DENVER — The Colorado Division of Wildlife is partnering with the Mule Deer Foundation to bring new hunters this one-day introduction to deer hunting in Colorado. This program is designed for participants of all ages interested in learning more about hunting Mule Deer. Youth and women hunters encouraged to attend.

Seminars and stations include:

-Ladies on the hunt
-High Country Mule Deer Tactics
-Pathway to Mule Deer Hunting (for youth hunters)
-3-D Archery Target Shooting (Instruction and Techniques)
-Rifle Target Shooting (Instructions and Gun Safety)
-Wildlife Photography

WHAT: Mule Deer 101 with DOW and the Mule Deer Foundation

WHO: Anyone interested in learning the fundamentals of deer hunting

WHEN: Saturday, July 9th, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: Colorado Division of Wildlife, Hunter Education Building, 6060 Broadway, Denver

HOW: To register for this FREE seminar, please e-mail tony.dymek@state.co.us or call 303-291-7804 and leave a message with your name, CID number, address, and phone number. Spaces are limited to 60 people so register early.

DIRECTIONS: From I-25, take the 58th Avenue exit and go west. Turn right at the first light onto Broadway. Follow Broadway over the railroad tracks and turn right into the second entrance to the DOW campus. Follow the signs to the Hunter Education Building, located in the northeast corner of the campus.

For more information on planning a hunt in Colorado, go to:

http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/PlanYourHunt/

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

HANOVER, Colo – The Chico Basin Ranch and the Colorado Division of Wildlife will collaborate for the second year in a row to offer access for youth pronghorn hunters during the late pronghorn doe season Dec. 4-8.

Chico Basin Ranch is an 87,000-acre property located southeast of Colorado Springs near Hanover in GMU 123.

“Late youth hunts are an excellent way for young hunters to develop their skills,” said Jim Bulger, Hunter Outreach Coordinator for the DOW. “This is a unique opportunity to hunt a beautiful property.”

Youth hunters age 12-17 with an unfilled doe or either-sex pronghorn tag can participate in any December pronghorn doe season in Game Management Units 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 118, 119, 120, 121, 123, 124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 133, 134, 135, 140, 141, 142 or 147.

Unfilled youth pronghorn doe tags are automatically eligible. Youths with an unfilled either-sex pronghorn license must bring that license to a DOW office and get it converted to a doe license before hunting in a December season. Unfilled pronghorn buck licenses may not be used to participate in this program.

Youth interested in hunting on Chico Basin Ranch should contact Jonathan Tullar at (719) 683-7960 or email at Jonathan@ChicoBasinRanch.com no later than Nov. 23. Available slots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. Youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult during the entire hunt.

For a more detailed description of the ranch, you may visit their websites at www.chicobasinranch.com or www.boxtcowboys.com.

VICTOR, Colo. – The Colorado Division of Wildlife, in cooperation with Cripple Creek Victor Gold Mining Company, will hold a youth shooting sports clinic July 31 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Youngsters interested in the sports of archery and shotgun shooting are invited to attend this one-day free event. Registration is not necessary.

Activities include a shotgun target fun shoot, a 3-D archery shoot and instruction for both. The DOW will also provide an electronic “laser-gun” hunting simulation that teaches youngsters about shot placement by generating actual hunting scenarios on a big-screen.

Boys and girls ages 7-16 are invited to attend, but must be accompanied by a parent.

Instructors from the DOW and local archery experts will help youngsters learn the finer points of shooting shotguns and bows. The DOW will furnish the equipment.

Directions: From the town of Divide, drive south on Hwy 67 13.1 miles to CR 81 (road to Victor). Turn left on CR 81 and drive 4.1 miles to CR 82. Turn right on CR 82 and drive 1.2 miles to site.

For more information, call DOW District Wildlife Manager Tonya Sharp at (719) 227-5281.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Western Colorado’s Grand Mesa is home to one of Colorado’s newest moose populations and locals are taking the time to celebrate and learn more about moose on Saturday, July 31. Grand Mesa Moose Day events will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the US Forest Service Visitor Center atop Grand Mesa on Highway 65.

Activities will include moose viewing information, presentations about moose biology and moose history, presentations on how biologists transplant and track moose, and a puppet show. Family and kid-friendly events and giveaways are planned throughout the day. All activities are free.

“Moose sightings are always fun for people and they’re becoming more common on the Grand Mesa as the population grows,” said Trina Romero, Colorado Division of Wildlife Watchable Wildlife Coordinator. “This event will teach people safe ways to see the moose and some great facts about moose in Colorado.”

