As the first hints of au- tumn begin to mani- fest themselves in an increased sighting of Bears, Rams, Lions and, yes, even the occasional Bronco, thoughts of the big game return along with them.
Sure, we’re still in the early preseason for big-game rifle hunting, but it’s an excellent time to revisit the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife’s football-themed “Elevate Your Game” campaign designed last spring to reach out to hunters across the country. Before you know it, crunch time will be upon us.
The primary intent of the integrated television, print and Web campaign developed with Denver-based 5-Stone Advertising was to increase elk license applications for the limited license drawing as well as sales of the over-the-counter licenses still available. The national hunter recruitment campaign was a first by a state wildlife agency, targeting hunters ages 30-65 by using the pigskin theme to raise awareness of Colorado elk hunting opportunities.
“Colorado’s mile-high meadows, where 300,000 elk have taken the field and are ready to rumble,” the ad teases. “Undeterred by the 23 million acres of public access and the unlimited over-the-counter tags enjoyed by their opponents, these horned gladiators are fully locked and loaded for this fall’s elk hunting season. Are you?”
It’s a fair question, given the leisurely pace of the current summer swelter rolling toward another holiday weekend. How ready are you, really, “to step into the arena and test your skills against 700 pounds of agility, intelligence and power in an epic matchup of man vs. beast?”
Those who have chased elk in the Colorado Rockies understand just how rugged an undertaking it can be. Whether it’s a treeline pursuit in the autumn elements or stalking vast mesas along the Colorado Plateau, the strength and stamina required of a successful hunt can push the limits of any outdoorsman.
That alone may account for a significant portion of the 37,500-hunter decline the DPW has calculated among the elk-stalking clan during the past five years. It’s a lot easier to sit on a couch than carry one.
Whatever the cause, reversing the decline has become a top agency priority. And as a general rule, success breeds success.
To that end, the DPW campaign attempted to steer hunters to a dedicated website, , which features a section on planning a Colorado hunt. In addition to video guidance through the license application process, there is ample info there on how to achieve big-game success.
The deepest well of knowledge can be found in a link to “Elk Hunting University,” a series of articles on the DPW website that offer skills training and planning tips from which even seasoned hunters can benefit.
Among the nuggets mined from EHU is the sage advice to start training before you go into the field by getting your body in shape and ready to carry heavy loads over rough terrain. Or as one military tactician consulted advises: Never enter a fight unprepared.
Hunting seasons are short, and spending less than a week a year in the woods won’t get the job done, either physically or tactically. As EHU profs point out, elk rarely stay in one place for very long, and can travel miles between bedding cover and feeding locations. Even in familiar terrain, hunters will find themselves at a significant disadvantage if they haven’t been out for a few thorough scouts on foot.
Sure, it’s good reading, complemented by some entertaining viewing. But even the authors recommend stepping away from the articles long enough to go for a few hikes with a loaded pack in the elk woods you hope to harvest.
Come hunting season, more often than not, the best strategy is to be able to walk farther than most other hunters. That, and getting an earlier start. Like, say, right now.
Scott Willoughby: 303-954-1993 or swilloughby@denverpost.com
