Small game hunters will have a somewhat more restrictive season for greater sage grouse in the fall but unlimited opportunities for taking Eurasian collared doves as the result of action by the Colorado Wildlife Commission, which met last week in Gunnison.
After considerable discussion, the commission approved a two-day sage grouse season (Sept. 11-12) for game-management units 6, 16, 17, 161 and 171 in North Park. The bag and possession limit in those units will be two birds, in effect giving hunters two days to take a total of two sage grouse.
A standard sage-grouse season will run Sept. 11-17 in game management units 3, 10, 11, 18, 37, 181, 201 and 211. The limit in those units will be two daily, with four in possession.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife’s recommendation for the North Park units had been a three-day season with a daily limit of two birds and a possession limit of four. The tighter provisions had been requested by a North Park sage grouse working group and reflect concerns about diminished populations.
In a similar vein, hunting Gunnison sage grouse remains closed statewide.
On the other end of the spectrum, the commission removed all restrictions on shooting Eurasian collared doves. Effective Sept. 1, hunters may shoot the collared doves yearround. No bag or possession limits apply, but the doves must remain fully feathered while hunters are in the field or transporting the doves.
Eurasian collared doves are not native to North America and may compete with other species for habitat. They have appeared in many parts of the state. They are larger than native mourning doves and have a distinguishing dark ring around their neck.
In other action, the commission authorized a number of free big game hunting licenses for military personnel in the Wounded Warriors program. Those include up to 100 permits for antlerless deer, 100 for antlerless pronghorn, 200 for antlerless elk and up to a combined 100 for male animals of the three species.
Eligible servicemen and women must be residents of Colorado or stationed in the state; have suffered combat-related injuries in post-Sept. 11, 2001 deployments; be undergoing extended treatment for their injuries and be part of the Wounded Warriors program.
Pheasant look promising. With the pheasant-hunting season opening on Nov. 13, preliminary indications may be good but the early evidence is inconclusive.
“It’s too early to get a good assessment,” said Ed Gorman, small game manager for the DOW, noting that early crowing and nesting counts are notoriously unreliable.
“But I will say this: We had relatively little winter mortality and went into the nesting season with really good numbers. By and large, we’ve had pretty good moisture without too much damaging hail and the growth of early ground cover has been good. Based on those things, we could have a good year class of pheasants, but a lot of things still can change.”
Gorman expects to have a better indication in early to mid-October, especially after field personnel have made their rounds on properties enrolled in the state’s Walk-In Access program.
Big game licenses. Over-the- counter big game hunting licenses, including either-sex archery permits for elk and pronghorns in many management units and rifle-hunting permits for bull elk in units where such permits are unlimited, go on sale Tuesday at DOW offices and license outlets statewide. They are available online at the DOW’s website or by calling 800-244-5613.
Major 2010 small game hunting seasons
Small game regulation brochures for 2010, with complete season dates and limits, will be available in mid-August. They will be posted on the Colorado Division of Wildlife website before that.
Cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare and jackrabbit: Oct. 1-Feb. 28.
Abert’s squirrel: Nov. 15-Jan. 15.
Fox and pine squirrel: Oct. 1-Feb.28.
Mourning dove: Sept. 1-Oct. 31.
Blue grouse: Sept. 1-Nov. 21, west of Interstate 25.
Ptarmigan: Sept. 11-Oct. 3, statewide except units 44, 45, 53, 54, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 444 and 751.
Sage grouse: Sept. 11-17 in units 3, 10, 11, 18, 37, 181, 201 and 211; Sept. 11-12 in units 6, 16, 17, 161 and 171.
Sharp-tailed grouse: Sept. 1-19 in units 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 131, 211, 214 and 441.
Chukar partridge: Sept. 1-Nov. 28.
Pheasant: Nov. 13-Jan. 31 east of Interstate 25; Nov. 13-Jan. 2 west of I-25.
Quail: Nov. 13-Jan. 31, east of Interstate 25, south of I-70 from I-25 to Byers and south of U.S. 36 from Byers to Kansas and portions of Pueblo, Fremont, Huerfano and Las Animas counties west of I-25; Nov. 13-Jan. 2 other areas of the state.
