GET READY FOR SPRING TURKEY HUNTING

GET READY FOR SPRING TURKEY HUNTING; SEASON STARTS APRIL 11

Colorado’s spring turkey season offers hunters one of the most unique experiences in the field.

From late April through mid May, turkeys are at the height of their mating season. The hens are calling for the toms, and the toms are on the move looking for mates and putting on their displays of wild machismo.

“There is nothing else like hunting turkeys,” says Tom Spezze, southwest regional manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. “You call them in, the toms are making all kinds of noises spitting and drumming, and they’ll get right next to you. It’s incredibly exhilarating.”

The 2009 spring turkey season starts April 11 and continues through May 24, although dates vary in some units. Over-the-counter licenses can be purchased for most units in the state; but some areas are limited so be sure to check the 2009 turkey hunting brochure.

Turkey hunters can use shotguns and bows during the spring hunt. Shots are usually made within 30 yards of a bird. Hunters must be sure of their targets–only toms can be hunted during the spring.

Because turkeys are very wary and spook easily, hunters are allowed to dress in full camouflage. One note of caution: Because hunters wear camouflage, turkey hunting can be dangerous in popular areas. As with every other type of hunting, only shoot at what you see and clearly identify. If you shoot in the direction of a sound you might be shooting at another hunter making a call. If you need to signal to another hunter the best method is to whistle.

Turkeys roost in trees at night so the hunter’s first task is to locate the resting spot. Spezze recommends that hunters arrive near the roost just before dawn and find a place to set up without spooking the birds. Hens welcome the day with a very sleepy “tree call.”  The toms will gobble in response to nearly every hen call made in the roost. After adequately announcing the day, the birds will fly down from the roost once light is full. Then they’ll begin calling to gather the flock for the day.

Seasoned spring turkey hunters will usually begin calling to the toms before any of the birds fly down in an effort to direct them away from the roosted hens.

A common mistake turkey hunters make is “over-calling,” says Spezze. Hunters should only imitate the various calls the turkeys are making at that moment.

“Nothing scares off an already-wary tom more than calls that are too loud or too frequent,” Spezze says.

As toms approach, the hunter must sit absolutely still. Any shot must be executed very quickly. Shotgun pellets won’t penetrate a turkey’s plumage, so the aim must be at the head and neck.

Two types of turkeys live in Colorado. The Merriam’s turkey lives primarily in the mountains, while the Rio Grande turkey lives on the flat lands east of I-25. Populations of both types of turkey are healthy and have been growing during the last few years.

The Merriam’s turkey is partial to open meadows and usually roosts in ponderosa pine trees. They can also be found in oak brush and pinon-juniper stands. Hunters should find areas where turkeys have cover, forage and nesting habitat. Look for meadows in narrow valleys where there are grassy areas, aspen groves and ponderosa pines. The Merriam’s, however, are wanderers and will roam over large areas.

The Rio Grande is the larger of the two birds and can usually be found in cottonwood trees and along riparian areas. The birds are creatures of habit, often roosting in the same tree and feeding in the same fields every day. Rio Grande turkeys are easier to locate than Merriam’s and hunting them is generally not as difficult.

Turkeys forage for seeds, grasses, forbs and insects. Hens usually nest in tall grass and prefer to be near a water source.

Hunters should scout areas looking for sign– tracks, feathers, droppings, scratching and dusting areas. Even if turkeys are not seen or heard, it’s a good bet to hunt in places where there are lots of fresh sign.

Turkey calls also are essential–box calls, slates and mechanical-plunger calls are easy to use.

Your calling position should have a solid back as wide as your shoulders while providing you with a wide area of visibility. Don’t hide so well that you can’t see what’s happening in front of you.

Hunters should not try to stalk turkeys in the spring because chances of success are slim. Set up in a somewhat concealed location and wait for the birds to come to you.

Hunting in the morning is typical, but toms can also be called in late in the afternoon. So don’t hesitate to hunt late in the day.

The long season also works to hunters’ advantage. Some of the best hunting occurs late in the season when hens are on the nest. If you miss opening day, you won’t be missing your chance to get a turkey.

This “right of spring” is an experience that turkey hunters look forward to every year.  Successful hunters are rewarded with fine, lean meat. With careful cooking, wild turkey makes an excellent and highly nutritious meal.
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For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

LAND PROTECTION AGREEMENT OPENS ACCESS IN LAKE COUNTY

This is just awesome news! This area has been “out of bounds” for nearly all people for as long as I can remember. It’s diverse attractions for outdoor recreation are hard to list. Or imagine as far as that goes. Great work Division of Wildlife!

