Distressed Herd in SW CO

[Poser]

This is a bit ridiculous, outfitters don't get a special voice, I don't know why people think that they do. But it does just happen to be that at meetings of populations and changes vast majority of the people there are outfitters. Because we care more than most about the herd. Hell we've offered to help the biologist as much as we can, providing samples, helping with tracking, heck not many groups of people that spend as much time in the woods looking for game than an outfitter.

We have an 11 person board that does not have a single wildlife biologists, yet has representation of two commercial outfitters (and only one member directly representing hunters in a non commercial manner).

 

[orionthehunter1]

That article is a joke. To say bears have no effect on the elk calves is ludicrous. In the 80s and 90s you'd be lucky to see a bear here or there, now the only way you don't see one is if your walking around with your eyes closed. But, I'm glad the commission is raising the resident bear tag prices considering we don't even sell them out at the current 43 dollars. Winter range loss also has an effect, Poser not sure if you here back then but before the hospital and the three springs fiasco that area used to hold 300-400 elk from December to March. You defending the yuppies and mountain bikers is also ridiculous. How many of your mountain biking buddies buy a habitat stamp? You also like to do research why don't you drudge up the herald's article a while back on all the yuppies going into Perins Peak while it was closed for wintering herds. Not only going past the sign when they thought it didn't apply to them, but also letting their dogs run off leashes and chase animals. The OTC opportunities also need to stop if they truly want the herd to rebound.

 

[5MilesBack]

Go right ahead and contribute to the hyper politicization a problem that can only be solved with scientific solutions. Let me know how that works out for the health of the elk herd.

They can't solve anything with "scientific solutions" when they ignore half of the scientific problems. Biased analysis is not scientific.

 

[Studs1991]

Do you only stay on major highways when you travel? I lived in Fort Collins for a year and saw plenty around Roosevelt NF

 

[MallardSX2]

The problem isn't just in Southwestern Colorado. Its all over Colorado in my opinion. The lack of elk that I saw in 2016 was a a real eye opener to how bad of shape the herds were in. Meanwhile the CDOW was selling cow tags like hot cakes raking in the cash. Colorado is turning into a joke.

 

[Coveyleader]

I guess I've been guilty of arrowing a cow plus a bull for awhile now. Just had a conversation on this yesterday and really I'm really thinking about laying off the cows in our archery spot.

 

[Grant K]

that article is ridiculous, any science is presented as a quote so the author doesn't have to verify it's accuracy. I'm sure people will be angry with me for saying it but isn't saying that the herd is in crisis and using late 90s numbers to substantiate that claim pretty disingenuous?

I don't think anyone is arguing that the area can still support that many elk, the winter range has been significantly reduced by development and a way higher human population in that area, there just won't late 90s levels of elk again without causing significant elk/human interaction issues...

on the calf recruitment issue, I couldn't find any studies in similar conditions that say bears are not a factor, in fact, this one TWS Journals
says the exact opposite... I do know that I see bears all the time now pretty much everywhere in SW CO, where 10 years ago seeing one was unusual enough to be memorable.

I think taking weather out of the equation is strange also, I think a fair amount of the reduced harvest is due to the unseasonably warm weather the last several years during season, I've observed elk bedding at first light and staying stationary until dark, most people will never see them and success drops when the elk don't have a metabolic need to feed to stay warm...