Chapter 2 - Big Game - Colorado



FILING - 01/28/2016

Basis and Purpose

Chapter W-2 - Big Game

Basis and Purpose:

These regulations amend Chapter 2 – Big Game – of the Parks and Wildlife Commission Regulations and implement 2016 bighorn sheep and mountain goat license numbers.  They also amend season dates for the 2016 big game seasons. These regulations are designed to manage statewide big game herds at herd objective levels and provide a diversity of hunting recreation opportunities for resident and nonresident hunters throughout Colorado; to minimize or control local game damage situations; and to provide opportunity for landowners to cooperatively manage wildlife with the Division.  These modifications are the result of extensive public involvement and application of biological information on deer, elk, pronghorn, bear and moose. All regulation changes are based on the best available biological information and are designed to manage big game herds towards stated objectives and to ensure long-term viability. Specific changes include:

Restrictions on the Extended Youth Season in DAU E-20

The Uncompahgre elk herd (DAU E-20) is managed for a quality hunting experience in game management unit (GMU) 61 and for hunter opportunity in GMU 62. Concurrently, the new big game season structure now allows youth hunters to hunt any of the antlerless deer or antlerless elk seasons within the entire DAU following the season for which they purchased a license, as long as they did not fill their original license. This allows youth to now acquire licenses in GMU 62 for muzzleloader cow, or any antlerless license during the rifle seasons, and then hunt in GMU 61 after the season on their original license has ended, until they fill their license. Doing so could create additional hunting pressure and crowding in GMU 61, reducing the quality elk hunting experience for antlered and antlerless license hunters. Bull hunters in GMU 61 in particular, expect a quality hunt after spending 8-22 points to draw a license. To reduce the crowding impacts in GMU 61, youth licenses for DAU E-20 used during the extended youth season will only be valid for the same GMU (61 or 62) for which they purchased their original license.

Prohibiting Hunting in GMU 512 during the Extended Youth Season

GMU 512 is the US Air Force Academy (USAFA). The USAFA offers limited deer and elk hunting during December but opportunities are strictly regulated. GMU 512 deer license holders are only allowed to hunt during one weekend in December and they must be accompanied at all times by a representative from USAFA or CPW. Since the installation is unable to accommodate youth hunters wishing to take advantage of the extended youth season, GMU 512 is now excluded from the extended youth opportunity.

James M John SWA Permits

Hunters wishing to hunt the James M John SWA, the only public land in GMU 140, must apply for access permits that are distributed to hunters through a drawing held in the Pueblo Office on July 1st, annually. In 2014, in response to the new Landowner Voucher program, CPW separated deer licenses in GMU 140 from their prior association with GMUs 85 and 851; which are found west of interstate 25. Prior to 2014, deer hunters that drew a deer license, but did not draw a James M John SWA access permit, could hunt areas outside of GMU 140 in GMUs 85 and 851. By restricting licenses to just GMU 140, public land access for deer hunters that draw a GMU 140 deer license is extremely limited.

This regulatory change increases the number of permits that are available to rifle hunters from 10 to 12, with five of those permits going to hunters that have a valid deer license for GMU 140 during the 2nd and 3rd combined seasons. If additional access permits are available after the minimum 5 are drawn they will go to the next person in line or on a first come first served basis regardless of the species hunted.

Option C for the Bighorn Sheep Access Program

While the existing BSAP significantly improves bighorn sheep hunting opportunities in existing herds, it does not provide a clear opportunity for the creation of new bighorn sheep herds by the trapping and transplant (and subsequent hunting) of bighorn sheep into suitable private land habitats not currently occupied. This new regulation adds a third license allocation option (option C) to the BSAP, to allow for these possibilities in the future. The 1:1 ram ratio for the first 10 years is intended to recognize CPW's contribution of bighorn sheep to the project while continuing to recognize the value private lands can contribute to hunting opportunities. Publicly-accessible land will continue to be first priority for all bighorn sheep trap and transplant operations.

