MEEKER, Colo- The Colorado Division of Wildlife and a private landowner in the Meeker area are teaming up to offer a special late season cow elk hunting opportunity in late November and December. Six hunters will be selected for this unguided elk hunt on the 2,900 acre Berryman property. Selected hunters must have a valid late season private land only cow elk license for unit 23 or an unfilled youth elk license from an earlier rifle season.

This hunt is open to anyone who is interested and eligible. Hunters interested in applying for the hunt must submit a letter of interest including their name, date of birth, contact information and CID number. Applicants must also submit a short note about why they should be selected for this special private land hunt opportunity. If a youth, the letter also needs to include the name and contact information for a parent or guardian who will attend the hunt with the youth.

Applications must be received at the Meeker DOW office by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9. Applications should be mailed to Bailey Franklin/Special Late Season Hunt, PO Box 1181, Meeker CO 81641.

Six hunters will be randomly selected from all eligible applicants. The selected hunters will be notified by Nov. 16 with hunt details and specific dates for the hunt. Questions about the hunt or application process should be directed to the Meeker DOW office at (970) 878-6090.

My friend Rich Howarth sent me pictures from his Fall elk hunting trip in Oregon.  While he didn’t tag out, He called in a great bull for his friend, Jason Callahan from Junction City, Oregon.  Now if I can just get him to rattle me in a good blacktail this November!

 

In the morning Ed, Jason and I set off to a ridge top saddle that is a primary game crossing between canyons. Having set up to locate, we pulled in a cow, but she spotted movement and calmly made her retreat. As we carefully made our way up the ridge spine, a bull bugled at the three “cows” that were making noise. He was only 30 yards away but, unfortunately; Ed was in the lead and stuck in the middle of the dog hair. I was behind and pulled the bull over to 15 yards, Ed could see his antlers and hear him breathing, but just could not get a clear shot, it was just too thick. The wind was perfect but, eventually, after a long game of cat and mouse the bull followed his suspicious cows down into the drainage.

We followed them down to the bottom, but with the bone dry conditions, we lost the trail. After hunting our way to the other side of the canyon, we set up on a high spot which allowed us to call into three separate areas. The country we hunt in is not conducive to spot and stalk, one’s best chances are to get the elk to reveal their location, move in close and pull the bull in with calls. However, this was proving to be rather difficult this year, the weather was extremely hot and the elk did not appear to be very enthusiastic. We were fairly sure elk were in the vicinity, but try as we might, we could not locate them in the midday heat. We decided to wait it out until later in the afternoon and take up the chase again.

After lounging in the shade on top for several hours, we started discussing our plans for the evening. With a sudden itch, Jason let out a sneeze. Call it coincidence, call it luck, we heard a distinct bugle only 300 yards away to the east and down the hill. It was 2 in the afternoon and the breeze was extremely unpredictable, switching back and forth, and we debated whether to sit there and wait for a better wind, or push our luck and go right at him. Ed suggested we split up, send two down to the bottom and work the bull from below, and keep one person on top to set up in a saddle to ambush the bull if he winded us and tried to escape over the top.

Jason and I made our way to the bottom and moved over to approach from below. After some doubtful moments trying to relocate the bull, he finally sounded off again about 150 yards up the hill. We carefully made our way into position, trying in vain to keep a favorable wind, until we thought we shouldn’t press it anymore. I started calling the bull with cow calls. He responded quickly, but after several minutes did not seem motivated to get out of his bed. With Jason set up hill and to the side about 30 yards, I switched to a cow call, followed by a bugle with my Chuckler tube. Immediately I heard the bull get up and start down the hill. In seconds, I spotted the bull on a fast walk, his antlers swaying as he came to investigate. When he made it to a grove of small hemlocks, he stopped and proceeded to thrash the trees. I ranged him at 70 yards and he proceeded to put on a display of tree abuse for several minutes. I watched to see if Jason would close the gap with the bull occupied, but he could only move when the bull turned his back. The breeze kept shifting and I was sure it was only a matter of time before it betrayed us. I needed to pull the bull down some more to get Jason a shot, so I looked around, spotted a suitable hemlock below me, snuck down to it, started raking the tree with a limb and hit him with another bugle.

That did the trick, and the bull quickly moved down to close the distance. I knew he was in range of Jason, and although the bull was slightly obscured, I heard the loud twang of Jason’s trusty old Hoyt and watched his arrow streak across to the bull followed by the inevitable “thwack!” The bull sprinted down the hill away from us both, but as he left our sight, we heard a distinct crash and the bull let out one last gurgled bugle.

Jason misjudged the distance and the bull turned right at the shot. While quite high, the arrow punctured both lungs and ended up lodging in the back quarter. He only made it 150 yards before he could go no further.