LEADVILLE, Colo. – A four-way partnership between the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW), Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas, and private landowners has resulted in a perpetual conservation easement on 3,200 acres of important wildlife habitat and scenic open space in Lake County.

Owners of the Moyer Ranch entered the agreement to keep the land as a working ranch and preserve its vital wildlife habitat.  In addition, about a third of the ranch will be open to seasonal access to hunters and anglers.

A conservation easement is a legal property interest that compensates a landowner for relinquishing certain development rights as a way to ensure the long-term protection of the land.  The Moyer family received approximately $4.8 million in return for conceding future development rights on the property.  The Division of Wildlife and GOCO each contributed $2.4 million.  The Moyer family donated additional considerations including previous conservation considerations reached with the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas in 2007.

“We are very pleased we were able to be a part of the cooperative effort to protect this important wildlife habitat,” said DOW Area Manager Jim Aragon.  “The Moyer family’s desire to protect the land, the wildlife resource, and to continue with their land stewardship and ranching heritage was key to getting this project done.”

“This has been such a great project,” said Bruce Goforth of the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas.  “It will preserve the agriculture, wildlife habitat and water resources on the last, large, working ranch in Lake County.  And the water preserved will continue to flow down the Arkansas River, ensuring water quantity, quality, and good fish habitat for many miles.”

The Moyer Ranch has diverse wildlife populations including bighorn sheep, deer, elk, mountain lions, black bears, and an abundant variety of birds, small mammals, and other non-game wildlife.  The property also features several pristine feeder streams that connect to the Arkansas River.

According to Tom Martin, the local wildlife officer, the DOW’s conservation easement consists of multiple parcels. Most of the tracts are contiguous but some overlap others, and many are irregular shapes located on the steep hillsides.

Approximately 1,350 acres will be open for hunting and fishing. Hunting access will be limited to rifle season deer, elk, and bear; and limited archery and rifle hunting for bighorn sheep.  Public fishing access will be allowed on portions of Iowa and Empire Gulches.

In addition, the Moyer Family and Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas have agreed to allow fishing access on a stretch of Arkansas River upstream from the Hwy. 24 overpass at Hayden Meadows for nine-tenths of a mile to the Crystal Lake State Trust property.  Access points, parking areas, and signs still need to be posted, but the DOW hopes to have that done in the next few months. The result will be that the public will have fishing access to a contiguous stretch of the Upper Arkansas River that is over seven miles long.

COLORADO’S WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTION PROGRAM

Habitat loss is a primary cause for the decline of many wildlife species in Colorado.  As highly desirable lands are altered or converted to other uses, wildlife habitat can become degraded, destroyed, and fragmented. Habitat conversion and loss can also reduce opportunities for hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation.

The primary use of funds from the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Protection Program is to address the loss of critical big game winter range and migration corridors, but also to preserve other wildlife habitat as well.  Wetlands and riparian corridors along with important habitat for threatened and endangered species, and species of special concern are also a priority for acquisition.

By combining funding sources, including Habitat Stamp funds, GOCO funds, Game Cash funds, Wetlands Program funds, Federal funds and others, the DOW is able to bring together an array of species protection and land conservation tools and incentives not otherwise available. The preferred strategy uses perpetual conservation easements that provide incentives to private landowners that protects wildlife habitat and for beneficial wildlife management practices.

Conservation easements are used to guarantee that landscapes remain intact and to provide fundamental wildlife benefits on a long-term basis. All conservation easements must have an accompanying management plan that is approved by the landowner and the DOW.

Since 2006, sales of Habitat Stamps have been instrumental in protecting more than 60,000 acres of wildlife habitat in the state.  The DOW used some funds to purchase land, but most land is preserved through permanent conservation easements held by the DOW and various non-profit partnerships.

The primary focus is protecting important winter range and migration corridors for deer and elk, but acquisitions and easements have also protected critical habitats for sage grouse, opened up fishing access for anglers, and provided hunting access.

A nine-member citizen’s committee appointed by the Governor oversees the habitat stamp program.  The committee has reviewed dozens of proposals to protect critical wildlife habitat.  Proposals are reviewed and ranked according to wildlife benefits, public access, and cost.  Final approval comes from the Colorado Wildlife Commission.