Expansion of the Archery Sub-Unit Boundary in S-54

Since the early 2000’s, bighorn sheep GMU S-54 had been managed using two sub-units. One sub-unit was designated an archery only unit, while the other was designated a rifle only unit. The rationale behind the sub-unit designation was that S-54 essentially includes two sub-herds of bighorn sheep; one herd resides primarily in the southern portion of the unit at lower elevations near Blue Mesa Reservoir, while the other sub-herd resides primarily in high elevation alpine habitat within the West Elk Wilderness. The low elevation sub-herd has historically been more vulnerable to hunter harvest based on easier access, thus managers determined that an archery only sub-unit would not only provide a novel hunting opportunity, but also manage hunter harvest from the two sub-herds.

Recently, unexpectedly large groups of rams have been observed in the West Elk Wilderness during the summer and fall, and ram groups have been observed in transitional habitats between sub-herds. The concern is that rams may be migrating out of the archery subunit into the rifle subunit during the summer, making them unavailable to the archery hunter during the August season. Removing the unit boundary restriction for the archery hunt code will ensure that archery hunters have access to the ram component of this population.

Reopening Unit S-2 to Ram Hunting

Since S-2 closed to hunting in 2009, the minimum population of the herd wintering at Booth Creek was stagnant for a few years. However the population has been increasing in the past 3 years, averaging 31 sheep. Lamb production and recruitment have also been good in recent years. As of winter 2014/2015, there are at least 6 legal rams in the herd, including at least 3 mature (3/4-curl or larger) rams. The herd currently has a sufficient ram segment to support 1 ram license per year.

Sheep in S2 tend to congregate on slopes within ½ mile immediately to the north of the town of Vail, particularly as they concentrate on winter range in the later months of the fall. They are highly visible in this location and are of great local interest and watchable wildlife potential. When the unit was open previously, these slopes were open to hunting and more than one incident occurred where a sheep was taken in full view of the town, generating backlash from the non-hunting public. To reduce the likelihood for future conflicts, a ½ mile hunting closure north of I-70 from Bighorn Creek to Spraddle Creek has been implemented for this unit.

Realigning GMU Boundaries for S-13 and S-26

In winter 2012/2013, CPW began a radio collar study of bighorn rams in the Elk Mountains, funded by the Auction & Raffle program, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society, and Wild Sheep Foundation. One of the project’s objectives was to characterize population distributions to better delineate herd boundaries for harvest management and to provide better information on appropriate game management unit boundaries. GPS collar data from bighorn rams captured in S-13 and the northern portion of S-26 demonstrated that the majority of collared rams cross freely between both sides of the previous GMU boundary. Most of these rams wintered on the previous S-26 side, but spend the remainder of the year traversing both sides of the old boundary.

Therefore, the GMU/DAU boundaries for S-13 and S-26 have been modified to more correctly reflect herd movements, to make future harvest and population survey data more biologically appropriate, and to minimize confusion on S-13 and S-26 license regulations.

Opening Unit S-41 to Ewe Hunting

Recent surveys have shown a general increase in the number of ewes and lambs occupying sheep unit S-41. Based on these surveys, sheep unit S-41 is now open to limited ewe hunting in addition to the annual ram license. The ewe season does not open until September 17th to reduce conflicts with ram hunters and to increase the age of orphaned lambs. Research has shown that establishing conservative ewe harvest may reduce intraspecific competition, increase juvenile survival, lower age at first reproduction, provide hunter opportunity, increase hunter attained herd information, encourage use of new habitats/dispersal, and possibly reduce the risk and severity of disease outbreaks. Harvesting a minimum of 3 ewes from this entire DAU is conservative, while still providing hunter opportunity.

