CPW urges hunters to pay attention to big game license changes in Severe Winter Zone when planning 2024 hunt

Rachael Gonzales
Northwest Region Public Information Officer
970-773-8587 / [email protected]
Twitter: @CPW_NW CPW urges hunters to pay attention to big game license changes in Severe Winter Zone when planning 2024 hunt

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -  With the primary draw license application period opening March 1, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is urging hunters to pay attention to big game license reductions in the Severe Winter Zone in Northwest Colorado when planning their 2024 hunt.

During the month of January, Meeker and Craig area biologists completed annual classification flights throughout the northwest corner of Colorado, including areas hit hard by the 2022-23 severe winter. Classification flights allow CPW biologists to assess recruitment of young animals into the population and estimate sex ratios. All are important when determining herd health for big game species such as elk, deer and pronghorn. 

"As expected, overall numbers of animals observed during the flights were down due to the mortality that occurred last winter,” said CPW Terrestrial Biologist Darby Finley. “However, we are encouraged by what we observed in terms of the composition of the herds, especially the fawn and calf ratios. Hopefully conditions this winter and spring will continue to be mild and allow for recruitment of this year's fawns and calves to the yearling age class. That is the first step along the road to recovering the herds."

Another positive local area biologists noted from the flights was how widely distributed animals were across winter ranges. Unlike last year when large groups of animals were packed into a small area, this year animals were scattered across a wide range of habitat at different elevations and at relatively low densities. These observations bode well for recovery, indicating a mild winter and minimal spread of disease. This should help to promote recruitment in the coming years. 

The Bear's Ears herds were most notable in terms of fewer elk, pronghorn, and in pockets, deer.  While bull ratios are low, good calf survival will lead to higher yearling recruitment in 2024, CPW biologists believe bull ratios should start to bounce back. Bull ratios within the White River herd were slightly lower than the long-term average and are expected to recover more quickly. 

While CPW biologists were encouraged by what they saw during this year's flights, overall numbers are still down due to the mortality that occurred last winter. These observations prompted local area and regional staff to recommend additional changes in the severe winter zone. The following changes were approved by Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission during the January PWC meeting.

SEASON DATES:
For 2024, 2nd and 3rd rifle season dates will return to the nine days for 2nd season and seven days for 3rd season dates.

Dates are as follows: 
2nd rifle: Oct. 26 - Nov. 3
3rd rifle: Nov. 9 - Nov. 15.

ELK: 
Rifle Over-The-Counter (OTC)
In the severe winter zone, rifle antlered licenses will be limited for hunting on public lands in Data Analysis Unit (DAU) E-02 (GMUs 3, 301, 4, 441, 5, 14, 214) and the following Game Management Units (GMUs) within DAU E-06 (GMUs 11, 211, 12, 13, 131, 231, 23, 24). 

If you want to hunt bull elk during the 2nd or 3rd rifle seasons in GMUs 3, 301, 4, 441, 5, 14, 214 you will need to apply for hunt codes EM003O2R or EM003O3R. If you want to hunt bull elk during the 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons in GMUs 11, 211, 12, 13, 131, 231, 23, 24 you will apply for hunt codes EM011O2R or EM011O3R for the 2024 and 2025 hunting seasons. These licenses will be valid on public and private lands. Hunting of antlered elk on private lands within this area will remain unlimited and available over the counter for the 2nd and 3rd seasons with the existing unlimited antlered licenses (hunt codes EM000U2R and EM000U3R) that are offered statewide.

This modification of OTC 2nd and 3rd season rifle licenses is effective for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 hunting seasons. 

Bear’s Ears (E-02)
Due to the severity of this past winter and the high elk mortality the Bear’s Ears herd suffered, all either-sex hunt codes within DAU E-02 will be replaced with antlered only hunt codes. Hunt codes EM003O1R (valid in GMUs 3, 4, 5, 301, 441), EM003O4R (valid in GMUs 3, 301), EM004O4R (valid in GMUs 4, 441), and EM005O4R (valid in GMU 5) were created to replace the old hunt codes EE003O1R, EE003O4R, EE004O4R, and EE005O4R.

Ranching for Wildlife - Bear’s Ears (E-02) and White River (E-06) 
An antler point restriction (4 points or more on one antler OR a brow tine of at least 5 inches long) will be instituted for all antlered elk taken on Ranching For Wildlife properties located in the Bear’s Ears (E-02) and White River (E-06) elk herds, effective for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 hunting seasons.

PRONGHORN:
The severity of the 2022-23 winter had significant impacts on the pronghorn population in DAU PH-09 (GMUs 3, 301, 4, 441, 5, 13, 14, and 214). Doe pronghorn hunting for all methods of take in this area will be closed for the 2024-2025 season.

The most significant of the above changes is the modification of the traditional second and third season OTC bull licenses, having limitation of these licenses for public land hunting opportunity. To hunt public lands during these seasons for bull elk, hunters will now need to apply in the drawing for one of these licenses as they will no longer be available for purchase over-the-counter.

“Last winter was historic in many ways,” said Finley. “Like last year, these recommendations were not easy to make. However, we still believe these substantial reductions in licenses will allow herds to recover as quickly as possible.”

It is important to note license quotas will not be finalized until the 2024 May Commission meeting. The annual license setting process is done using established Herd Management Plans (HMP), harvest data collected from previous year’s hunting season, classification flights done in the late fall and winter and collar data collected from deer and elk in select DAU’s. Using this information, regional and area terrestrial biologists meet with local staff to establish recommendations for that hunting season's licenses. These recommendations are then presented to the Commission for consideration. The Commission has the authority to modify and approve recommendations. This process is repeated annually to ensure objectives of the HMPs are met.

Learn more about the 2022-23 winter in Northwest Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s response in Colorado Outdoors online two-part story on the power of collaboration and surviving today and after the snow melts. Because of the wildlife impacts observed on the ground, CPW instituted unprecedented license reductions and changes to licensing allocation within this severe winter zone.

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PHOTO CUTLINES:
Top: Chart showing how CPW's annual license setting process works (click on image for larger view).
Bottom: Image of 2022-23 Severe Winter Zone in NW Colorado (click on image for larger view).