Moose management plans for CPW's Southwest Region open for public comment

John Livingston
Southwest Region Public Information Officer
970-759-9590 / [email protected]
@CPW_SW

DURANGO, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife has published draft Herd Management Plans (HMPs) for moose populations in the Southwest Region. The draft plans are open to public comment through Aug. 31, 2025.

“Public feedback on our herd management plans is critical, as we manage these herds in the best interests of all Coloradans,” said CPW Senior Wildlife Biologist Jamin Grigg. “Our Herd Management Plans dictate how our moose in the region will be managed for a 10-year period, so it’s crucial for us to hear if people prefer specific alternatives or if they have management recommendations that differ from those of our biologists.”

The primary purpose of HMPs is to establish management objectives for each herd in terms of a desired population size range and management metrics such as sex ratios or average age of harvested animals. The allocation of hunting licenses each year is driven by the plans.

The HMPs will guide the management of the two moose populations occurring in the Southwest Region through 2035. These two moose Data Analysis Units (DAUs) contain an estimated 650 animals, representing 19% of the statewide total population estimate of 3,500 moose.

READ MORE: View the Draft Moose Herd Management Plans for the Southwest Region.

Local CPW staff have conducted outreach to inform the various proposed management objective alternatives for each HMP. Evaluation of newly available optional hunter satisfaction data from annual hunter harvest surveys, as well as meetings with the public, local governments and organizations, and other stakeholders, have guided the development of these plans and management alternatives.

The two HMPs aim to maintain a slowly increasing population of moose in southwest Colorado.

“Moose populations have been slowly increasing and expanding since the reintroduction efforts that started in northern Colorado in the 1970s and continued in southern Colorado in the Upper Rio Grande River Basin in the early 1990s,” said Grigg. “We would like to continue the current management to allow moose populations to continue to expand and slowly increase.”

Here’s a more detailed look at each of the HMPs:

Data Analysis Unit M-4

M-4 incorporates Game Management Units 65, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 681, 682, 711, 741, 751, 771 and 791 in parts or all of of Archuleta, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Montezuma, Montrose, Mineral, Ouray, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan and San Miguel counties.

The previous M-4 HMP was approved in 2005 with a population objective of 350-500 moose, and the current population is estimated at 500 moose.

CPW has recommended a population objective of 500 moose for the next 10 years while allowing for some growth. CPW has also recommended a preferred age structure of harvested bulls to be 4 to 6 years of age with an antler spread exceeding 40 inches.

“This population will be managed to maintain a healthy and viable population of moose while avoiding excessive damage to riparian areas,” Grigg said. “The plan will allow for hunting opportunities for bulls and cows while simultaneously maintaining high productivity in the herd, and it will provide adequate opportunities for recreational viewing. We have proposed maintaining an increasing population while simultaneously working collaboratively with federal partner agencies to monitor human social tolerance and habitat conditions to avoid conflicts and ecological degradation.”

M-4 covers approximately 5,957 square miles and includes the majority of the Brunot Treaty area that spans 3.7 million acres within the San Juan Mountain region in southwest Colorado. As such, CPW has conducted outreach to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

“Working in tandem with our Tribal neighbors is of utmost importance to CPW as we cooperatively manage wildlife species, including moose, migrating seasonally across political boundaries,” Grigg said. “Annual meetings, harvest reporting and open communication have allowed CPW and the Tribes to collaborate on population monitoring, radio-collaring efforts and habitat improvement and connectivity. Tribal lands provide essential winter ranges and other seasonally-important habitats for a variety of wildlife, and the partnership between CPW and the Tribes is critical for future wildlife conservation in southwest Colorado.”

Data Analysis Unit M-12

CPW’s Southwest Region manages M-12 in coordination with the Southeast Region. M-12 incorporates GMUs 48, 55, 56, 481, 551 and 561 in parts or all of Chaffee, Gunnison, Lake and Saguache counties.

There was no previous population objective set for this unit by CPW or other land management agencies. The current population estimate is 100 to 150 moose.

The draft HMP recommends maintaining an increasing population of 125 to 175 animals. CPW has again recommended a preferred age structure of harvested bulls to be 4 to 6 years of age with an antler spread exceeding 40 inches.

“The Taylor River drainage contains the highest concentration of moose in the western units within this DAU,” Grigg said. “There is a more varied distribution across the eastern units. CPW anticipates moose to continue to increase and disperse throughout the DAU.”

The draft moose plans are open to public comment through Aug. 31. Please submit public comments to Grigg at [email protected].

Comments will also be accepted by mail addressed to:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Attn. Jamin Grigg
415 Turner Drive
Durango, CO 81303

To see all CPW Herd Management Plans, go to cpw.state.co.us/plans-and-reports. A map showing DAUs M-4 (purple) and M-12 (tan) for moose in CPW's Southwest Region.