Funny thing about birds. You never think of
them as tough, but there they are. Knock them
down and they get right back up again.
Such is the case with Colorado’s game bird season,
which begins in a couple of weeks and change.
Most of the attention Sept. 1 will be focused on
doves, as it always is. Nobody much worries about
dove season, except for the weather. Numbers
don’t vary much for these agile wanderers. The
concern is where they’ll be when the shooting
starts, which, depending upon late-August cold
fronts, could be anywhere north of Mexico.
Dave Dolton, who tracks things for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, reports no meaningful change in nationwide dove populations.
“There has been no trend over the past 10 years, although long term, over the last 42 years, there’s been a decline,” Dolton said of a bird that, like every other wild fowl, rises and falls with habitat.
For the most part, monitoring doves is an inexact science; most of the evidence is of an anecdotal nature and testimony is influenced by which way the observer was looking when the birds flew by. That said, there’s reason for optimism among the sunrise warriors in eastern Colorado.
“Take a 20-mile drive through the countryside and you’ll see lots of doves,” said Ed Gorman, small game manager with the Colorado Division of Wildlife. “Everywhere you go there’s lots of doves.”
That cheery observation can be part of the problem for hunters looking for those sweet spots that usually involve water holes.
“There’s lots of water in eastern Colorado,” Gorman said of a rain surge that also improves prospects for pheasants and quail. “We also have good food conditions.”
Translation: Doves could be anywhere and everywhere on opening day, complicating the task of choosing that special spot. Savvy hunters will do some homework, either by personal scouting or lots of phone time.
For the remainder of the early birds – dusky grouse, etc., information is even sketchier. Plenty of rain in the high country projects well for dusky grouse, known far and wide as blue grouse until DOW decided it needed a new name. These mountain dwellers represent the most underutilized game bird in the state. The lone exception might be the chukar, but only because few hunters choose to endure the torment the partridge dishes out.
Dusky grouse numbers suffered from drought in the early part of this decade. Speculation is for a good 2007 crop, for all those reasons that birds of every feather, given good breeding conditions, can recover quickly. The key to success for grouse is to locate the places where broods are raised, typically at moderate elevation where aspen thickets mingle with forbs and berry bushes, with lots of grasshoppers in the bargain.
Hens and chicks will remain there until frost or dry weather shrivel the food source, then begin a steady migration up to wintering grounds on high ridges.
Sage grouse numbers generally remain suppressed; best prospects are in North Park. Again, scouting and access delivers the birds.
Teal, with a season of Sept. 8-16, provides another mostly neglected resource, particularly in this season of plenty. Blue-winged teal numbers have increased 14 percent over a year ago and 48 percent long term. For green-wings, the upward trends are 13 and 55. State wildlife areas that feature lakes and ponds provide lots of teal action.
Good news for pheasants
For the best example of avian resilience, consider the better-than-expected prospects for Colorado pheasants. Separate midwinter blizzards in the northeast and southeast killed large numbers of birds and raised fears of a poor 2007 season.
Not to worry, says Gorman, who reports successful reproduction along the eastern border, which he described as a “plains rainforest.” Rainfall varied dramatically, west to east.
Gorman said moisture from the blizzard more than made up for the losses, estimated at 40 percent.
“The estimate for the fall population is similar to last year, and 2006 wasn’t a bad year,” he said, noting a shift in age structure, with far more juvenile birds when the season begins Nov. 10.
Southeast Colorado, harder hit by storms, also could be far better than expected.
“Things are looking pretty good, particularly in the core areas,” biologist Trent Verquer said after taking a survey late last week. “Most hens had six to seven young ones with them.”
Verquer said the prime farming country around Springfield and Walsh should recover well; marginal zones farther north will be spotty.
Gorman reports that 45 percent of northeast quail were lost in the storm, not an overwhelming concern considering exceptional spring nesting conditions.
“Quail can reproduce right out of that,” he said, describing the prime habitat along the South Platte River as “a jungle.”
The bird rebound might even extend to some of the southeast’s scaled quail. Verquer has a good report both from southern Baca County and in the area around Eads.
The early birds
Band-tailed pigeon: Sept. 1-30, bag 5, possession 10.
Chukar: Sept. 1-Nov. 25.
Dove: Sept. 1-Oct. 30, bag 15/30. An unlimited number of Eurasian collared doves may be possessed, provided feather identification is retained.
Dusky grouse: Sept. 1-Nov. 18, bag 3/9.
Rail: Sept. 1-Nov. 9, bag singly and aggregate 25/25.
Ptarmigan: Sept. 8-Oct. 7 and Sept. 18, depending upon area, bag 3/6.
Sage grouse: Sept. 8-14, bag 2/4.
Sharp-tailed grouse: Sept. 1-16, bag 2/4.
Snipe: Sept. 1-Dec. 16, bag 8/16.
Teal: Sept. 8-16, east of Interstate 25 and in Lake and Chaffee counties, bag 4.
Don’t forget HIP
Hunters are required to complete a Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey before participating in migratory bird or small-game seasons. After answering a series of questions, hunters receive a validating number to be affixed to the appropriate license. Register by phone, 866-265-6447 or online, .
Staff writer Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