Reopening Unit S-77 to Ram Hunting

Bighorn sheep historically occupied the Gore Canyon until the late 1960’s when they were extirpated. However, there had been bighorn sheep sightings in Gore Canyon occasionally through the early 2000’s. Colorado Parks and Wildlife began planning a reintroduction of bighorn sheep in Gore Canyon in the late 1990’s and finalized a plan in 2004. In January 2009, CPW reintroduced 14 bighorn sheep into the Gore Canyon. Another supplemental transplant was conducted in 2014. As of March 2015, an inventory of Gore Canyon found 18 ewes, 11 lambs, and 12 rams (at least 3 ¾ curl and 3 5/8 curl rams). Due to successful transplants and the fact that the majority of S-77 is on public land, CPW is reopening the unit to limited ram hunting.

Splitting S-63 and S-64 into Separate Desert Bighorn Sheep Huntcodes

Desert bighorn sheep DAU DBS-61 has been growing in population over the last few years. The growth in both S-63 and S-64 follows a transplant of 30 bighorn sheep between 2010 and 2011 when they were caught by helicopter in S-64 and transplanted into S-63. Through the range expansion project, transplanted radio-collared sheep were used to locate resident S-63 bighorns, which have been very difficult to survey. Additionally, during survey efforts, good lamb production was documented. While a lot of insight into the productivity potential and habitat use of these populations was gained, surveys are still very difficult to conduct across the Dolores River canyon and population estimates are considered conservative for this population.

By creating specific huntcodes for both S-63 licenses and S-64 licenses, harvest can be distributed across the entire DAU. Another benefit to focusing harvest into S-63 will be the collection bighorn observation data about the unit from hunters.

Clarification Added on Auction and Raffle Licenses

The original intent of auction and raffle regulation W-229(B)(4) was that auction and raffle licenses would be valid anywhere that is open to hunting that species, but not in areas that are closed to hunting a particular species. To add additional clarification, an extra sentence has been added, which states “Licenses are not valid in units, or portions of units, that do not have an open season for that species or have any other restrictions provided herein”.

Addition of an Early Rifle Either Sex Elk and Bear Season in Unit 61

To reduce conflicts between antlered and antlerless elk hunters, staff has added an early October either-sex rifle hunt to GMU 61. This will create a very high quality hunt during the rut that will not have any antlerless hunters. In addition, this will be a highly sought after season with the highest point holders potentially selecting this season over the 1st-4th rifle seasons, so there is a potential for a decrease in preference points needed to hunt the 1st-4th rifle seasons. This early October season will run from October 1 – 7 so as not to overlap with the 1st rifle season and provide a break between seasons. License numbers will be reduced from the existing antlered huntcodes to populate the early October hunt code.

Additionally, due to the robust bear population and quality bear habitat, staff proposes a new bear hunting season that runs concurrently with the early either-sex elk season. To participate in this bear season, hunters are required to also have an elk license for the same unit and season. Bear licenses for the new season would be valid on public or private land and sold Over-The-Counter with caps with the like license requirement. Regular rifle season elk and deer hunters that have purchased a concurrent regular rifle bear license would not be allowed to hunt in the early season.

Addition of Private Land Only Bear Hunts in Middle Park

In 2008, PLO huntcodes were created for GMU’s 18, 28, and 37 since the bulk of the urban conflicts arose from these GMUs within Middle Park. GMUs 15, 27, 181, and 371 were left out of these PLO licenses primarily since they did not have an urban interface associated with them. However, CPW has documented bear game damage and conflicts within these GMUs since 2008. Adding PLO licenses to these GMUs provides flexibility and harvest opportunity on private land and may reduce bear game damage within these units.

Converting Huntcode DE059O1A to a Buck Only License

Since 2011, DAU D-50 (GMUs 59, 511, 512, and 591) has been modeling under the population objective. This is due in part to low adult survival rates but also from the high rate of doe harvest in GMU 591. The agency responded by reducing the quota for huntcodes which have included GMUs 59 and 511, resulting in a substantial loss of opportunity for sportsmen who hunt in the National Forest west of Colorado Springs.

