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Deer Rebound - 2007
The fading camp fire draws the hunters closer together. As night closes in, Grandpa tells of a time when monster bucks spread across the landscape. And then he offers a cautionary tale of when deer became harder to find and the great elk rose up as the hunt of choice.
Colorado's deer population was in trouble in the 1990s. A series of hard winters resulted in low fawn survival and the statewide deer population was impacted. Beyond overall population concerns, the buck-doe ratio began to decline and as a result, hunter satisfaction decreased. In 1999, with the support of hunters, the Colorado Division of Wildlife dramatically limited the number of available deer licenses. Because deer licenses had previously been available over-the-counter in unlimited numbers, the reduction meant that there were far fewer hunters in the field. The number of deer hunters in Colorado dropped from an average of 185,000 per year in the 80s and early 90s to roughly 90,000 per year from 1999 to 2006.
Thanks to some relatively mild winters and the switch to limited licenses, Colorado's mule deer population is coming back. Beyond the population rebound, the quality of the herd is also rising. Buck hunters are expressing increasing satisfaction with the quality of bucks seen on most hunts. From a low of 10 bucks to every 100 does in some units, mule deer in western Colorado are now experiencing buck-doe ratios closer to 40 to100 in some places.
"The quality of the deer now is as good as ever," said Perry Will, Area Wildlife Manager for the DOW in Glenwood Springs. "With limited licenses we have a chance to manage deer herds like we never have."
While deer licenses will probably never return to over-the-counter unlimited status in Colorado, there has been an increase in available licenses. Beginning in 2006, doe licenses in many game management units in northwest Colorado became "List B" licenses, meaning it's possible for hunters to have both a buck and a doe tag in the same year.
Looking beyond the trophy mule deer opportunities in Colorado, one can find a unique opportunity to contribute to the future of hunting. A doe hunt can be a great opportunity to teach a youth or someone new to the sport how to hunt. Deer hunts tend to be short and relatively easy. Deer also offer a simple way to teach new hunters how to field dress animals and care for and transport game meat.
"Unfortunately a lot of our deer hunters went away when licenses became limited," said Northwest Regional Manager Ron Velarde. "Now we're back to the point that we have more deer, but we need to let people know. Maybe we can bring a few of those hunters back. And if we're lucky they'll bring a son, daughter, spouse, grandson, niece, or neighbor kid out with them."
If you've ever wished there was more opportunity to pass the hunting tradition on to the next generation, now could be your chance in Colorado.
Division of Wildlife
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