the U.S..,
Wildlife authorities seek help in catching poacher who left deer to die October 23, 2020 Colorado, The Gazette
... a deer that had been shot with an arrow. The wounds were too severe to save the animal, which had to be put down... An arrow protrudes from both sides of the torso of a deer ...
New Rules Could Better Protect Colorado's Wildlife From Energy Development October 21, 2020 Coloardo, The Pew Charitable Trusts
... (S.B. 19-181) overhauled the mission of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC)—which approves drilling permits and regulates the oil and gas industry—by directing it to safeguard wildlife and its habitat against the potential negative impacts of development...
CO Groups Press for Stronger Wildlife Habitat Protections October 7, 2020 Colorado, Public News Service
... Suzanne O'Neill, executive director of the Colorado Wildlife Federation, said ... he best available science, that shows surface disturbances from oil and gas development should be limited to no more than 3% per square mile of high-priority habitat for bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk and pronghorn...
Hunting Pressure Modulates Prion Infection Risk in Mule Deer Herds, 2020 Colorado, Journal of Wildlife Diseases
... Across 12 areas in Colorado studied between 2002−2018, those with the largest declines in annual hunting license numbers (pressure) showed the largest increases in the proportion of infected adult (≥2–yr-old) male deer killed by hunters (prevalence); prevalence trends were comparatively flat in most areas where license numbers had been maintained or increased... Our findings suggest that harvesting mule deer with sufficient hunting pressure might control chronic wasting disease—especially when prevalence is low ..,
Deer Hunters May Be Selected for Chronic Wasting Disease Testing September 15, 2020 Colorado, Pagosa Daily Post
... CPW will be sending out letters to Colorado rifle season deer (buck and doe) hunters who have been selected for mandatory CWD testing... Click here for complete CWD Testing and Submission Information ...
Mandatory chronic wasting disease testing in 89 game management units September 12, 2020 Colorado, Montrose Daily Press
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife will be conducting mandatory chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing during the 2020 hunting season in specific game management units (GMU) as part of efforts to control the spread of CWD with its Colorado Chronic Wasting Disease Response Plan...
Elk Foundation and partners fund Colorado projects September 8, 2020 Business Times of Western Colorado
... The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners have provided a total of nearly $2.6 million to fund research and conservation projects that benefit elk and other wildlife ...
'Howl you vote?' wolf advocates, opponents ask Colorado September 7, 2020 Vail Daily News
... Polling has found broad support for wolf reintroduction in Colorado, which some opponents call 'ballot-box biology ... Wolves would threaten Colorado’s deer, elk and moose populations ... 39 counties including Grand, Routt and Garfield have passed resolutions opposing wolf reintroduction... Colorado’s last resident wolves were killed in the 1940s..,
Data reveals that hunting suppresses deer-killing disease in Colorado August 20, 2020 OutThere Colorado
... The study that took a look at the issue analyzed 12 hunting areas around Colorado over 18 years. In short, the hunting areas with the largest decreases in hunting license numbers also had the biggest increases in chronic wasting disease among adult male deer. In areas where hunting licenses stayed the same or increased, the prevalence of chronic wasting disease remained roughly the same...
Long-range plan in works for area wildlife August 20, 2020 Colorado, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... The Bookcliff deer herd ... is estimated at 7,450 with the current population objective at 10,000 to 12,000 deer... The Yellow Creek elk herd is currently estimated at 12,420 animals with a population objective of 7,000 to 9,000...
A webinar covering Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s proposed herd management plan (HMP) revisions for D-5 (North Tablelands), D-44 (South Platte River) and D-54 (South Tablelands) deer herds. CPW biologists and field staff were requesting feedback from the public, specifically landowners and hunters, about it’s proposed HMP revisions. - August 20, 2020 Colorado
People caught trying to feed moose pizza in Colorado August 18, 2020 OutThere Colorado
... Jefferson County Open Space Ranger Ben Stanley took to Twitter "... Please don’t approach wildlife for any reason, moose can be extremely dangerous. Save the pizza for the Rangers ..."
Elk has been living with tire around neck for more than a year August 14, 2020 Colorado, KXTV
... there have been about six sightings of the elk, but most of the visuals were captured on trail cameras ...
Wildlife officer Scott Murdoch discusses a bull elk seen between Conifer and the Mount Evans Wilderness Area with a tire around its neck. He goes over possibilities of how it got on there, what it would take to free the bull of the tire and what people can do to prevent something like this from happening again.