MONTROSE, Colo.–For the first time since 2004, hunting season for mountain lions will open again this year in a special study area west of Montrose.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife closed mountain lion hunting on a portion of the Uncompahgre Plateau in order to conduct research that will eventually provide new information on mountain lion population dynamics.

“The study is designed so that the DOW can examine the lion management structure and biological assumptions used for managing lions with sport hunting throughout Colorado,” said Ken Logan, the DOW researcher on the project.

Information being gathered includes: lion abundance, sex and age structure, reproduction, survival and causes of mortality during periods without and with sport-hunting. The study started in 2004 and will continue through 2014.

The research area includes the southern portions of Game Management Units 61, 62 and the northern portion of GMU 70.

For the study, lions are captured, fitted with radio collars and tracked remotely. Capturing the lions allows researchers to study lion population structure. The radio collars enable researchers to quantify reproduction, survival, causes of mortality and movement patterns.

Hunters interested in the research area must be aware of some special regulations. The hunting season in the research area is Nov. 16 through Jan. 31 — unless the harvest quota of eight animals is reached before Jan. 31. The objective of the harvest on the research area is to manage for a stable to increasing population just as the DOW manages most GMUs in Colorado to achieve a healthy self-sustaining population. Adult and independent sub-adult lions can be harvested. Hunters are prohibited from killing cubs or females that are followed by cubs.

Besides a regular mountain lion license, hunters must obtain a special permit to hunt on the research area. The permits are free and unlimited, and each is valid for 14 days. A hunter who does not take a lion within the 14 days can pick up another permit to continue hunting so long as the season is still open. Permits can be picked up starting on Nov. 2 at the DOW’s Montrose Service Center at 2300 S. Townsend Ave.

As in all other areas of the state, hunters must report harvest within 48 hours after the animal has been killed and the animal carcass must be shown to a DOW agent within five days of harvest. Hunters must check daily to see if the research area is still open by calling 1-888-940-LION (5466).

Hunters in the research area also are being asked to fill out a voluntary survey that is attached to each permit. Questions include: location of hunt, length of time hunted, description of lion tracks, descriptions of lions seen or harvested and other questions about lion hunting.

The surveys will provide important information about the lions in the population that hunters encounter and about how hunters hunt lions in Colorado. Hunters are asked to provide accurate information in the surveys to help the DOW improve lion management.

Regulations for this area and the entire state can be reviewed in the DOW’s 2009-10 Mountain Lion Hunting brochure which is available at all DOW offices, license agents and online at http://wildlife.state.co.us under the Rules/Regs section.

For more information about hunting in the research area, call the DOW’s Montrose office at (970)252-6000.

I spent two weekends in my hunting area.  Those weekends happened to be the last two weekends of Rifle season.  One thing that told me was where the deer were now, and if there were folks hunting an area, then it has produced in the past. 

Weekend of Oct 17

I left work Saturday at 1:00pm and arrived at my hunting area at 6:00 pm with about an hour of light left.  All the way up the road I saw hunting camps occupied.  I found a relatively flat spot and pulled off the road.  I was near the center of the area I was focusing on and it was apparent that the Rifle hunters focused on this area as well.  I had three camps within hearing distance, and I estimate about 50 hunters in those three camps.

My camp was pretty spartan.  A cot and sleeping bag, a roll up table, and a two burner propane stove.   Dinner was a can of soup, some French bread, and a cold Fat Tire amber ale.  The forcast was clear so I slept under the stars in my 30 degree rated Western Mountaineering Megalite down bag.   I did put it inside of a Ti Goat Bivy sac in case of a heavy dew or rain shower. 

In the morning I enjoyed a cup of coffee and a bowl of instant oatmeal as I waited for the sun to come up.  Since I’d never seen this ground before, I wanted to wait for daylight to drive the roads in the area and familiarize myself with the lay of the land.  My first foray was down to a trailhead that lead into a DEEP canyon.  After chatting with some other hunters I found another trail on the top of a ridge that I thought would give me a good view of the heart of the area I planned to hunt. 

I left my pack in the truck since I was just walking down the ridge.   I carried my rifle and a bear tag on the off chance that I spotted a bear.  By 9:00 am I spotted a bear feeding in a patch of oaks below me.  300 yards of hip high brush separated us.  The bear was oblivious since he was focused on feeding on the acorns that were falling like rain.  I tried to get him in the cross hairs, but the bear kept moving around the tree and feeding out of sight.  Twice, he fed around out of sight.  I had nothing for a good rest. 

Finally,  I found a low spot in the brush and took a knee when the bear fed out at 303 yards at a 19 degree down angle.  He turned broadside and the crosshairs danced over his shoulders.  I took a Deep Breath and….

JERKED THE TRIGGER!

The bullet kicked up the dirt behind and above the bear and I saw him wheel and dash into the trees.  I could hear his rhythmic stride and he busted through the brush headed to the deep and steep brushy draw below.  No bawl, no crash .  Just Thump-Crash, Thump-Crash getting further away.