CPW considered offsetting the loss of opportunity for sportsmen in GMUs 59 & 511 through an increase in archery licenses. However, approximately 50% of the deer killed on the previous DE059O1A license were does. Given the high rate of doe harvest on the previous archery license, this license has been converted to a buck only license. As a buck only license, the quota for new huntcode DM059O1A can now be increased for the 2016 season.

Removal of Huntcode DF048U6R

In 2014 CPW established an over-the-counter (OTC) white-tail only (WTO) deer season in several DAUs west of I-25, primarily in the Southeast region. This season was extremely popular with our hunting public with over 3,000 licenses sold. Of the licenses sold, only 125 were for the DF048U6R huntcode. When these hunt codes were originally established, we created both either-sex and doe only licenses so that we had the ability to change the list status of both these categories of licenses. However, since both hunt codes were list B (DE048U6R and DF048U6R), it was not to the public’s advantage to purchase the DF048U6R license. Therefore, CPW has removed the DF048U6R huntcode from the available list to make the OTC WTO license buying less confusing.

Changing Huntcode DF103L2R into a WTO License

In 2014, a late doe deer rifle (DF103L2R) season was established in GMU 103 and the eastern portion of GMU 109. GMUs 103 and 109 include the South Republican State Wildlife Area (SWA) and associated conservation easements. The public land in these units is surrounded by privately owned agricultural land. The late doe rifle season was added as a tool to increase doe harvest in an attempt to mitigate game damage without increasing the density of hunters on the SWA during the highly sought-after late season. Originally CPW was interested in targeting all deer causing game damage. Therefore, for the 2015-2016 season, DF103L2R was valid for both mule deer and white-tailed deer. However, since the majority of the game damage is caused by white-tails and there is concern that mule deer does are more vulnerable to harvest than white-tails, this license has been converted to a white-tail only license.

Shortening the PLO Doe Deer Season in GMUs 9, 39, 46, 51, 391, and 461

The previous 5-month long private land only (PLO) doe deer rifle seasons (September 1-January 31) in GMUs 9, 39, 46, 51, 391 and 461 was the longest rifle deer seasons west of I-25, which was two months longer than the PLO deer seasons in adjacent GMUs 20, 29 and 38. Field staff and harvest statistics indicate that adequate doe harvest can be obtained with a 3-month long (September 1 – November 30) season in these GMUs. There is little deer game damage in these units and CPW managers address deer damage on a case-by-case basis.

In addition, closing the deer season before December 1 will allow deer classification data to be collected after hunting seasons close. This will potentially improve population model estimates which rely on posthunt sex and age ratio data as inputs. In addition, regulation complexity has been reduced with consistent PLO deer season closing dates for doe deer west of I-25 in the Northeast Region.

Elk Huntcode Modifications for GMU 54

Beginning in 2010, wildlife managers in the Gunnison Basin began aggressively working towards reducing the elk population in DAU E-41 (Game Management Unit 54). Limited archery and muzzleloader licenses, either-sex licenses, List B and List C cow licenses, liberal late seasons, and expanded private land cow hunts were all tools that were used as part of the effort to harvest elk in this DAU. Local managers are confident that elk numbers have been reduced and that certain huntcodes and strategies are no longer necessary for elk management purposes. Therefore, several huntcodes in GMU 54 have been eliminated and several others have been converted from either-sex to bull only licenses.

Additionally, the season dates for huntcode EF054P5R have been modified to the start date of archery season through the last day of the 4th combined season. Changing the season dates will encourage license holders to hunt during established seasons which will provide some modicum of hunting pressure on private lands adjacent to public lands. During recent years, managers have also observed hunting pressure in certain areas actually driving elk towards priority conflict areas. The goal of the new unit boundary for this huntcode as well as new season dates is to help mitigate those issues.

Converting Huntcodes EE055O1M and EE551O1M into Bull Only Licenses

These either-sex muzzleloading huntcodes were implemented to increase cow harvest in order to reduce the elk population. The elk population has been gradually decreasing for 10 years, and is now near a socially acceptable level, pending a new DAU Plan that will establish an official population objective. Additional cow harvest is no longer necessary. Therefore, these either-sex huntcodes have been change to bull huntcodes, while maintaining the existing antlerless huntcodes as well.