In western Colorado, wary ranchers eye wolves’ arrival and fear urban voters will introduce more July 26, 2020 The Denver Post
... “we have sporadically observed a small pack of six wolves that appear to have entered northwest Colorado either via the adjacent Uintah Mountains or across Wyoming.” They’ve been eating “native prey, primarily elk and deer. …
State Bridge Mule Deer Herd Management Plan June, 2020 Colorado, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
... D-8 is one of the larger deer herds in the state, but as with many herds in western Colorado, the cumulative impacts of decades of human population growth and the direct and indirect impacts of human activities have continued to diminish both the quality and quantity of habitat and its carrying capacity for deer. Land development, fragmentation by roads and trails, increased human activity on public lands, and suppression of large-scale wildfires have long-term and perhaps even irreversible
effects on the landscape..,
Draft Middle Park Deer Herd Management Plan 2020 Colorado Parks and Wildlife
... From 1989-1999, the population objective for D-9 was 10,500 animals. The deer population was relatively high in D-9 during the early 1980’s through the early 1990’s. Since that time, the herd slightly declined, rebounded, and for the last ten years has remained above the current objective range of 10,500-12,500 which was established in 2000. The current model estimates the deer population at 16,668 animals. Although trends of many mule deer populations have been declining throughout Colorado and the Western U.S, the D-9 DAU has remained productive...
Colorado wildlife agency’s past research raises questions about mountain lion hunting levels May 24, 2020 Denver Post
... CPW biologists determined, from research done between 2004 and 2014 for the purpose of guiding agency decision-making, that wildlife managers cannot let hunters kill more than 12% of lions a year without triggering a decline, according to a report summarizing results and preliminary analysis...
In Colorado, Wolves Are on the Ballot May 14, 2020 Sierra Magazine
... Initiative 107, a November ballot measure to reintroduce gray wolves west of the Continental Divide... It will be the first time that the reintroduction of wolves anywhere in the United States is decided by popular vote... Today, the International Wolf Center estimates that there are 5,500 gray wolves in the continental United States...
CPW targets chronic wasting disease with more testing May 9, 2020 Colorado, Montrose Daily Press
... As of February 2020, CWD has been detected in 33 of 54 deer herds, 14 of 43 elk herds, and two of nine moose herds... in 2019, 16 deer herds were included in mandatory testing, More than 7,700 samples tested statewide for all cervid species, CWD prevalence exceeds the 5% management threshold in 18 deer herds ..,
Forest Service needs to draw the line on Berlaimont May 7, 2020 Colorado, Vail Daily News
... The Berlaimont parcel, north of I-70 in Edwards, is one of the last major migration corridors for deer and elk in our region, and sits right in the middle of critical winter range, as designated by the Forest Service’s own Forest Management Plan...
Draft Cripple Creek Deer Management Plan May, 2020 Colorado, CPW Report
..Like much of Colorado, the Cripple Creek (D-16) deer herd reached peak population levels in the 1960s and 1970s before declining through the 1980s and 1990s. It is estimated this population peaked in the 1960s at approximately 27,000; however, that estimate included GMUs 59 and 591, which are no longer considered part of this population. In the decades since, the population and associated harvest have declined by approximately 50%...
New Report Key to Protecting CO Big-Game Migration May 6, 2020 Colorado, Public News Service
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Tuesday released its 2020 Status Report on big-game winter range and migration corridors... The current statewide post-hunt deer population estimate is 433,000, which is well below the population objective range of 500,000-560,000 mule deer. In 2018, 23 of 54 (43%) deer herds are below their population objective ranges ..,
Colorado mountain lions hit with new hunting plan as people spread May 3, 2020 Colorado, The Denver Post
... a new state plan to let hunters kill up to 15% a year across western Colorado ... basing their plan on a statewide estimate of 4,000 to 5,500 lions today ... Sierra Club’s ... estimate of the statewide population would be 3,000 ..,
CDOT to receive $2 million for wildlife safety improvements in northwest Colo. April 30, 2020 Colorado, coloradopolitics.com
... “Elk, mule deer and pronghorn face increasing obstacles from highway traffic, development, and habitat degradation as they navigate migration corridors that connect vast stretches of our western landscapes,” ...
Hunting applications, fishing licenses in Colorado surge amid pandemic April 22, 2020 Colorado, The Gazette
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife received 624,104 applications for its annual big game draw. That's up from last year's 609,366...
What happened to mule deer in Colorado and what does the future hold? March 26, 2020 goHUNT.com (blog)
... the total number of deer hunters for all seasons has been on the rise since 2015... The total number of deer hunters during the third season in 2019 was 25,544. While the harvest numbers were lower, the number of deer hunters in the field was not. That number marks a 9.44% increase in the number of hunters for 2019...