And then the Fog rolled in.

At that point I decided to hike back to the truck and get my pack and wait for the fog to lift.  45 minutes later I was looking for the spot I fired from and eventually re-spotted the site of the shot.  I stepped off into the brush and fought my way down to the open oak patch.  A distinct bear trail lead through the oaks with bear scat every 6 feet along it.  I looked and found the tracks of my bear but no blood.  I did find a rodent chewed 3 point shed though.  After a Clif Bar and some jerky I fought my way through the brush to the top of the ridge.  That took me an hour to go 300 yards to the top of the ridge.  At that point I was glad I wasn’t weighed down by bear meat and a hide!

I spent the reminder of the day driving to lookout points and finding landmarks on the map.  I drove to the southern edge of the area my tag allowed me to hunt.  Doing that helped me to eliminate much of the area for a November hunt.  My one day of scouting had been worthwhile and I now had a knowledge base for the next weekend.

Mike Hoppis is a fellow California hunter who was fortunate enough to draw a Nevada tag for Mule Deer.  He put in a lot of time scouting the unit before hand and managed to connect on a nice mature buck after scouting a total of seven days before the season.   It was  the fourth day of the season when he finally squeezed the trigger on a nice 3×4 buck that in Mikes Words was “the best buck I saw by far and was just too good to pass. ”

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Southern Colorado hunters looking for tips to improve their elk hunting success are invited to a free seminar in Colorado Springs Oct. 29. The Colorado Division of Wildlife is sponsoring the event.

The clinic is a way for elk hunters to learn how and where to hunt elk and improve their success rate. The seminar covers several topics including preparation for the hunt, elk biology, hunting techniques, and ethical hunting.

“Beginning hunters and those with limited elk hunting experience will get the most from the clinic,” said Steve Lucero, an education/outreach coordinator for the DOW. “The clinic will have a lot to offer in terms of improving hunting skills, how to find quality hunting areas, and how to make sure you have a safe, successful hunt. Our goal is to help Colorado hunters improve their success in the field and provide an introduction to those who want to learn more about elk hunting.”

The clinic is from 6 – 9 p.m. at the DOW office at 4255 Sinton Road.

Admission is free, but space is limited to the first 50 who sign-up by calling (719)227-5200.

Well a few months ago it was confirmed that wolves moved into Oregon. the Oregon Wolf Program is headed up by Russ Morgan of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

You can find out about the status of wolves in Oregon at the ODFW Wolf Webpage.  The latest press release details a depredation that occured in Eastern Oregon

September 5, 2009

BAKER CITY, Ore.—Two problem wolves involved in five separate incidents of livestock depredation in the Keating Valley area were killed in Baker County this morning by USDA Wildlife Services.

 ODFW authorized Wildlife Services to kill the wolves on Saturday, Aug. 29 after both agencies investigated and confirmed the last two depredation incidents at a private ranch in the Keating Valley area of Baker County.

The first incident occurred the evening of April 9, 2009 and the last occurred the evening of Aug. 27, 2009 on the same ranch. ODFW and Wildlife Services documented the loss of 29 domestic animals in the five separate incidents, all of which occurred on private property. Four of the five incidents occurred on one ranch and the fifth occurred at an adjacent ranch.

Evidence including bite marks and other wounds on the livestock, track sizes, the wolves’ historic use of the area and the style of the depredation itself confirmed that the same two wolves were involved in all of the livestock losses.

After the first incident, ODFW, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Defenders of Wildlife and the landowners worked together to try non-lethal measures to keep the wolves from killing livestock again. Those measures included radio-collaring one of the wolves so they could be monitored, installing fladry (flagged fencing that can be a wolf deterrent), using a radio-activated-guard box that makes noise when a radio collar approaches, double-penning livestock, keeping livestock near homes at night, burying carcass piles and using guard dogs.

ODFW hazed the wolves out of the Keating Valley area multiple times with an airplane or helicopter and also used cracker shells (noise making devices) to discourage them from remaining in the Keating Valley area around livestock operations.

“Under Oregon’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan our first response to wolf-livestock conflict is to use non-lethal measures to deter the wolves,” said Russ Morgan, ODFW wolf coordinator. “If non-lethal efforts are ineffective, then lethal measures are taken. It’s unfortunate that we got to this step but these wolves continued to kill livestock despite our many efforts to keep them out of trouble. We cannot allow chronic losses to continue.”

Wolves in Oregon are protected and listed under the state’s Endangered Species Act. Wolves are also protected by the federal Endangered Species Act west of highways 395/78/95.

