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 […]
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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, […]
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 […]
Gone But Not Forgotten: Justin Burns Memorial Hunts

By Dale Shrull The raw emotions still hit Cory Burns hard when he talks about his son Justin. He doesn’t like to talk about the tragic day of Sept. 13, 2015, when his son was killed in a senseless act of irresponsible hunting. But Cory wants to keep his son’s memory alive and he wants […]
Shoot Straight
By Dave Buchanan You can picture it now. Your hunting partner finally has the only shot of the day, takes care aim and Bang! “Damn. I missed.” I’m not saying it’s ever happened to you, but there are times when that “sure thing” turned into a miss or, even worse, a wounded animal that got […]
Know your GMU

By Dave Buchanan Late last fall, as I walked out of the woods on the final evening of my elk hunt, I had but one consolation: I knew my hunting unit better than I had on Day One. After eight years of hunting a unit in the Gunnison Basin, I I shifted last year a […]
High-Tech Hunting: Definition of “fair chase” at issue
By Dave Buchanan Smart rifles that never miss? Night-vision cameras to help find and track game? Cell phone apps that turn your riflescope into a heat-sensing targeting system? The list of high-tech hunting gear grows every year. And so, it seems, do the advantages enjoyed by a well-wired and tech-savvy population that each year seems […]
Top Gun Archer Dougo Wentzel

By Melinda Mawdsley All was quiet in the early morning hours of the annual Western Colorado elk rut. Dougo Wentzel and a group of archery hunters moved into the middle of an opening when Wentzel started cow calling to see what animals were around. Within 45 minutes, he saw his opportunity and the calm morning […]