State proposes “special management area” for local mountain lions March 20, 2020 Colorado, The Aspen Times
... “Reports 10 years ago were occasional sightings, but sightings are the norm now,” said CPW district wildlife manager Matt Yamashita. “Pets and livestock are being either injured or attacked on a fairly routine basis, and on the more serious side of things, we’re getting reports of attacks on people.” ...
US Forest Service broke law when opening 4900 acres of Colorado national forest to coal mining March 10, 2020 NationofChange
... A federal appeals court ruled against the Trump administration for failing to protect the Gunnison National Forest’s Pilot Knob from coal mining... “Pilot Knob is an irreplaceable treasure, providing winter range for deer and bald eagles, severe winter range for elk ...
CPW looks for ways to help declining elk population February 21, 2020 Colorado, KUSA
... elk herds in southwest Colorado ... The number of elk in that area dropped from 19,500 in 2015 to 16,889 in 2019, according to CPW... a troubling decline in calves surviving to maturity ...
BP's collaboration with Colorado to offset wildlife impacts wraps up February 20, 2020, The Journal
... Despite the effort, Southwest Colorado’s elk and deer herds struggle. But Holst said it’s not fair to blame oil and gas development. Habitat loss from residential and commercial development, recreation such as hiking and hunting, as well as drought all play a role in big game’s decline...
Native Wildlife Habitat Could Be Destroyed If Mining Company's Expansion Is Approved, Study Finds February 19, 2020 Colorado, Aspen Public Radio
... A study released this week by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program finds native plants and wildlife could be negatively affected if mining company Rocky Mountain Resources’ expansion proposal is approved...
CPW says someone feeding a doe corn caused her to die February 14, 2020 Colorado, KUSA
... doe died from having a full stomach of corn that led to acute rumen acidosis... a necropsy where it was discovered the animal's stomach was full of corn ... many animals die quickly from the acid's immediate effects, while others may live longer, but die from liver or brain damage...
Don't be fooled about wolves February 12, 2020 Colorado, Loveland Reporter-Herald
"... the wolf does not belong in settled landscapes... wolves degrade via hybridization with domestic dogs and coyotes into worthless hybrids ... when wolves are introduced into Colorado and are free to multiply, your moose will be exterminated, and your deer and elk will be exterminated ..." [Dr. Geist is a behavioral ecologist and professor ... one of the world’s most respected authorities on the behavior, ecology and conservation]
Colorado woman fined for feeding deer in home February 11, 2020 Colorado, WIS-TV
... Authorities discovered videos ... posted online of her feeding the animals... fined $550.50...
Surveying deer population in Colorado Springs February 10, 2020 Colorado, FOX21News.com
... CPW staff teamed up with volunteers all day on Monday to survey neighborhoods west of I-25. An application on their mobile phones allows them to seamlessly log the location, approximate size, and sex of the deer that goes straight into an agency database. The survey takes place over several years to get a consistent estimate ...
Residents asked to eliminate household items that entangle deer February 7, 2020 Colorado, Delta County Independent
... two deer that were tangled up in household objects ... a green bird feeder resembling a porch swing. The little buck got it stuck around its neck ... The second little buck got its head stuck in a sourdough pretzel plastic tub. It could not eat or drink ...
Study: Low impact on deer from Piceance gas activity February 4, 2020 Colorado,
The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... Researchers working in the Piceance Basin have found no long-term negative effects on mule deer from energy development, except for a slight decrease in fetal survival in a year also marked by severe drought...
Testing confirming wasting disease among deer in more parts of state February 1, 2020 Colorqdo, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
... The new results have confirmed the disease in 24 game management units in the state where it previously hadn’t been found. Most of those units are in eastern Colorado ... Thirty-one of the state’s 54 deer herds have a prevalence topping 5%, with 13 of those 31 herds topping 10%...
Judge rejects challenge to Colorado wildlife officials' plan to kill black bears and mountain lions January 15, 2020 Aspen Times
... A Denver District Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit opposing Colorado wildlife officials’ plan to kill black bears and mountain lions as a way of boosting mule deer populations on the West Slope....
Wolf reintroduction to Colorado a mistake says former wildlife commissioner Rick Enstrom January 3, 2019 Complete Colorado
... “You only have to look at what happened to the Wyoming elk population,” Enstrom said. “Their herds have been knocked back to 10 percent of what it was.” ... The proposed initiative calls for wolf management and predation compensation to be paid out of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) wildlife cash fund ...
