The goal is to build on the success of last year’s record elk harvest with another season where hunters kill more than 61,000 elk during the annual fall and early-winter hunt. The Division issued more than 136,000 antlerless and either sex licenses in 2002.

Hunting is the DOW’s primary tool for managing the state’s big game populations. When game populations are above objective, more antlerless and either-sex licenses are issued. When the population falls below objectives, fewer licenses are issued. The DOW’s elk harvest objective for the upcoming season is nearly 65,000 elk, 5,000 more than last year’s harvest objective.

The Commission also approved limited licenses for deer, black bear, pronghorn and moose, similar to the totals issued in 2002.

“In two of the last three years we’ve exceeded our harvest objectives for elk and for the first time, we’re beginning to see a decrease in the elk population in areas where we’ve been over objective for some time,” said John Ellenberger, the DOW’s big game coordinator. “But we’re still substantially above our population objectives in some areas and we are making a large number of antlerless and either-sex licenses available in those places.”

Ellenberger said the record number of limited elk licenses is only one step in the Division’s overall effort to reduce the antlerless elk population in some areas.

Colorado will continue to sell nonresident antlerless elk licenses for substantially less than bull licenses. Nonresidents can purchase a cow license for $250, while the more popular bull elk licenses cost $480. Colorado residents pay $30 for elk licenses.