Public access is not required, but projects that provide hunting and fishing access and those with matching funds from partners get additional consideration.

For more information, call (303) 291-7217.  Additional information on the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp Program timeline for the 2009 enrollment period and a copy of the application is available at http://wildlife.state.co.us/LandWater/PrivateLandProgram/WildlifeHabitatProtectionProgram/

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For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

Snow Goose Hunting Seminar in Lamar‏

SNOW GOOSE HUNTING SEMINAR IN LAMAR

LAMAR, Colo. — The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) will host a Snow Goose Hunting Clinic at the DOW Office in Lamar on Sat., Feb. 21 from 1-4 p.m.  There is no cost to attend but participants must pre-register.

DOW biologists will present tips and tricks for hunting snow geese on the eastern plains of Colorado.  Topics will range from the basics for beginners, to techniques for the seasoned hunter.

Subjects covered include goose identification and biology, how to hunt geese by understanding their daily movements, how weather and terrain affect geese, use of decoys, and much more.

The program will be geared toward adults.

The DOW Lamar office is located 2500 S. Main St. (about two hours east of Pueblo on Hwy 50). For more information about the hunting seminar, or to register, call Linda Groat (719) 336-6608.

Colorado is one of several states that participate in a late light goose season. Relaxed regulations allow for unlimited take of snow geese east of I-25 from Feb. 16 thru April 30.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, populations of greater and lesser snow geese and Ross’s geese have grown to historic highs.  Collectively called “light geese,” they are causing massive destruction to their summer home on the fragile arctic tundra to the point it may take decades to recover.

The current breeding population of mid-continent light geese exceeds five million birds.  This is an increase of more than 300 percent since the mid-1970s.  The management goal for mid-continent light geese is to reduce the population by 50 percent.  Since implementation of the liberal harvest regulations in 1999, the harvest of light geese has more than doubled but the population goal has yet to be attained.

The hunting clinic is part of the seventh annual High Plains Snow Goose Festival.  For more information about the Snow Goose Festival, visit their website at www.highplainssnowgoose.com.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

Attention Colorado Hunters

Attention Colorado Hunters!!!! Public Comments Requested for Draft Environmental Impact Statement for White River National Forest in Colorado: The U.S. Forest Service is conducting the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Travel Management Plan (TMP) for the White River National Forest in Colorado. This process will specify the extent to which existing roads are closed to vehicular access and will impact thousands of hunters who pursue game every year in Colorado.

MEETINGS SET TO DISCUSS BRUNOT HUNTING AGREEMENT

The Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe have scheduled two more open house meetings to explain the Brunot hunting agreement: Oct. 21, 5-7 p.m., Holiday Inn, 1391 Townsend Ave., Montrose; Oct. 29, 5-7 p.m., Hunter Education Building, DOW headquarters, 6060 Broadway, Denver.

Officials from the DOW and the tribe will explain the Memorandum of Understanding recently signed by the tribe and the state of Colorado regarding hunting by tribal members in the Brunot Agreement area.  In 1874, Congress approved an agreement between the United States and certain Ute Indians in Colorado, known as the “Brunot Agreement”. Under this agreement, the Utes ceded land to the United States but reserved a right to hunt in that area for “so long as the game lasts and the Indians are at peace with the white people.”

The Brunot Agreement covers the land in an area which extends approximately, from U.S. Highway 160 on the south to the southern boundaries of Montrose and Gunnison counties on the north, from the middle of Mineral County on the east, and to just west of Cortez on the west.

A meeting was held Oct. 14 in Durango.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

DOW SEEKS INPUT ON PRONGHORN HUNTING REGS

The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) will hold public meetings Sept. 19 and 23 to gather input regarding potential changes to pronghorn hunting regulations.  The Sept. 19 meeting is 6 – 9 p.m. at the Limon Community Building at 477 “D” Ave. in Limon.  The Sept. 23 meeting is from 7 – 9 p.m. at the Rush School, 420 S. Rush Rd. in Rush.

The DOW is considering adding additional seasons and increasing the number of pronghorn licenses in several areas in southeastern Colorado.  The meetings are intended to gather input from landowners and hunters in El Paso, Lincoln, Cheyenne and Crowley Counties.

Persons who cannot attend a meeting in person can send written comments to Julie Stiver at 4255 Sinton Ave., Colorado Springs, CO  80907.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

It is about that time again!