CPW Responds To Second Deer Caught In Netting In One Week In Colorado Springs January 3, 2020 Colorado, CBS Boston
... Officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife are asking homeowners to take down anything that could snag wildlife wandering through their property... CPW suggests homeowners take hammocks, rope ladders and swings inside when they are not in use...
Shed-antler restrictions January 1, 2020 Colorado, KKCO-TV
... Collecting shed antlers on all public lands west of I-25 is not allowed until the end of April... Officials say they want to make sure people don't go near them because animals may run, causing them to burn energy that they need the most during this time of year...
Colorado Deer Archive: Population and Management, Deer in the News, Disease, Suburban Management, Transportation
Colorado data: A harsh 2022-23 winter will reduce some deer populations, particularly the northwest. The state made historic cuts in hunting licenses to support the herds. The state estimated 416,426 deer post-hunt in 2021, down from 427,570 in 2020. Deer populations are down in 2022 with stable elk populations. Colorado has many more hunters than the herd can support with 2018,000 applications for licenses in 2022 but only 102,000 authorized. An estimated 418,310 deer after the hunt in 2019, down somewhat from the state estimated 433,140 post-hunt in 2018 [also see 2020 Big Game Status Report].
In 2019 the state proposed buck-to-doe ratios as low as 25 to 100. Another hard winter for 2018-19 but good doe and fawn survival in 2018. Drought in 2020. Deer licenses for 2018 were increased by 3 percent to 94,900 with good doe and fawn survival for the year. In 2022, related to a bill to increase wildlife crossings, an estimate that more does are killed by vehicles each year than hunters.
During the winter of 2016-17 CPW fed deer to draw them away from the highway. The deer population estimated at 418,800 in 2017 post-hunt, down from about 436,000 in 2016 in part as a result of a harsh winter. There are many estimates of long-term deer population declines with estimate putting the population at a third of what it was in the 1990s. In 2016 the state started a controversial experiment to kill lions and bears to boost deer populations.
Population data below is from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) from 2004 to 2021. Years 2001 to 2003 are estimated from a CPW graphic and year 2000 is estimated from hunting data.
In 2015 about 435,000 deer. The mild winter allowed for better survival, especially in the northwest. Deer were generally doing well in the central and northern mountains. Low birth rates for deer and elk in the Aspen area, 2015.
About 390,600 mule deer and 20,000 whitetails in 2013 and 2014. CPW estimated the total deer population fell by 36 % from 613,450 in 2005. Deer licenses were reduced in 2014 to help boost the population. Licenses were reduced from 130,106 in 2007 to about 80,000 in 2014. The post hunt deer population in the spring of 2012 was estimated at 408,000 - 418,000 deer. About 461,000 in 2011, 600,000 in 2000. Mule deer hunters have about a 50 percent success rate.
In 2014, 169,000 hunters applied for Colorado deer licenses. In 2015, 83,200 deer licenses were available, about 400 more licenses than 2014. A total A severe winter in 2007-08 reduced populations around the state, a loss of more than 30 percent of the mule deer fawns and does. The state spent about $2.8 million on emergency feeding.
A mule deer population estimate of 390,660 in 2013, 613,450 in 2006, and 600,000 in the 1980s. A population estimate of 5,000 whitetails in 1990. Severe winters reduced deer populations in 1983-84, 1992-93, 1995-96, 2007-08, and 2010-11. A state analysis in 2021 notes that "between 2007 and 2013, Colorado’s estimated statewide deer populations declined from 600,000 deer to approximate 390,000 deer."
History Mule deer distribution from 1750 to 1850 was not much different than today except where historic habitats have been dramatically altered by roads, reservoirs, cities, agriculture, etc [see page 4]. Hunters reported abundant mule deer in the 1870's [see page 7]. By 1903 mule deer populations were low, Colorado began issuing hunting licenses and feeding elk herds in winter. Deer were almost extirpated from the state in 1920 to 1930.
In 1911 Colorado Game and Fish Commissioner James Shinn, wrote "the more general settling-up of our state, the deer have been killed; until now they must be carefully protected, or they will meet the fate of the buffalo and become entirely extinct." Bucks were protected until 1918 and antler points restrictions were adopted in 1923. An estimated 17,000 elk and 45,000 deer in 1929.
The current population is one half to one third of the herd size in the 1940's [see page 9] and far below the pre-settlement numbers. A recent peak in 1950. USDA estimates the 600,000 mule deer in 2005 was half the total in the 1940s [see page 2]. Causes for the decline are thought to include habitat fragmentation and decline quality, a decline of winter range from human population growth, disease, predation from mountain lions, harsh winters in 2007 and 2008, competition from elk, migration barriers, drought, and outdoor recreation. The nation's largest mule deer herd in northwest Colorado has fallen from 105,900 in 2005 to about 32,000. The recent peak estimated at 625,000 mule deer in 1983.