Converting Limited Antlered Elk Licenses in DAU E-27 into Either-Sex Licenses

DAU E-27 is comprised of GMU’s 86, 691 and 861. The DAU has a population objective of 1,450-1,650 elk. Post season 2014 estimates place the population at approximately 2,500. CPW has tried several different methods to increase antlerless harvest, including a PLO September 1-January 31 season. With the large number of large ranches and a number of subdivisions that do not allow hunting in the DAU it is becoming harder and harder to achieve antlerless harvest.

In an effort to gain more cow harvest and maintain current hunter numbers, all limited rifle and muzzleloader bull licenses have been converted to either-sex licenses. Another benefit of this change is increasing cow harvest on public lands in the early seasons prior to the elk migrating down to the valley bottoms on private lands.

Addition of a Fourth Season Bull Elk Hunt on the Bosque del Oso SWA

Since the Bosque del Oso SWA is primarily bull elk winter range, with the number of bulls on the property increasing as snow accumulates on surrounding higher elevations, CPW has added a fourth season bull huntcode to provide additional hunting opportunity for sportsmen. The fourth season on the property will have the same season dates as units west of I-25.

Removal of Huntcodes EE055P1R and EE055P4R

These hunt codes were implemented in order to increase elk harvest opportunity, to reduce the population, and to focus harvest on private lands where conflicts may occur. The overall elk population has been reduced and is now at a socially acceptable level, making additional harvest no longer necessary. More importantly, these licenses are typically used on small mining claims and other lands where conflicts do not occur, so they have not been effective at reducing conflicts. Conflicts will be addressed in the future using other methods available to staff.

Modification of Huntcode EF064L1R to a Private Land Only License (EF064P5R)

As elk management in DAU E-35 has moved away from pushing for a significant reduction in elk numbers, the agency is now trying to use the late seasons to manage conflict. Therefore, the GMU 64 December public land antlerless season has been eliminated and replaced with a Private Land Only (PLO) season in GMU 64 running from December 1 – 31. By making the GMU 64 late season antlerless hunt private land only, landowners can mitigate for damage and the elk will be able to stay on public land without being pressured to leave.

Removal of Huntcode EF020L2R

In 2003, the St. Vrain elk herd was above the population objective when a general January antlerless season (EF020L2R) was implemented throughout GMU 20 to decrease the population size. However, as the population size has been brought down to the population objective, the number of licenses issued and harvest from the huntcode declined substantially.

Additionally, recent radio-collar data indicates that hunting during the late January antlerless season (EF020L2R) can move elk from suitable winter range on public land to private land. Eliminating the general late season may also help the private-land-only antlerless season redistribute elk from private land to public land. In order to decrease elk conflicts during winter, a management goal in this DAU is to increase elk use of USFS land.

Expansion of the Boundaries for Huntcode EF020L3R

In 2014, huntcode EF020L3R was implemented, which created a subunit on and immediately surrounding Rabbit Mountain, within the south-central area of GMU 20. The Rabbit Mountain Subunit was created because a rapidly increasing resident herd of elk was causing habitat damage to high biodiversity areas and causing significant game damage to agricultural operations. The purpose of the subunit was to focus harvest on the resident elk herd and alter the distribution of the herd to resemble more natural elk movements. Collar and observational data has since shown that the resident elk herd also use areas west of the previous subunit boundary. Expanding the subunit to the west will help to reduce elk-caused habitat damage and game damage by eliminating possible refuges in the local area and including all of the area the herd currently uses.

