To have a nomination considered in the 2005 hunts, interested parties are asked to nominate specific DAUs for limited elk management to the DOW and Wildlife Commission by June 17, 2004.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) is giving the public the opportunity to increase the amount of available limited bull elk hunting in the state, after the Colorado Wildlife Commission opted to consider public requests to increase the amount of limited bull elk hunting in the state.
Currently, approximately 13 percent of the bull elk hunting in Colorado is limited. Limited hunting can create hunts with lower hunter densities that will produce older age class bulls and generally larger elk, depending upon the limits in place. The Wildlife Commission has authorized an increase in limited hunting opportunity to as high as 30 percent, with as many as three currently unlimited, over-the-counter Data Analysis Units (DAUs) being limited to hunters and managed for limited hunting as soon as the 2005 season.
The DOW divides the state into DAUs that are again divided into Game Management Units (GMUs). These proposed public nominations are restricted to DAUs because they include the entire range of an elk herd. Therefore, to correctly manage an elk herd as limited, the entire DAU needs to be included.
Changing management strategies have the potential to impact areas economically, agriculturally, and in terms of hunting opportunity for resident and nonresident hunters. For that reason, the Wildlife Commission is interested in hearing from constituents who may be impacted by the change. The DOW has developed a process that will incorporate public expectations of stakeholders and interested other parties into this decision. To have a nomination considered in the 2005 hunts, interested parties are asked to nominate specific DAUs for limited elk management to the DOW and Wildlife Commission by June 17, 2004. Nominations submitted after June 17 will be considered for the 2006 hunting season.
Nomination instructions and the calendar for the nomination process can be found at the following DOW offices: Denver, Grand Junction, Durango, Colorado Springs, Gunnison, Craig, Meeker, Monte Vista, Montrose, Glenwood Springs, Ft. Collins, Salida and Steamboat Springs.
These instructions and additional information can also be found on the Internet at: http://wildlife.state.co.us/hunt/limitedDAUprocess/index.asp.
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