Does make up about one quarter of the harvest. The mule deer buck-to-doe ratio was about 31 to 100. The success rate for the state's 74,000 hunters in 2013 was about 44 percent, about 48 percent in 2014 for 57,000 hunters. Total deer and elk license revenues in 2013 were about $46 million. Bucks were 77 percent of the 2014 deer harvest.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), caused by misfolded proteins, was first observed in 1967 at the Colorado Division of Wildlife Foothills Wildlife Research Facility in Fort Collins among captive deer held in a pen next to sheep with scrapie, also a prion based disease. It was identified in Wyoming in 1978 at a research lab that had traded deer with Fort Collins. Also identified in captive elk in these two locations. First identified in the wild in 1981 in a elk in the Fort Collins area. In the 1980's it was found in wild mule deer and elk in Colorado and Wyoming.
Through the 1990's it spread to Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Montana. In parts of Northwest Colorado CWD infection rates have increased from about 1 to 2 percent in early 2002 through 2004 to an average of 15 percent in 2017 when the disease was in half of the state's deer herds and one-third of the elk herds..
The first infected deer in southwest Colorado died near Montrose in 2016. A deer herd around Boulder tested 40 percent positive for males in 2018, the herd population fell from 500 to 300. Testing around the state at 16 percent of all deer in some areas. Testing completed in 2019 showed infection rates of 33.9 and 25 percent in two herds near Fort Collins and it was becoming clear that this disease would be very difficult to eradicate. As of February 2020, CWD had been detected in 33 of 54 deer herds, 14 of 43 elk herds, and two of nine moose herds. A CWD infection map as of January, 2022. By May 2022, CWD was in 40 of our 54 deer herds, 17 of 42 elk herds, and 2 of 9 moose herds. Rising infection rates in 2022 with 14 to 15 percent infected male deer in some areas.
Chronic Wasting Disease prevalent in Colorado herds May 10, 2023 Colorado, Thetribune
... Colorado Parks and Wildlife last reported in April of 2022 that CWD was detected in 40 of 54 deer herds, 17 of 42 elk herds, and two of nine moose herds..,
Hemorrhagic Disease In 2021 two deer were confirmed dead with both the the bluetongue virus and the epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus.
Elk Over 280,000 in 2020. An estimate of nearly 278,000 elk in 2017, may be over 300,000. The 2014 post hunt population was estimated at 280,000, about 264,000 in 2013, about 280,000 in 2012, down from the peak of about 305,000 in 2001. More than any other state, a managed decline. Elk hunters have about a 22 percent success rate. In 2019 CPW tracked an elk that migrated from Steamboat Strings over the Continental Divide to give birth to her calf.
The Moose population was about 3,000 in 2021, above 3,000 in 2017, estimated at 2,995 in 2016, up from 2,400 in 2014. Colorado's moose population was repopulated starting in the 1970's. In 1978, state wildlife officers transplanted 24 male and female moose from Wyoming and Utah into North Park in the northern part of the state. By 2012, the breeding population of moose in Colorado was estimated at 2,300. Moose forage on willows and wetland plants and depend on Colorado’s riparian areas.
Bear An estimate of 17,000 in 2017. The 2015 population was estimated at 17,000 to 20,000.
The Mountain Lion population estimate from the state was of about 4,000 to 5,500 in 2019 and about 4,500 in 2017. The Sierra Club puts the estimate at about 3,000 in 2020. Estimated at 5,000 to 7,000 in 2015 by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Estimated at 3,500 to 4,500 in 2015 by MountainLion.org.
Wolves were nearly exterminated by the 1930s with the last kill reported the the around 1940. Confimed sightings of individual wolves since 2004. Since The first new wolf pups were sited in 2021. To report a siting to CPW, use this form. In 2023 questions were raised about the theory that wolves control chronic wasting disease n deer.
Report Poaching: call Operation Game Thief at 1-877-265-6648 or email a tip to game.thief@state.co.us
Other useful links:
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife 2015 Strategic Plan
- Colorado Department of Natural Resources
- Colorado Division of Wildlife
- Colorado Mule Deer Story prepared to help understand declining mule deer populations
- Colorado Mule Deer Association
Historic Deer Population
"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. During the mid to late 1800's, populations of deer, elk and other species were decimated to feed miners and settlers during the gold rush. Colorado established a wildlife protection agency in 1879 to set limits and seasons on hunting.
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