Addition of a New Late Cow Elk Season in GMU 30

Even though the overall elk population in DAU E-10 is currently at an acceptable level, recent land use changes, including oil & gas development, have resulted in disproportionately higher harvest in GMUs 21 and 22. Thus, the herd is decreasing in these GMUs, and is stable to increasing in GMUs 30 and 31. Previous licenses and seasons were not adequate to completely address this issue. While, a late season hunt was established in 2012 in GMU 31 to address these issues, no late season was established for GMU 30. Establishing the new hunt EF030L1R will allow for increased harvest in GMU 30 on both public and private land, improving hunter opportunity while effectively targeting the elk that need to be harvested in E-10. Dates for this new season are December 15-January 15 annually. The season dates for adjacent huntcode EF031L1R have also been adjusted accordingly.

Addition of a New Late Cow Elk Season in GMU 70 as well

A concern in GMU 70 has been the large numbers of elk showing up on low elevation winter ranges, primarily in Dry Creek Basin. These winter ranges should only be used by elk during heavy snow years, however, large herds of elk are showing up on the sagebrush/pinion-juniper ranges even during mild winters. These ranges are also the primary winter ranges for mule deer. GMU 70 does have a late private land only antlerless season running December 1-31st. This season does help with antlerless harvest, but also pushes elk from the higher elevations to the lower elevation public land winter ranges.

Due to poor winter range conditions associated with drought and wild and domestic ungulate grazing, as well as concern for competition with mule deer on winter ranges, an early December public land antlerless elk hunt to harvest cows has been added. The late public land elk season is a 9 day season starting the first Saturday of December. In addition, the December private land only season has been reduced to start December 15 and run through December 31st.

Elimination of Huntcode EF421L1R

Previously there were two opportunities to harvest cow elk after the regular hunting seasons in the Plateau Valley portions of GMU 421: EF421L1R and EF421P5R. EF421L1R had very specific and confusing boundaries that were originally intended to allow for harvest on private land as well as allow for very limited hunting on public lands to prevent and minimize damage on adjacent private lands. Unfortunately, this license had become very popular among people who were not residents of GMU 421 and did not obtain permission prior to purchasing the license. Even though the licenses sold out, little harvest or mitigation of damage was achieved.

The most effective tool for increasing harvest and providing late season hunting opportunity is the EF421P5R license, which effectively targets damage-causing elk and largely ensures that only those with permission to hunt on private land purchase the license. Therefore, huntcode EF421L1R has been eliminated while EF421P5R has been left in place.

Drawing Process for New San Luis Valley Refuge Elk Hunting Permits

According to the USFW’s San Luis Valley Refuge Complex Hunt Plan for the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Baca NWR, and Monte Vista NWR, public access will be granted to a limited number of elk hunters beginning August of 2016. These three refuges are within game management units 80, 82 and 83. The goals of the Hunt Plan are to address conflicts with elk that are associated with the refuges and surrounding private lands. The potential demand for these permits is likely to be high due to the quality of animals that exist on these refuges as well as the potential to have a high quality hunt. Therefore, the selection process for those few hunters must maintain a high level of transparency and fairness. This new regulation outlines the licenses that are eligible for the access permits, how hunters can apply to be included in the permit drawing, and how the drawing will occur for 2016. Once the new IPAWS system goes live, the reservation system component of the program will be used for drawing and issuing these permits starting in 2017.

Extending the Season Dates for the Fall Bull/Cow Licenses in GMUs 682 and 791

The San Luis Valley is home to the largest concentration of center-pivot irrigated crop circles in the world. Elk expansion into these circles and their high value crops creates the potential for an extremely expensive game damage situation. To manage the growing elk population and to address potential game damage on high-value agricultural crops, elk DAU E-55 was created on the San Luis Valley floor with an elk population objective of zero. The two GMUs making up DAU E-55 are 682 and 791. In 2009, a fall bull/cow season was implemented for GMUs 682 and 791 from August through December annually. This fall season utilized bull and cow elk hunting as a tool for managing the growing elk population within DAU E-55 while also increasing elk hunting opportunities for landowners and hunters.