I took some time this past weekend to get up into the high country, even though I will not be able to enjoy it this year. My friends were scouting Elk at an elevation ranging between nine and eleven thousand feet. The area is commonly known as “The Muddy Slide.”

This is in Routt County, near Lynx Pass, it is one heck of a hike from the areas where you can set a camp up to get to the parks, and black timber where the Wapiti like to hang out.It is however, well worth the effort to do so. Just a short distance away is the Gore Pass area, that is most often inundated with road hunters.That is fine with me. It is also probably the single largest factor in why so often the Elk harvest is around twenty percent success. Over the years, my friends and I have averaged closer to forty percent success harvesting Elk by all legal methods. It would be even higher if we didn’t regularly pass on shots.

Bottom line? The Elk are moving, and the rut is in it’s early stages. The guys were all still out when I made it into camp. I used a diaphragm to blow out a few cow mews, and was rewarded by the sound of not one, but three young bulls that were off in the black timber.Prime time is still about a month away, so this was a very good sign.

I will be up in Wyoming when the big bulls begin to roar across my beloved Colorado Rockies. Indeed, with Wyoming taking a year to establish residency it could be two years before I can hunt again. Such are the vagaries of life. It is all well and good though, areas fifteen and sixteen have been very good to me over the years.

COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE HONORS RANCH OWNERS FOR CONSERVATION WORK

Former media magnate Malcolm Forbes was not only a leading innovator in magazine publishing; he also helped to pioneer private-land wildlife management practices in Colorado. To honor the Forbes family’s efforts in wildlife conservation, the Colorado Division of Wildlife recently thanked the Forbes Family for its nearly 40 years of work at the 173,000-acre Forbes-Trinchera and Forbes-Blanca Ranches in the San Luis Valley.

In the fall of 2007 the Forbes family sold the ranch to Louis Bacon, an East Coast resident who owns numerous other parcels of land throughout the United States which are managed for conservation and wildlife purposes. In Colorado, Bacon also owns the 20,000-acre Tercio Ranch that is located southwest of Trinidad.

Bacon has announced that his new property, located in the San Luis Valley, will now be called the Trinchera Ranch and the Blanca Ranch. It will continue to be managed for wildlife, natural resource and environmental values. The ranch  will continue to work cooperatively with the Division of Wildlife on various conservation projects and participate in the DOW’s Ranching for Wildlife program.

“The Colorado Division of Wildlife is grateful to the Forbes family for their wildlife conservation philosophy,” said Tom Spezze, southwest regional manager for the DOW.

“Not only did the family bring great ideas, but they hired an outstanding staff to do the work to make this one of the premier wildlife habitat areas in Colorado.”   Spezze made the remarks at a reception held at the Trinchera Ranch in late July.

Tom Remington, director of the DOW, praised the Forbes ranch for its work on a variety of projects that have helped conservation efforts throughout Colorado. These include: establishing a herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, re-introduction of Rio Grande cutthroat trout, and numerous habitat improvement projects aimed at helping big game populations.

“The ranch is a leader in wildlife conservation work,” Remington said. “The people here proved what can be done. Today, the division of wildlife uses many of the management techniques developed here in projects all over the state.”

Malcolm Forbes purchased the property in 1969 and decided quickly that wildlife should be a priority. Former DOW biologist Errol Ryland was hired to manage the property. Ryland and DOW staff developed the Ranching for Wildlife concept at the ranch. Today, 16 ranches that comprise more than 1 million acres of prime big game habitat participate in the Ranching for Wildlife program.

In the late 1980s, 3,000 domestic sheep were removed from the ranch and 34 Rocky Mountain bighorns were transplanted from British Columbia. Now the herd on the ranch numbers more than 300. Over the years, the ranch has allowed the DOW to trap sheep and move them to other parts of the state.

After Ryland retired in the early 1990s his son, Ty Ryland, took over as ranch manager.   In Dec. 2004, the Forbes family placed approximately 81,400  acres of the Trinchera Ranch under a permanent conservation easement. None of that land will ever be developed. Bacon is now considering placing a conservation easement on the 90,000-acre Blanca Ranch. This portion of the property contains three of Colorado’s 54 famed 14,000-foot mountains – Blanca Peak, Little Bear Peak and Mount Lindsey.

“Mr. Bacon believes that the Blanca Ranch is an unique property and it ought to be protected for future generations,” a spokesperson said.

