FILING - 09/30/2008
Basis and Purpose 
Chapter 2 - Big Game

Basis and Purpose Statement:

These regulations establish mountain lion harvest limit quotas for the 2008-2009 season.  Harvest limit quotas are established to provide hunting opportunity within harvest and total mortality objectives established in mountain lion Data Analysis Unit (DAU) plans.  The objectives are intended to maintain healthy populations, provide a diversity of hunting opportunities for residents and nonresidents, allow and maintain public recreational opportunity and to minimize or control local game damage situations on private land.  These resulting harvest limit quotas take into account harvest estimates and hunter success rates, wildlife counts and surveys, as well as impacts of winter weather.  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 time spent with interested publics explaining both the recommendations and the rationale behind them.  These harvest limit quotas are consistent with mountain lion DAU plan management strategies and harvest objectives.

L-5: Past high proportion of females in harvest and exceeding harvest objectives prompted reductions in the quota.  Last year after the two previous consecutive years the proportion of females in hunter harvest declined significantly, we recommended an increase of one (1) to the harvest limit.  However, this past hunting season the proportion of females in harvest returned to > 60% and >70% in total mortality.

L-12: The DAU goal to suppress the lion population.  DAU actual harvest and total mortality has been below objectives due to land ownership and related human development.  Last year we recommended an increase of 2 in GMU 51 where hunter harvest is most pragmatic.  There has been increasing hunter activity in GMUs south of I-70 in this DAU.  Due to this and desire to increase harvest in the DAU, there has been an increase of seven (7) in GMUs 39, 391, 46, and 461.

L-22:  Part of this DAU is closed for research.  Research phase will change in fall/winter 2010 to begin reducing the population in the research area in a controlled manner.  Of the portion remaining open to hunting it is operating on an interim set of harvest and total mortality objectives.  Harvest and total mortality exceed objectives and proportion of females taken in harvest is just under reduced female take designation criteria.  The harvest limit in Unit 65 has been reduced by one (1).  Unit 65 typically fills quota and thus is the place where reduction in quota will most likely also help reduce take of lions.  Also unit 65 lion take has tended to be more female and reduction will have the largest effect.

All other mountain lion GMUs remain unchanged and will retain harvest limit quotas equal to the 2007-2008 season.

The net effect of the foregoing recommendations is an increase in the sum of all harvest limits by 5, from 559 to 564.

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 NOVEMBER 1, 2008 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 11th DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2008.

APPROVED:
Robert W. Bray
Chairman

ATTEST:
Timothy R. Glenn
Secretary