Elk numbers along the Rio Grande River corridor are bolstered during the fall months from migratory elk leaving the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge and the foothills within GMU 80. Landowners along the Rio Grande River corridor growing late season cover crops (i.e. winter rye), which are vulnerable to elk in January and February, were experiencing severe elk game damage issues after the previous fall bull/cow season ended on December 31st. Extending the fall bull/cow season to the end of February targets those elk involved in agricultural conflicts while maximizing the effectiveness of the existing licenses. Landowners are still required to participate in the summer bull season in order to receive fall bull/cow season vouchers.

Establishing PLO Buck Pronghorn Licenses in GMU 80

For the past several years, pronghorn numbers have been increasing in GMU 80, causing game damage issues on private land. CPW began utilizing doe dispersal licenses on these private lands three years ago to deal with these problems. These licenses have helped to alleviate some of the issues; however, there was no apparatus in place to deal with groups of buck antelope that also congregate on private lands. This change to regulation establishes a private-land-only season for pronghorn bucks in GMU 80. This new huntcode provides a tool to help disperse groups of buck antelope from the private land as well as proving more buck antelope for public land hunters.

Opening GMU 48 to Rifle Antelope Hunting

Previous management of pronghorn DAU A-39 (GMUs 48, 56, and 481) allowed unlimited over-the-counter (OTC) archery hunting throughout the DAU, allowed muzzleloader hunters to hunt the entire DAU, but restricted rifle hunters to GMUs 56 and 481. CPW surveys indicate good numbers of pronghorn spread throughout the DAU, in all GMUs, with some of the best public-land hunting opportunity in the DAU in GMU 48. Therefore, GMU 48 is now also open to pronghorn rifle hunting, consistent with the archery and muzzleloader seasons.

Splitting DAU M-8 GMUs into Two Huntcode Groups, Adding in GMU 50

Game Management Units (GMUs) 39, 391, 46, 461, 49, 50, 51, 500, and 501 are a part of the South Park Data Analysis Unit (DAU) M-8. Previously, the M-8 GMUs open to hunting (39, 46, 49, 500, and 501) were all within one hunt code group for bulls and one hunt code group for cows, while GMU 50 was closed to moose hunting.

In an effort to improve hunting pressure and harvest distribution within the entire DAU, the M-8 DAU has been split into two different hunt code groups for bull and cow moose. GMUs 49, 50, 500, and 501 have been split into one huntcode group and 39 and 46 into another huntcode group. These GMU groups for moose hunting are similar to GMU associations for hunting deer and elk in the same geographic area.

Opening GMU 43 to Antlered Moose Hunting

In January 2005, the Colorado Division of Wildlife began a multi-year moose reintroduction project in what is now called DAU M-5, which includes GMUs 41, 42, 43, 411, 421, 52, and 521. The reintroduction has been hugely successful, and the 2014 post-hunt population estimate is 408 moose. The population is also expanding and pioneering into much of the available habitat.

Antlered harvest began in GMUs 41, 42, 411, 421, 52, and 521 in 2009. Antlerless harvest began in the same GMUs in 2013. GMU 43 was not included in previous hunts because moose have moved into this GMU more slowly and densities have not been as high as in those areas closer to the original introductions. However, radio-collared moose pioneered into GMU 43 early in the reintroduction, and occupancy surveys in 2013 and 2014 have documented approximately 63% occupancy in fully examined cells in GMU 43. In an effort to manage this population in the most effective manner and to continue to improve moose hunting opportunity in Colorado, antlered moose harvest in GMU 43 will begin in 2016. Licenses are issued for GMU 43 specifically rather than as part of the Grand Mesa-wide huntcode.

Removing Mandatory Chronic Wasting Disease Testing for Moose

During the early 2000s, when CWD was an emerging disease of cervids in Colorado and elsewhere, mandatory CWD testing was instituted for hunter harvested moose in an effort to determine disease distribution and prevalence rates for the species. To date, during 13 years of mandatory CWD testing (2002-2014), 1,798 hunter harvested moose have yielded only four positive animals. The mandatory CWD testing program for moose has achieve its original objectives indicating moose are susceptible to CWD and the disease exists at a low prevalence ( ................
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