After months of meetings, countless discussion and enough gnashing of teeth to keep a battery of dentists in business, the Colorado Division of Wildlife has issued its recommendations for changes in the allocation of big-game hunting licenses.
Apart from a dramatic increase in resident quotas for deer and elk dispersed through the general draw, the document includes relatively little in the way of profound change – particularly regarding the inflammatory issue of landowner preference.
The agency’s document, along with related public comment, will be the focus of an 8:30 a.m. Thursday meeting of the Colorado Wildlife Commission at the Elks Lodge in Lamar, 28157 U.S. 287.
This consensus is derived from proposals issued by the License Allocation Working Group, extensive public input and DOW’s considerations related to, among other things, budgetary impact.
Curiously, some of the most important decisions are a matter of legislative statutory change, outside commission purview. While the state wildlife hierarchy might choose to initiate legislation in the 2006 session of the Colorado General Assembly, such proposals are more likely to originate with lawmakers at the behest of various constituents.
What follows is a synopsis of key elements of the DOW recommendation, including certain points of debate:
Resident guarantees
An increase in resident allocation to 80 percent of male and either-sex deer and elk tags in hunt codes requiring five or more preference points to draw. For other hunt codes, the resident allocation would be 65 percent. Currently, residents get 60 percent across the board.
The commission has authority to make this change, which would cost DOW approximately $387,000 in nonresident license revenue.
Landowner allocation
Rejecting suggestions by LAWG, whose membership is tilted toward commercial hunting interests, DOW generally rejects a statewide increase in preference licenses for landowners. It does approve a 10 percent gain in family-only, private-land-only licenses in eastern Colorado, generally favored by the hunting public at large.
Through various forms of comment, the public adamantly spoke for eliminating all landowner preference, a sentiment ignored by DOW. Any alteration of landowner preference requires statutory change.
Preference point creep
DOW accepts LAWG proposals of 1) no points for applications that contain errors 2) no points when a license purchaser decides not to hunt and 3) zeroing out a hunter’s accumulation of points when no application is filed for that species for a period of three years.
The agency chooses to forestall implementation of a “banking” system until other elements, if approved, have been in place a few years.
Pay to play
DOW proposes a $25 fee to obtain a preference point outside the license application process. LAWG suggested a $40 charge, approved by the general public.
Unredeemed landowner vouchers
A $25 administrative fee would be charged for each unredeemed voucher in an effort to discourage landowners from applying for large numbers during the leftover draw. DOW took no action on a public proposal to eliminate the landowner leftover draw, making these vouchers available to the public. Changes can be made with commission approval.
Big-game damage payments
Currently, landowners who charge a hunting access fee of $100 or more are ineligible for game damage payments.
At LAWG urging, DOW proposes to increase this amount to $500, but without consumer price indexing and with the stipulation that the ineligibility be extended to landowners who sell access fees.
DOW doesn’t believe this will result in additional requests for damage payments. The public is opposed to increasing the limit.
Youth hunting
Youths ages 12-15 presently receive a 15 percent allocation of female licenses issued through the draw. DOW wants to expand this to those aged 16 and 17, who also would be eligible for youth license fees.
A small allocation of female and either-sex licenses would be made available to organizations that provide quality youth experiences. All this meets with public approval.
The commission may take action on these and other hunt-related issues at the Lamar meeting, or defer to a later time. The policy body will make final decisions on changes to statewide fishing regulations that will be in effect for the next five years.
Listen to Charlie Meyers at 9 a.m. each Saturday on “The Fan Outdoors,” KKFN 950 AM. He can be reached at 303-820-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
