COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE

Apiary Fencing

Apiary prevention fencing may be available to beekeepers in the following options. 

Example Apiary Layouts with Requirements (Beeyards)

• 8’ x 8’ electric fence
• Watch CPW’s step-by-step video guide on setting up an 8x8 electric apiary fence.
• 20’ x 20’ electric fence
  
• 40’ x 40’ electric fence

Other Apiary Guidelines

• Building a Secure Beehive Enclosure brochure
• Successful Apiary Fence Operation

• Corner Brace for Apiaries
  

Contact your local CPW office and ask to speak to a District Area Manager (DWM) about apiary fencing requirements.

Back to the Top ^

How to Apply for Fencing/Prevention Materials

All fencing requests must be requested through​​ the local District Wildlife Manager (DWM). Contact a DWM through your local CPW Office to arrange a site visit, and discuss the requirements and obligations and application process.

If CPW offers to provide me with fencing, how long do I have to accept the offer?

If CPW offers, in writing, to furnish fencing to a landowner and the offer is refused or the landowner does not respond within 30 days, CPW shall not be responsible for any subsequent damage until such time as the landowner makes a written request for fencing materials at which time the provision of (#1720.B) shall apply (#1720.C).

Once CPW provides fencing, how long do I have to put the fencing up?

If the landowner does not erect permanent game damage prevention materials within a reasonable time period after receipt of materials, not to exceed 270 days, to prevent the anticipated damage, or if the materials are not erected in such a manner as to reasonably prevent damage, the Division shall not be responsible for any subsequent damage caused by the failure to use such materials.  When materials have been provided for temporary game damage prevention or electric fence surrounding apiaries, this time period shall not exceed 15 days from the date of receipt of materials.  Damage prevention materials may be delivered by the Division to any person if the request is the result of game damage occurring in any area where it has not normally occurred (#1720.B).

Who will be responsible for maintaining and repairing the fencing?

• All permanent stackyards or fences or panels furnished or constructed by CPW shall be maintained and repaired for their normal life by the landowner unless damaged or destroyed by wildlife.  

• Materials for repairing damages by wildlife to permanent fencing or panels in excess of $100 shall be furnished by CPW and shall remain the property of CPW (#1722.A).
  

Damage to Fencing due to Negligence or Improper Use

In the event that damaged prevention materials are destroyed or made unusable through negligence or abuse or they are used for any purposes other than the prevention of game damage CPW may take one or more of the following actions: 

1.  After written notice to the landowner, CPW may remove the materials from the landowner’s owned or leased land; 

2. CPW may require payment for any damaged or misused materials or may refuse to issue any additional prevention materials until the landowner has paid for the damaged or misused materials. The amount of payment shall be the cost of new materials of similar construction, reduced by a depreciation factor based on the normal life of these materials; 

3. CPW may deny all or part of a big game damage claim where proper use and maintenance of damage prevention materials would have prevented or reduced the damage (#1722(C)&(D)).
   
   

Back to the Top ^

Game Damage Reimbursement (Claims)

What types of damage can I ask for reimbursement for?

Types of game damage reimbursement include growing crops, harvested crops, lawful fences, livestock, livestock forage, nurseries, orchards and personal property used in the production of raw agricultural products. 

Reimbursement for wildlife damages shall be reduced by the amount of claim awarded by an insurance company for the same damages (C.R.S. 33-3-104(9)).

Damage not eligible for Reimbursement from CPW

The State shall not be liable for damage to livestock caused by coyote, bobcats or dogs; damage to motor vehicles caused by wildlife; injury or the death caused by wildlife; damages, if the Division has furnished to the claimant sufficient and appropriate damage prevention materials and the claimant has refused to accept or use such materials exclusively for game damage prevention, and if the provisions of section 33-3-103.5 have been complied with by the Division and the claimant; and damages, if the claimant has willfully failed to maintain damage prevention materials throughout the normal life of such materials, and such materials have not been damaged or destroyed by wildlife (33-3-103(a-g)).

How do I file a game damage claim?

Important: contact your local CPW office and ask to speak to a District Wildlife Manager (DWM)  immediately upon discovery of damage to file a claim.

To successfully file a claim, you must complete the required paperwork and meet required deadlines.

• CPW staff will provide you with the correct paperwork and can answer questions regarding the claim procedures.

• Throughout the process, the claimant is responsible for timely notifications, completion of forms, efforts to mitigate the damage and assisting CPW personnel investigating the claim.

• The claimant must be able to prove the damage was caused by big game and that the value being claimed is reasonable.

How do I estimate a reasonable value for my damaged property?

To determine a (fair market value) claim amount, see the following websites:

• AMS Market News – Farm commodity market reports from the USDA, covering livestock, poultry, grains including hay, fruits, vegetables and specialty crops.
• Centennial Livestock Auction – Fort Collins, covering cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, horses and hay.
  
• La Junta Livestock Commission – La Junta, covering cattle.
• Sterling Livestock Commission – Sterling, covering cattle.
• Greeley Producers Livestock Marketing Association – Greeley, covering cattle and hay.
• National Honey Board & National Honey Report

Back to the Top ^

Identify Game Damage

What is considered damage?

Damage is any change in the quality or quantity of any property which reduces its value. Damage shall include all costs necessary to restore property to its condition immediately prior to damage, to replace it with property of equal value or to compensate for restoration or replacement (#1700(H)).

Wildlife Damage

To determine if the damage was caused by eligible big game species, see the following websites:

• Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management – a non-profit, grant funded site that provides research-based information on how to responsibly handle wildlife damage problems.
  
• National Wildlife Research Center: Wildlife Damage Management – provides information and resources pertaining to all aspects of wildlife damage management.
  
• Texas Agrilife Extension Services – Texas website with individual species control leaflets.
  
• Coyote/Sheep Damage Prevention and Control – from the Missouri Department of Conservation
  
• Coping with Coyotes – from the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension
  
• Wildlife Damage information - from United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
  
• Producers Guide to Livestock Depredations (4 MB); Una guía para el productor sobre la depredación del ganado​ (En Español)​​ (4 MB)​ - developed by CPW for Colorado's livestock owners as a general reference guide to assist with identifying livestock depredations.​
  

Tracks, Tracking and Scat

To determine by tracks or scat if the damage was caused by eligible big game species, see the following websites:

• Beartracker’s Animal Tracks Den – an online field guide to track and tracking.

Back to the Top ^

Colorado Revised Statutes and Rules and Regulations

• Colorado Statutes – through Lexis/Nexis reference Title 33
• CPW Rules and Regulations – Chapter 17 - Game Damage