Christopher Forbes, Malcolm Forbes son, said the family was pleased to find a new owner who was also conservation-minded.   “We couldn’t have found a better conservation steward in America than Louis Bacon,” Forbes said.

Bacon explained that continuing resource conservation on the property is his top priority for the ranch.

“I feel a duty to continue the conservation legacy established by the Forbes Family; and to help us we’ll continue working with the DOW,” Bacon said.

Bacon also said that staffing at the ranch won’t change. The ranch employs about 30 people in Costilla County.

Under the Ranching for Wildlife program, participating owners work to improve habitat, develop wildlife management plans with the DOW, and allow a limited number of public hunters at no charge. In exchange, ranch owners are allowed to set special seasons for private hunters.

Public licenses on the Trinchera Ranch include: 10 bull elk and 75 cow elk; 10 mule deer bucks and 75 does; two big horn rams and nine ewes. The ranch leads about 50 private hunters each year.

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The Colorado Division of Wildlife is the state agency responsible for managing wildlife and its habitat, as well as providing wildlife related recreation. The Division is funded through hunting and fishing license fees, federal grants and Colorado Lottery proceeds through Great Outdoors Colorado.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

Game thieves … Gotcha!

Folks, I happen to really like folks from Akansas. But even in the best kettle of Cod, there are a few that stink up the barrel.

ARKANSAS MEN GUILTY IN COLORADO POACHING INCIDENT

The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) has wrapped up the poaching case against six Arkansas men with the final two suspects entering guilty pleas in Moffat County District Court.

In late 2005 Colorado Wildlife Officer Mike Bauman began hearing stories about a group of Arkansas hunters who were poaching in the Bible Back Mountain area south of the Colorado-Wyoming border. During the 2006 hunting seasons Bauman was able to determine that a group of men from Arkansas were, at a minimum, buying leftover licenses for Game Management Units 4 and 12 but most likely hunting in Game Management Unit 5.

In 2007, wildlife officers set up a hunting camp in the area and posed as hunters to gather evidence against the group. Officers were able to document two deer that were killed without proper licenses, trespassing on private land, wounding of deer without following up on shots as required by law, and the illegal killing and willful destruction of one buck deer by two members of the hunting party.

“It was blatant poaching. At one point, individuals in the Arkansas camp were seen shooting and killing a deer then tying the head to a tree so they could later return and claim the antlers,” Bauman explained. “The incident occurred on private land the men had no permission to enter and in a unit for which they didn’t have a license.”

It was determined that the hunters were staying across the Wyoming border and Colorado officers contacted investigators with Wyoming Game and Fish to request assistance with monitoring the group at and around their Wyoming motel.

As the Arkansas hunters were packing up and preparing to leave for home, Colorado wildlife officers caught up with part of the group to interview them and charge the suspects. Additional members of the group were detained by Wyoming officers who also collected evidence from the hotel and from a Wyoming meat processor. Based on interviews with the group, wildlife officers determined that, in addition to the 2007 violations, at least three deer were illegally killed in 2006. Assistance was requested from wildlife officers in Arkansas who collected evidence from the men’s homes.

“We appreciate the cooperation we received in this case from Wyoming Game and Fish and Arkansas Game and Fish,” added Bauman. “While we had some of the charges locally, the evidence that was obtained from previous years and from the hotel made it possible to show an ongoing pattern of poaching violations.”

Based on the investigation the following individuals were charged:

William Newton (DOB 06/06/1983), Hampton, Arkansas
Plead guilty to following charges as part of plea agreement:
1 count – Illegal take of three or more big game animals
2 counts – Waste of edible game wildlife
1 count – Illegal possession of a deer
4 counts – Hunting without a license
Sentencing: 30 days in jail, $9,500 fine plus court costs, forfeiture of rifle and illegally taken wildlife.

Bradley Shankles (DOB 06/21/1983), Hampton, Arkansas
Plead guilty to following charges as part of plea agreement:
1 count – Felony willful destruction of wildlife
2 counts – Hunting without a license
2 counts – Illegal possession of a deer
1 count – Waste of edible game wildlife
1 count – Defacing a firearm
Sentencing: Deferred sentence on felony willful destruction charge, fine of $5,000, four year ban from hunting in the United States, four years of supervised probation, $2,000 donation to Operation Game Thief, forfeiture of rifle and illegally taken wildlife.

