From no doe hunting in North Park to the reinstatement of new antlerless elk licenses in the fourth season, several Colorado Parks and Wildlife hunting regulation changes are in store for hunters this year. Following is a wrap-up of what to expect in Northwest Colorado.
ElkElk
Elk
New antlerless hunts — Fourth season licenses for GMU 32 are being reinstated this year, and a new private-land-only season is offered in GMU 511.
Closed hunts — Late season antlerless hunts in GMUs 21, 40, 58, 59 and 581 have been closed. Resident elk populations in those areas are at or below population objectives set by CPW.
Hunt code changes — Hunters should pay close attention to hunt codes as there are some hunt changes around the state. Antlerless tags in GMU 20 are now List A; antlerless licenses in 41, 42, 52, 411, 421 and 521 are now List B; the either-sex licenses in the northwest region are again separate bull or cow licenses; and the antlerless hunts in GMUs 25 and 26 are no longer over-the-counter with caps, hunters must now apply in the draw for these tags.
DeerDeer
Deer
New hunts — There are a variety of new hunts for both bucks and does this year. They include: doe hunts in the Gunnison Basin GMUs 66 and 67; private-land-only hunts for bucks near Boulder Creek in GMUs 29 and 38; and private-land-only doe hunts in GMU 96 with a season-choice tag.
Closed hunts — North Park deer herd numbers have remained low for six years. To help restore this herd, doe hunting in the North Park area is currently not available.
PronghornPronghorn
Pronghorn
New hunts — GMUs 66 and 551 in the Gunnison Basin are re-opening this year for pronghorn hunting. Harsh winters in 2007-08 decimated the area’s herds, but through CPW biological management and transplant efforts, the population has increased to allow hunting once again. Also, GMUs 9 and 191 near Fort Collins move from private-land-only to public hunts this year to allow hunters to access public properties like Soapstone and Red Mountain Ranch Open Space areas.
MooseMoose
Moose
Mandatory tooth extraction — To keep age records of moose harvested, CPW is introducing a tooth extraction this year. During the mandatory inspection, an incisor tooth from the bottom jaw will be pulled.
New hunts — numerous new hunts are available around the state. These include bull hunts in GMUs 12, 23 and 24, and cow hunts in GMUs 39, 41, 42, 46, 49, 52, 411, 421, 500, 501 and 521.
Check forest service closuresCheck forest service closures
Check forest service closures
Projects on the National Forest can impact access any time of the year. Closures of areas, roads and trails can change quickly. Your hunting destination or access route may be affected. For information on current closures, visit www.fs.usda.gov/goto/r2/huntnfs-cowww.fs.usda.gov/goto/r2/huntnfs-co. .
www.fs.usda.gov/goto/r2/huntnfs-co.
Habitat stamp requirementsHabitat stamp requirements
Habitat stamp requirements
If you haven’t purchased a 2013 Habitat Stamp, you must buy one or submit the payment with one of your big-game applications to be entered into the draw. New this year: Applications submitted for hunters who do not already have a 2013 Habitat Stamp will be disqualified from the draw. If you apply for more than one species, include the Habitat Stamp payment with just one of your applications.