Grand Mesa Moose Day sponsors include the Colorado Division of Wildlife, US Forest Service, The Moose 100.7 and the Grand Mesa Scenic & Historic Byway.

The Grand Mesa is the world’s largest flattop mountain and is located east of Grand Junction. Visitors can access the Grand Mesa from Highway 65, which links Interstate 70 in De Beque Canyon with Highway 50 near Delta. The visitor center is located on top of Grand Mesa.

Moose have historically been found on the Grand Mesa in small numbers but a re-introduction effort started in 2005 by the Colorado Division of Wildlife has transplanted dozens of moose to the area. Today, biologists with the agency estimate that the now self-sustaining population numbers approximately 150 moose. The moose population is expected to grow to around 450 animals. The moose transplant and educational efforts about the moose have been funded by Colorado sportsmen through hunting license fees and by the Colorado Chapter of Safari Club International through member funding and through the organization’s annual raffle of a moose hunting license.

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

If you perused your latest edition of Eastmans Bowhunting Journal you might have seen the profile of my bowhunting buddy, Marc Smith.  Marc shares his secrets for archery mule deer success in the July issue of EBJ. 

If you are in the Rocky mountain region, you might want to swing by to see him in person as well.  Here is the email I just received from him:

Join me Saturday July 24th at 1:00 pm at the Sportsman’s Warehouse in Colorado Springs, CO. Eastmans’ Hunting Journal will have their Trophy Mule Deer Tour there on display and I will be holding a seminar on Bowhunting High Country Mule Deer, (The Coolest animals on Earth)!!

It will be a fun day of Mule Deer excitement and I believe there will be a chili cook off as well… should be a fun yummy time!

I hope to see you there!

Marc Smith
www.wildcountryoutdoors.com

DURANGO, Colo. – Colorado Division of Wildlife officers shot and killed a bear early Saturday morning that bit a man near the Animas River in Durango.

The victim reported he was sleeping outside when he was bitten by a bear through his blanket at about 2:30 a.m. He received a minor wound during the attack and was able to escape the bear by entering into a nearby building.

Officers from the DOW and the U.S. Department of Agriculture responded immediately with tracking dogs, which led officers directly to a male bear approximately three blocks from where the incident took place. DOW officers shot and killed the animal. The bear carcass was identified by several people who witnessed the incident as the bear that bit the man.

“A bear that bites a person – or loses its fear of people may be a serious threat to public safety,” said Patt Dorsey, area wildlife manager for the DOW in Durango. “In the interest of public safety, we chose to remove this animal as quickly as possible.”

The carcass of the bear that was killed by DOW officers underwent a necropsy at Colorado State University. The stomach contents of the bear demonstrated that the bear was using human-provided food sources. This is almost always the case with bears involved in human conflicts. A package of hamburger and an ice cream-container were found in the bear’s stomach.

There are several transient camps in the area of Durango where the attack occurred. These camps can attract bears due to easy access to trash and food.

The DOW reminds Colorado residents that bears easily habituate to human sources of food and that habituated bears may become aggressive. People living in or visiting bear country are urged to eliminate access to all food sources, to take appropriate measures to secure doors and windows in their homes and to report encounters with aggressive bears.

Most bears sighted in residential areas within bear habitat do not cause damage. If a bear does not find food, it usually moves on.

For more information on bear proofing your home and techniques for deterring bears in your neighborhood, visit www.wildlife.state.co.us/bears.

BAILEY, Colo. – A 51 year-old Bailey man who discovered a bear in his home early Thursday morning suffered bite wounds when he approached the animal in his basement in an effort to make it leave. The 320-pound male bear was later shot and killed.

According to wildlife officers, the family heard sounds in their kitchen soon after midnight on Thursday morning and quickly determined that a bear had entered the home. The homeowner attempted to monitor the bear’s whereabouts and was bit as the bear tried to get past him.

Responding alongside deputies from the Park County Sheriff’s Office, a Division of Wildlife Officer located the bear outside the home and killed it.

“The instructions we give our Wildlife Officers is clear – public safety is our first priority,” said Reid DeWalt, Area Wildlife Manager. “Bears that enter homes are a threat to public safety. When we’re dealing with aggressive or habituated wildlife, people come first.”

The victim was taken to Swedish Medical Center in Littleton and released early this morning.

Most conflicts between people and bears involve some sort of food source. In this case, wildlife officers said the door to a garage containing accessible trash and a refrigerator was open. In addition, officers reported that the door from the garage into the home appeared to be not latching correctly. The DOW reminds Colorado residents that bears can smell food from miles away, be it birdfeed, pet food, a greasy barbeque grill grate or accessible refuse and that bears which become habitatuated to people will seek such food sources out.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife recommends the following:

If a wild animal enters your home, leave and call for help. Animals who feel cornered or threatened are a threat to humans or pets.

