05/03/2007
Basis and Purpose
Chapter 2 – Big Game

Basis and Purpose:

These regulations amend Chapter 2 – Big Game – of the Wildlife Commission regulations and are necessary to properly manage big game populations in Colorado.

These regulations establish limited license numbers for deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, and black bear during seasons which were adopted in January 2007; and include licenses for archery, muzzle-loading, early, regular, plains, late rifle and private land only seasons with respect to each species.  Limited license numbers are set for specific game management units or groups of units, although some limited licenses, particularly muzzle-loading elk licenses, are valid over much of the state.  Limited license numbers are established to maintain big game herds at or near long term population objectives, and, in the case of antlered deer, antlered elk, buck pronghorn and moose they are also set to achieve sex ratio objectives.  The herd objectives are intended to maintain healthy populations, provide a diversity of hunting opportunities for residents and nonresidents, allow and maintain public recreational opportunity, minimize or control local game damage situations on private land and provide opportunity for landowners to cooperatively manage wildlife with the Division through the Ranching for Wildlife program.  These resulting limited license numbers take into account harvest estimates and hunter success rates, wildlife counts and surveys, as well as impacts of winter weather and predation on big game populations.  As is the case each year, this effort represents the culmination of numerous hours of work by various Division employees involved in the accumulation and analysis of data and a great deal of time spent with interested publics explaining both the recommendations and the rationale behind them.

The Commission corrected a timing error in hunt code DE128O1A.  Because of a late rifle season, archery hunting opportunity from Dec 1 - Dec 14 was removed from this group of GMUs.  129 was recently added to this group, and prior to its addition archery hunting was allowed during these dates in the other GMUs in the group (128, 133, 134 and 135).  The Commission maintained the 12/1 - 12/14 archery closure in GMU 129, but opened archery opportunity in the remainder of the GMUs in this hunt code.

A mandatory mountain lion hunter education certification requirement has been enacted, which will require a mountain lion hunter to successfully complete the Division’s free online mountain lion education course in order to purchase a mountain lion hunting license to hunt mountain lions.  The program was proposed to the Wildlife Commission through the citizen petition process, and the Commission directed the Division to prepare a mountain lion education course.  The intent of the program is to educate mountain lion hunters, specifically with regard to identification of male vs. female lions.

Regulations have been adopted to implement a preference program regarding the application for and issuance of preference points and access to leftover limited licenses for active duty members of the United States armed forces stationed in Colorado and active duty Colorado residents stationed outside Colorado upon their return from service outside of the United States pursuant to Senate Bill 07-195.  A previous statutory change inadvertently excluded Colorado resident military personnel from participating in this program in its entirety.  Senate Bill 07-195 corrected this error, and regulations were modified accordingly.

The Commission has readopted changes made in November 2006 to correct an administrative filing error.

The statutory authority for these regulations can be found in § 24-4-103, C.R.S., and the state Wildlife Act, §§ 33-1-101 to 33-6-209, C.R.S., specifically including, but not limited to: §§ 33-1-101, 102, 104, 105, 106-108, 115, and 121; §§ 33-2-104, 105, 106, and 107; § 33-3-104; §§ 33-4-101, 102, 102.5, 103, 116, 116.5, 117, and 119; § 33-5.5-102; and §§ 33-6-107, 109, 112, 113, 113.5, 114, 114.5, 117, 119, 120, 121, 124, 127, 128, 129, 131, 205, 206, 207, and 208. 

EFFECTIVE DATE - THESE REGULATIONS SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2007 AND SHALL REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT UNTIL REPEALED, AMENDED OR SUPERSEDED.

APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE WILDLIFE COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO THIS 3RD DAY OF MAY, 2007.
APPROVED:
Thomas M. Burke
Chairman

ATTEST:
Robert W. Bray
Secretary