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With the onset of the second rifle season, reports from Division of Wildlife field officers indicate the hunting pressure is down statewide compared to last year.
"All officers in the San Isabel National Forest report fewer elk hunters than previous years and fewer campsites," said Stan Abel, terrestrial biologist in Pueblo.
Reports from the Steamboat area and the Uncompahgre National Forest near Montrose also indicate a below average elk hunting season.
"Along the Uncompahgre Plateau, I^ve noticed there are significantly fewer hunting camps compared to last year," said Patt Dorsey, a Division law enforcement officer. With fewer hunters, the elk are less likely to move around during the seasons, she said.
District wildlife managers across the state are reporting that hunting pressure is down more in the second season than they usually observe. With over-the-counter, either-sex elk licenses no longer available to hunters, and with a reduction in the number of deer licenses statewide, the competition for animals has also decreased.
Unfortunately, for those hunters tracking elk and deer, finding the animals this year is a challenge.
"It is extremely difficult hunting for elk,"said Scott Wait, terrestrial biologist in Durango. "Because of mild temperatures, great forage and water, the elk are staying up in the dark timber," he said. Many hunters are just not working hard enough, and those who are willing to hike farther into the backcountry are at least seeing animals."
Janet George, a wildlife biologist who is checking hunters in the area from Fairplay to Loveland said, "If you like trackin^ snow, you liked the opening weekend of the second season in the Northeast Region." The number of hunters and the harvest was about average, George added, but the elk are more scattered than usual and tougher to find.
"Unless hunters are willing to go into the dark timber areas to find their animals, they^re not going to have much luck this season," said John Ellenberger, the Division^s statewide big game manager.
On the Western Slope, reports of warm, dry weather conditions have contributed to the difficulty in harvesting animals this season.
"Without the snow, the animals are more difficult to find and tend to be scattered," Ellenberger said.
Reports from North Park reveal that hunting numbers continue to be down from last year^s second season and the animals remain dispersed.
The deer and elk are staying up in the higher elevations as a result of the warm weather and the forage still available.
"The warm weather is not helping in the deer or elk harvest," said Jeff Madison, an area biologist in Meeker. "Harvest on elk is sparse on public lands, and has picked up on the mid-elevation private lands," he said.
In hunting units northwest of Canon City, the hunting pressure is down for deer, but the harvest is up. Compared to second rifle season last year, hunting pressure is up for elk, but the harvest is down in that area.
In hunting units near Westcliffe along the Sangre de Cristos, "the number of deer hunters is noticeably below last year and about the same for elk hunters," said Mark Elkins, the Southwest Region^s terrestrial biologist.
In the Rio Grande National Forest near Alamosa, reports from the field indicate hunter numbers are about average, but hunters are also having to contend with the warm weather, contributing to the difficulty in finding elk or deer.
"We^ve had dry, warm conditions and a lot of traffic by hunters," said Ron Jablonski, spokesman for the Rio Grande National Forest. During the big game season, the Rio Grande allows hunters to retrieve their game using all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Game retrieval times are from noon to dark daily during hunting season. Although ATVs are a hunting aid, they make it easier to unintentionally cross an area someone else is already hunting, frightening elk and deer. "People are still riding where they don^t need to be," Jablonski said. When ATV hunters act responsibly though, they don^t cause as many problems, he said.
Forest camp patrols are also out visiting with hunters to encourage them to act responsibly while coming in the backcountry. "In general, hunters are doing a pretty good job," Jablonski said.
Uploaded: 10/28/1999
Uploaded: 10/28/1999