Make your property safe by keeping garbage out of reach and smell of bears. Use bear-proof trash containers. Be sure garbage cans are emptied regularly. Periodically clean garbage cans to reduce residual odor—using hot water and chlorine bleach, or by burning trash residue in cans. Store trash in a bear proof enclosure. Contact the Division of Wildlife for designs.

Lock all ground-level windows and doors. Bears are smart—when they learn that homes contain food, they may try to enter.

If you have pets, do not store their food or feed them outside. Clean your BBQ grill of grease and store inside. Hang bird seed, suet and hummingbird feeders on a wire between trees instead of on your deck or porch. Bring all bird feeders in at night. Do not put fruit, melon rinds and other tasty items in mulch or compost piles.

Most bears sighted in residential areas within bear habitat do not cause any damage. If a bear doesn’t find abundant food, it will move on.

Aggressive bear attacks are rare, but encounters such as this one have increased as Colorado’s population grows. The bear population has not increased, but the number of people living, working and recreating in bear country has.

There are no definite rules about what to do if you meet a bear. In most cases, bears avoid confrontations with people.

Here are some suggestions if you see a bear:

–Stay calm. If you see a bear and it has not seen you, calmly leave the area. As you move away, make noise to let the bear discover your presence.

–Stop. Back away slowly while facing the bear. Avoid direct eye contact, as bears may perceive this as a threat.

–Give the bear plenty of room to escape. Bears rarely attack people unless they feel threatened or provoked.

–Do not run. If on a trail, step off the trail on the downhill side and slowly move away. Do not run or make any sudden movements. Running is likely to prompt the bear to give chase, and you cannot outrun a bear.

–Speak softly. This may reassure the bear that you mean it no harm. Try not to show fear.

–If a black bear attacks you, use tools such as rocks, sticks, binoculars and even their bare hands to defend yourself. Aim for the nose or eyes if possible.

For more information on bear proofing your home and other ways to deter bears in your neighborhood, visit www.wildlife.state.co.us/bears.

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

GUNNISON, Colo. — Hunters are reminded that over-the-counter with caps licenses for elk and bear will be available starting at 9 a.m., July 13 at Colorado Division of Wildlife offices, License Agent businesses, and by phone or on-line.

New for the 2010 season in the Gunnison Basin are elk licenses that are specific for Game Management Unit 54. These licenses are available for purchase over-the-counter but with caps on the number available. There will be 500 either-sex licenses available on first-come first-served basis. General over-the-counter bull tags are no longer valid in Unit 54 during second season.

Hunters who wish to hunt in this unit during second season are advised to buy their licenses well before the start of the season.

Cow elk over-the-counter with caps licenses also are available in Game Management Units 25 and 26. These units are located north of I-70, approximately between Gypsum and Yampa.

Anyone who wants to hunt bears during the regular rifle season must hold a deer or an elk tag for the same manner of take, the same season and the same unit in which bear will be hunted. To properly manage bear harvest, all bear licenses for Colorado are area specific and limited in quantity.

To buy a license by phone, call 1-800-244-5613, or go the DOW’s web site at: http://wildlife.state.co.us/ShopDOW/AppsAndLicenses.
Hunters are encouraged to go on-line to buy these licenses.

Leftover licenses for all of Colorado go on sale Aug. 10. For more information go to http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/BigGame/Leftovers/.

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

KREMMLING, Colo – A women-only beginner fly-fishing and shotgun seminar in the Kremmling area on June 26 has been opened to women statewide. This clinic is designed for women who are interested in learning safe firearm handling, shooting skills and fly-fishing. No experience or equipment required. The clinic begins at 8:30am and will conclude mid-afternoon.
There is a $15 charge that will cover lunch.

For details or to register, please contact Kris Holinka or Sarah Reachard at (970) 725-6200. Space is limited and the clinic is expected to fill quickly.

Kim Herfut of Elk Hunting University offers the critical 5 Ps of a successful elk hunt in the March 23 lesson of EHU. Did you know the license application deadline is just eight days away, Tuesday April 6th! Justin Gindlesperger of Elk Hunting University has added some food for thought about purchasing a license in his article released today. It is Spring Break at EHU; make sure you are back at class on April 12th, when we will discuss using technology to aid in your scouting and hunting planning for the fall.
http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/ElkHuntingUniversity/

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