Although budget constraints mean Colorado’s Parks and Wildlife Commission no longer meets in February, the board isn’t leaving wildlife to manage itself. Commissioners recently approved several changes to big game hunting regulations.
Most noteworthy among them, new restrictions for moose hunters in game management units 20 and 29 are aimed at preventing a repeat of the public-relations nightmare that ensued when a bowhunter shot and killed a bull moose in front of an unsuspecting audience gathered to observe wildlife at the Brainard Lake Recreation Area near Ward last September.
Although the hunter was licensed to legally harvest the moose within the unit, there was significant public outcry and a subsequent citizens petition filed to alter regulations after the animal died and was then field dressed in proximity of public bystanders.
Effective this fall for the 2015 big game season, the new regulation restricts hunting for a quarter-mile, extending from the high-water mark of Brainard Lake until the U.S. Forest Service gate to the recreation area closes, typically around Oct. 12. Once the USFS gate closes, the restriction will be lifted.
Also of note to moose hunters, additional moose licenses are available in GMU 38 (Gilpin County).
Hunters can also choose a license for GMUs 7, 8 and 191 or a license for 191 only.
Other regulations recently approved for the 2015 big game season include:
• Bear season has been expanded if the hunter purchases an elk or deer license in a matching GMU.
• Archers may now use lighted nocks on arrows. The approval of lighted nocks is aimed to help in recovery of game animals (and stray arrows). New rules also are in place that allow recording devices to be mounted on a bow.
• Antler shed collection in the Eagle and Roaring Fork valleys now has restrictions in place for collecting sheds at certain times of the year. The new rule is designed to help minimize disturbance of animals on their winter range.
• The big game license draw is now regulated so youths get at least 15 percent of the limited licenses in every game management unit for antlerless pronghorn, antlerless and either-sex deer and antlerless elk for all methods of take and seasons, including early and late rifle seasons.
• Additional elk hunts are available in game management units 128 (Uncompahgre Plateau near Nucla) and 61 (southeast Pueblo County) designed to help improve the quality of hunts, better manage the elk population east of Interstate 25 and address landowner concerns.
• Additional deer hunts are available in GMUs 65 (southeast of Montrose), 41 (east of Grand Junction), 55 and 551 (north and east of Gunnison), 201 (northwest Colorado), 103 and 109 (far eastern Colorado).
• Pronghorn muzzleloader season has been moved to Sept. 21-29.
• Mountain lion hunters now must be present when and where tracking dogs are released, and the hunters must participate continuously in the hunt until it ends.
All of the CPW regulations are available for review at . A summary of these changes also is available in the 2015 big game brochure released last Tuesday.
The Parks and Wildlife Commission meets in Denver on March 4-5. Included among the final regulations up for approval is a general provision to allow the limited use of leashed dogs to recover wounded big game, excluding black bears.
Scott Willoughby: swilloughby @denverpost.com or twitter.com/swilloughby