Richard W. Carson (DOB 03/14/1964), Hampton, Arkansas
Plead guilty by payment of citation
1 count – Failure to pursue wounded wildlife
1 count – Hunting deer without a license
1 count – Illegal possession of a deer
1 count – Unlawful trespass on private property
Warning – hunting without orange clothing
Carson chose not to contest the charges and instead plead guilty by paying $2,041 in fines. He was assessed 65 points against his hunting privileges.

Michael B. Welch (DOB 07/18/1983), Bearden, Arkansas
Plead guilty by payment of citation
1 count – Hunting deer without a license
1 count – Illegal possession of a deer
Warning – Failure to tag
Welch chose not to contest the charges and instead plead guilty by paying $1,781 in fines. He was assessed 30 points against his hunting privileges.

Anthony Moser (DOB 05/02/1987), Hampton, Arkansas
Plead guilty by payment of citation
1 count – Hunting deer without a license
1 count – Illegal possession of a deer
Moser chose not to contest the charges and instead plead guilty by paying $1,781 in fines. He was assessed 30 points against his hunting privileges.

Harlan C. Welch (DOB 01/12/1976), Hampton, Arkansas
Plead guilty by payment of citation
1 count – Uncased rifle on an ATV
Warning – Unlawful trespass on private property
Welch chose not to contest the charges and instead plead guilty by paying a $68 fine. He was assessed 5 points against his hunting privileges.

Five of the six men still face an administrative hearing process that will be conducted by the Colorado Wildlife Commission. Anyone assessed more than 20 points against hunting and fishing privileges is subject to wildlife hunting suspension hearings. The men could lose their hunting and fishing privileges in Colorado and 27 other states that are members of the Wildlife Violator Compact. Hearing dates have not yet been set for the men.

“Colorado has the largest migratory mule deer and elk herds in the nation,” concluded Ron Velarde, Northwest Regional Manager for CDOW. “Because of that spectacular resource we attract hunters from around the world. We welcome those who come here to experience what our great state offers, but we absolutely will do everything possible to catch those who believe that our remote areas provide enough cover to cheat and steal from Colorado’s citizens and true sportsmen.”

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For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

Energy Development in the PICEANCE BASIN

The PICEANCE BASIN, my stomping grounds. That is where I learned to hunt branch antlered Mule Deer and Rocky Mountain Elk, the hard way. During the seemingly never ending  drought years, and later during years when multiple Doe Deer tags were available in an attempt to keep the deer from eating themselves out of house and home.

It is the place where I learned that a flat shooting 280 rifle was plenty enough to bring home the venison, and that shoulder canons just cost more money. I’ll cover that at a later time in more depth.

It is where the last energy boom brought the boom / bust cycle back to an area that was only to familiar with those economics. Oil shale was going to save us all. Not…

Then the development had little negative impact on the land that I could detect. That was also a different type of mining though. I have been privileged to draw more than one license for the Forrest of the Bear, Bosque Del Oso State Wildlife Area near Westcliff, Colorado. The area is covered with natural gas wells, and the deer and elk don’t seem bothered by them in the least. Nor do the Wild Turkeys that abound there. The noise from them is something else though, you have to hear it to understand what I mean though, as words simply cannot convey what it is like to put a good sneak on a big tom then to have your nerves suddenly shattered by the load screech from a nearby well…

I have no idea what the impact on the Sage Grouse will be, as noted below, the species is under review for EPA protection as endangered. If those birds are endangered it is because no one actually went out and took a look for them, perhaps with the help of a good flushing dog. Find the right pockets, and you will be into thousands of those birds. Hint* Ryans Gulch, go to the top of the hill heading west from Piceance Creek road. Park, and hike due west. You will find birds…
WILDLIFE RESEARCHERS TURN ATTENTION TO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN PICEANCE BASIN

Energy experts say Colorado’s Piceance Basin is one of the largest natural gas reserves in North America. Biologists, conservationists and sportsmen value the Piceance Basin because for its incredible diversity and abundance of wildlife. As the energy industry makes a move to tap the gas resource, wildlife experts are examining ways to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts to wildlife and habitat.
 
The Piceance Basin is home to one of the largest migratory mule deer herds in the nation. It winters thousands of elk. The basin is also home to a high-elevation population of greater sage-grouse, Colorado River cutthroat trout, and numerous other species, both rare and common.
 
Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) researchers are working with the energy industry and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to study ways to reduce and mitigate the impacts that thousands of gas wells may have in the Piceance Basin. The DOW’s Central Piceance Basin Project brings together a strong team of researchers that will implement a comprehensive, multi-species, landscape-based approach to understanding the success of existing mitigation efforts and helping to craft new mitigation strategies.
 