The state’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan provides livestock producers and wildlife managers with specific tools to manage any wolf depredation. Ranchers may not shoot a wolf without a permit, even when it is in the act of attacking their livestock. The rancher that experienced four out of the five depredations had tried non-lethal measures to deter the wolves and ODFW and Wildlife Services had documented his continued losses. Because of this, he was given a permit to kill the wolves should they return to his ranch and be caught attacking his livestock again.

The two wolves that were killed were yearling animals and never bred. Their genetics link them to Idaho wolves, but it is not clear if they were born in Oregon or dispersed to Oregon from Idaho. For unknown reasons, the wolves were on their own at a young age, which could have contributed to their inability to survive on wild animals rather than livestock.

ODFW is currently monitoring two wolf packs in Wallowa County. In July, two pups were observed with one of the packs, marking the second confirmed instance of wolf reproduction in Oregon. Besides these two packs, other wolves continue to disperse into Oregon from Idaho.

If you have seen a wolf or wolf sign contact Russ Morgan the Wolf Coordinator for ODFW.  GPS coordinates and as many other details as possible will help determine the true number of wolves in the state. Track size, stride, direction of travel, scat location, etc. is all valuable informatin and may allow more wolves to be collared. 

With enough information, Oregon will be able to truly manage the wolves sooner

Here is Russ Morgan’s info:
541-963-2138 Ex.231
Russ.L.Morgan@state.or.us

Cindy went on her first hound hunt near Porterville, CA this Fall and arrowed this black bear. Now Cindy has bow hunted in New Zealand, and across North America and she said that that bear chase was “Exciting, but kind of WILD!”

In related news, keep an eye out for Cindy in an upcoming issue of Eastmans Bowhunting Journal.  You may recognize the Elk….In fact in my latest issue of the Pope and Young Journal, it was on the back cover!

Many people travel in the pristine backcountry and pick up this microscopic protozoal terrorist that can ruin your quality of life.  I’ll spare you the gruesome details, but a quick search on Google Health will let you know that it is not something you want to pick up.

Many people think that using iodine tablets will kill giardia.  The manufacturer recommends 30 minute contact time, but the abstact in the article referenced below from the Journal of Public Health highlights the shortcomings of many chemical based water treatment options.

You may download the entire paper at the American Journal of Public Health Reprint Center.  I added the paragraph breaks and emphasis below.

Backcountry Water Treatment to Prevent Giardiasis

JERRY E. ONGERTH, PHD, PE, RON L. JOHNSON, STEVEN C. MACDONALD, MPH, FLOYD FROST, PHD, AND HENRY H. STIBBS, PHD

Abstract: This study was conducted to provide current information on the effectiveness of water treatment chemicals and filters for control of Giardia cysts in areas where treated water is not available.

Four filters and seven chemical treatments were evaluated for both clear and turbid water at 10°C. Three contact disinfection devices were also tested for cyst inactivation. Filters were tested with 1-liter volumes of water seeded with 3 x 104 cysts of G. lamblia produced in gerbils inoculated with in vitro cultured trophozoites; the entire volume of filtrate was examined for cyst passage.

Chemical treatments were evaluated at concentrations specified by the manufacturer and for contact times that might be expected of hikers (30 minutes) and campers (eight hours, i.e., overnight).

Two of the four filter devices tested were 100 percent effective for Giardia cyst removal. Of the other two filters, one was 90 percent effective and the other considerably less effective. Among the seven disinfection treatments, the iodine-based chemicals were all significantly more effective than the chlorine-based chemicals.

None of the chemical treatments achieved 99.9 percent cyst inactivation with only 30- minute contact. After an eight-hour contact each of the iodine but none of the chlorine preparations achieved at least 99.9 percent cyst inactivation. None of the contact disinfection devices provided appreciable cyst inactivation.

Heating water to at least 70°C for 10 minutes was an acceptable alternative treatment. (Am J Public Health 1989; 79:1633-1637.)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Colorado Division of Wildlife reminds young pronghorn hunters who were unsuccessful that a “second chance” hunt is open to them in December. The second chance to hunt is only available to youth hunters 12-17, and only in 21 units located in southeast part of the state where pronghorn herds are over objective.

“This is a great opportunity for young hunters and will help us achieve our population objectives,” said Dan Prenzlow, DOW Southeast Regional Manager. “Young hunters, age 12-17, may hunt again in December if they did not harvest a pronghorn during the October season.”

The opportunity to hunt again is only available to youth hunters with unfilled doe or either-sex pronghorn licenses. Youth with unfilled pronghorn buck licenses are not eligible.

Youth with unfilled pronghorn tags can hunt again in any of the following units: 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 118, 119, 123, 124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 133, 134, 135, 140, 141, 142, and 147.

Youths with unfilled doe licenses are automatically eligible for a second chance hunt. Youths with an unfilled either-sex pronghorn licenses must bring their license to a DOW office and get it converted to a doe license before hunting again in December.

The late pronghorn season dates are Dec 5-9.

For more information, contact your local DOW office.