The Colorado Wildlife Commission on Thursday slammed the door on a proposal to limit licenses in key elk hunting units in the Gunnison Basin, rebuffing a stockmen proposal that would have made available more landowner vouchers.
But the agency added a variety of other limitations aimed at reducing other license forms while trimming the elk herd in general.
Among these:
• Archery hunting will be limited, a shift from prior over-the-counter allotments.
• Muzzleloading licenses remain limited.
• The first and fourth rifle seasons will remain limited.
• The second rifle season will offer over-the-counter tags, but with a cap similar to the traditional numbers of hunters. Licenses will be either sex to balance an anticipated hike in hunter interest.
• The third rifle season will remain bulls only, over the counter.
• Cow licenses will become List B, meaning anyone who purchases a bull licenses also may add a cow tag.
• The Division of Wildlife will initiate late-season hunts and extend private- land-only seasons. To facilitate this, DOW will hire a hunt coordinator to help get public hunters on private land.
The commission also made broad shifts in establishing the season structure that will govern big-game hunting over the next five years:
• Hunters who do not wish to obtain a preference point may eliminate that $25 charge.
• Recognizing that current tools to prevent point creep are ineffective, points will be purged if not used during a 10-year period of inactivity.
• Opening up high-point units to greater participation, 20 percent of the tags will be available by draw to anyone who has at least five points. All these requirements will be established by baselines from the 2007-09 seasons.
Hunting and fishing celebration.
The Division of Wildlife will participate in the first-ever National Hunting and Fishing Day on Sept. 28 at agency headquarters, 6060 Broadway.
Running from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., the free event will be packed with educational seminars featuring noted outdoor authorities.