“We’re looking for solutions,” explained Ron Velarde, northwest regional manager for the DOW. “We want to advise energy companies on ways to minimize their impacts. As a wildlife agency, our role is to make sure that the wildlife resource survives and thrives while this work is occurring and after the gas is gone.”
 
Collaboration
 
The Central Piceance Basin Project is one of the largest comprehensive energy and wildlife studies proposed to date, with an estimated cost of more than $1.3 million dollars a year over the next five to ten years. Initial support for the project is strong.
 
“As an agency, we stepped out on a limb and hired researchers to conduct the studies, but we aren’t going to get the work done without help,” added Velarde. “It isn’t just money. We’re asking companies, conservation groups and other agencies to work with us by providing things like volunteers, expertise, permission to access land, and agreements to allow habitat manipulations that might be outside of the norm.”
 
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the agency that regulates drilling activity in the state, has contributed $150,000 towards the research project. The Colorado Mule Deer Association has made a $100,000 pledge to support deer research in the Piceance Basin. The national Mule Deer Foundation has also contributed $15,000. BLM is requesting $100,000 a year for five years through their budget process to support this project.
 
Three natural gas industry leaders – EnCana, Shell and Williams – have committed to assist with the project. In addition to pledging significant financial support, the companies have agreed to allow researchers to access thousands of acres of land the companies own in the research area.
 
EnCana, one of the largest natural gas firms operating in western Colorado, has pledged $900,000 in financial support for the research effort.

“Supporting a program that will ultimately inform our industry about additional ways to minimize the impacts to wildlife and their habitat while still providing a much needed clean-burning resource is an important part of doing business in Colorado,” said Byron Gale, North Piceance Team Lead, EnCana Oil & Gas (USA). “As a community, we all enjoy what this great State has to offer – we want to preserve its great landscape and heritage for the generations that will follow.”
 
Williams, another large producer in the region, has committed $550,000 to the project.
 
“Williams is committed to working in partnership with DOW, BLM and other agencies to conduct ground-breaking research that will provide critical data concerning Colorado’s wildlife,” added Rob Bleil, Williams’ principal environmental specialist.
 
While not producing large quantities of natural gas in the Piceance, Shell is actively researching oil shale possibilities in the basin and has pledged $325,000 to the Piceance wildlife research thus far.
 
“We especially appreciate the cooperative and collaborative approach taken by DOW to develop real partnerships that will benefit wildlife and habitat but also accommodate the development and production of the energy Colorado needs,” commented Terry O’Connor, Manager of Government Affairs for Shell Exploration and Production Company. “We plan to continue to partner with the DOW and others to develop the knowledge, understanding and expertise to not only minimize impacts to wildlife but make real improvements in management and recreation related to wildlife in Colorado.”
 
It isn’t just large companies that are supporting the effort. Delta Petroleum has pledged $25,000 over the next five years to help fund the research.
 
Another critical show of support for the DOW research project has come from the BLM, the federal agency that manages the majority of land and wildlife habitat in the Piceance Basin and oversees federal oil and gas leasing.
 
“BLM looks forward to working very closely with the Colorado Division of Wildlife and industry partners in developing these research proposals for the Piceance Basin,” said Kent Walter, Field Manager for the BLM’s White River Field Office. “Close coordination from the beginning and continued flexibility from all partners will ensure this research provides the most useful information to best minimize future impacts to wildlife and wildlife habitat.”
 
Assistance for the project has also been provided by environmental consulting firm Buys and Associates. Dave Diss with Buys and Associates has donated considerable time and effort to coordinate communication efforts with the dozens of energy companies operating in the region.
 
“The energy industry understands that better science helps everyone,” explained Kim Kaal, DOW energy liaison for northwest Colorado. “This research is designed to educate all of us on how development can occur while impacts are minimized or eliminated, and that’s something everyone seems willing to support.”
 
Mule deer and elk
 
Big game hunting is a critical part of the tradition and the economy of many western Colorado counties. A 2002 economic study commissioned by the DOW found that big game hunting contributes more than one million dollars annually in direct expenditures to the economies of Mesa, Garfield, Rio Blanco and Moffat County. Hunters are generally from outside of the area and, unlike other revenue streams, hunters’ activities generate revenue year-after-year without burdening government services or infrastructure.
 
