Ask any elk hunter worth his weight in lead what the top hunting units are in Colorado, and GMUs 1, 2, 10 and 201 in the far northwest corner of the state rise to the top of the list like smoke from a muzzleloader. Bulls in the 300-plus size are common, and elk tend to […]
Author: Eugene Buchanan
Siblings in guiding: Craig’s Duzik sisters keep it all in the family

Whether it’s guiding hunters for elk or mountain lion, Craig sisters Taylor, 24, and Mattie Jo, 20, Duzik have moved from being siblings around the supper table to two of Craig’s most sought-after guides. Just six and three years out of Moffat County High School, respectively, the two already share nearly a dozen years of […]
Bear poacher gets 12-year hunting ban

Take your meat after your kill. That’s the take-home from a court decision recently handed down to a South Dakota man who was convicted in 2018 of killing and wasting a black bear in Routt County: He has lost his hunting and fishing privileges for 12 years. Robert Stalley, 58, of Pierre, South Dakota, pleaded […]
Antler amplitude: Year’s moisture could lead to big antler growth

Hoping for a trophy? This could be the year you get the mount of a lifetime. “We could see some great antler growth this year with all the moisture we’ve had creating high grass,” says Russ Lambert, co-owner of Colorado Outfitters. “Elk up high usually find good grass anyway, but it could have a great […]
Meet Antler Man Ron Crawford

Happy with the rack from your recent trophy? That’s nothing compared to the collection amassed by Ron Crawford of Oak Creek. Nicknamed “Antler Man,” Crawford, 66, has amassed a collection of more than 1,200 found and purchased elk antlers at his home, which more than 300 onlookers witnessed when he put them on rare display […]
Take a Friend Hunting, Win Prizes! (Courtesy of CPW)
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, along with our hunting partners, is encouraging hunters to take a friend into the field. As a reward for taking time to teach a new hunter, we’ve created a contest for mentors who pass on their knowledge. Take a novice hunter out and be entered to win some great prizes by […]
The word on the herd: Hunting outlooks for elk, deer in Northwest Colorado

By DAVE BUCHANAN After a winter and late spring marking one of the wettest years in nearly a decade, this year’s hunting season — if you were lucky enough to get a license — is shaping up to be another great one in Northwest Colorado. Not unexpectedly, after the winter’s deepest snows arrived in March, […]
What’s New for 2019 (Plus Fees and Seasons)

What’s new for hunting in western Colorado this year? Plenty, affecting everything from license sales to youth hunting options and GMUs. We checked in with Colorado Parks & Wildlife for changes to put on your radar. ▶FUTURE GENERATIONS ACT PASSED: Hunters and anglers helped support 2018’s Future Generations Act, which and Colorado Parks and Wildlife […]
Colorado Parks and Wildlife seeks public feedback on future of big game hunting seasons

DENVER — Colorado Parks and Wildlife seeks public input on the structure of the state’s big game hunting seasons for 2020 through 2024, according to a CPW news release. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission sets big game season structures in five-year increments, providing consistency for sportsmen, hunting-related businesses, landowners and communities. Colorado’s big game […]
Steve Walls: Will you be ready when the work begins?

There’s really nothing quite like the fresh smell of mountain air as the sky begins to turn light and the early morning thermals begin to breathe up the mountain. By the time this phenomenon occurs, I am usually drenched in sweat, and my body is beginning to cool from the hour and a half hike that […]