Thousands of deer utilize the Piceance Basin during the year. In the winter, this critical area becomes home to even more deer as herds from the surrounding mountain areas move into the lower parts of the basin in search of food and relief from the snow.  
 
“Our study is designed to examine mule deer response to positive changes in development practices and habitat enhancement projects,” explained Chuck Anderson, DOW mule deer researcher.
 
To assess deer benefits, researchers will monitor factors including over-winter fawn survival, over-winter body condition of does and fawns, movement patterns and deer densities over time. The study will utilize GPS and radio telemetry collars to monitor and track the deer.
 
In addition to the deer population, biologists estimate that about 9,000 elk call the Piceance Basin home year around. Thousands more elk winter in the basin’s lower elevation lands before returning to higher ground for the summer.
 
Greater sage-grouse
 
The greater sage-grouse has become a key focus for state and federal wildlife agencies, ranchers, energy companies and environmentalists as the bird undergoes a new review for potential inclusion under the protection of the federal Endangered Species Act.
 
“Ultimately, it is in everyone’s best interest to do everything possible to keep populations healthy and avoid a listing,” said Velarde. “Scientific data is needed and that’s what the research aims to provide.”
 
Avian researchers involved in the Piceance Project are starting with a project to generate detailed seasonal habitat-use maps for greater sage-grouse to help industry avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts. Researchers hope to assess sage-grouse response to removal of pinyon-juniper that has encroached into former sage-grouse habitat.
 
“We’re also hoping to continue and expand existing greater sage-grouse monitoring efforts,” explained researcher Brett Walker. “We’ll be monitoring changes in survival, reproduction, habitat use and movement.”
 
Much of the monitoring work is being done with permission on private land owned by energy companies. The companies own hundreds of thousands of acres of land and without access to these large sections, the research effort is much more difficult.
 
Habitat
 
Ask any real estate professional the three keys to real estate investing success and they’ll tell you “location, location, location”. It a similar story when you ask about wildlife. The three key things for wildlife to thrive are “habitat, habitat, habitat”.
 
DOW Researcher Danielle Johnston is taking a comprehensive look at habitat factors in the Piceance Basin.
 
“We want to examine ways to promote restoration practices that most benefit wildlife,” Johnston said. “Beyond the area around well pads, we’re also interested in assessing weed control, soil manipulation and herbicide use as they apply to pipeline reclamation success.”
 
Major pipelines crisscross the Piceance Basin with several future pipelines in the planning stages. While these pipelines raise concerns, they also provide an opportunity to determine what reclamation efforts are best in the dry, high, sage lands of the West.
 
Conclusion
 
While researchers have already begun radio-tracking sage-grouse and mule deer in the Piceance Basin, the DOW continues to meet with potential donors to raise the remaining funds necessary for the project. Groups or companies interested in partnering on the research should contact Kim Kaal, DOW energy liaison for northwest Colorado at kimberly.kaal@state.co.us.
 
Ask any of the ranchers who call the Piceance Basin home and they can tell you that the area has changed dramatically in the last five years. Not many of them would hazard a guess as to what the basin will look like in another thirty years. But if a team of wildlife researchers are successful, the area’s abundant wildlife resource will stand witness to a unique collaborative research effort.
 
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The Colorado Division of Wildlife is the state agency responsible for managing wildlife and its habitat, as well as providing wildlife related recreation. The Division is funded through hunting and fishing license fees, federal grants and Colorado Lottery proceeds through Great Outdoors Colorado.
 
Editor’s note: Photos to accompany this story are available using the following links. Photo credit: Colorado Division of Wildlife
Photo 1: A drainage in the Piceance Basin shows the intermix of sage and agricultural lands http://dnr.state.co.us/imagedb/images/3822.jpg
Photo 2: A deer fawn wears a radio collar as part of Division of Wildlife efforts to track the animals in the Piceance Basin http://dnr.state.co.us/imagedb/images/3823.jpg
Photo 3: Pipelines, roads and well pad in the Central Piceance Basin Study area http://dnr.state.co.us/imagedb/images/3824.jpg
Photo 4: A gas well in the Central Piceance Basin Study area http://dnr.state.co.us/imagedb/images/3825.jpg
Photo 5: Deer from the Piceance Basin gather on sagebrush winter range
http://dnr.state.co.us/imagedb/images/3826.jpg
 

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

Be sure to click on the photo links! Great work!