Colorado New Season To Increase Draw Opportunities

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manny15

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LAST EDITED ON Mar-25-06 AT 09:04AM (MST)[p]A new rifle deer season in Colorado's Gunnison Basin for 2006 will not only add licenses to the draw but is expected to make it easier for hunters with preference points to draw second- and third-season buck licenses in some highly demanded units.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) has set the new season for the third week in November (11/15-11/19), which will run concurrently with the fourth regular rifle elk season. The new season will be added in Game Management Units 54, 55, 551, 66 and 67. These units are nationally renowned for mule deer hunting. The DOW estimates that the population of deer in the Basin is about 25,000.

Scott Wait, senior terrestrial biologist for the DOW's southwest region says they will be issuing a limited number of licenses, probably not to exceed 100 for all five GMU's. The exact number of licenses will not be determined until May 2006 after biologists have completed evaluating 2005 harvest data and conducting aerial surveys and biological analyses for each unit. The intent is to ensure the new season hunt has essentially no effect on the size of the deer population in the Gunnison Basin.

The licenses for this hunt will likely require a high number of preference points as demand to hunt in the fourth season is expected to be high. But DOW officials say the new season will likely reduce preference point requirements necessary for drawing second- and third-season buck licenses.

"Our hope through this hunt is to help spread preference point and hunting pressure and provide more opportunity for deer hunters," says J. Wenum, area wildlife manager for Gunnison.

The new season will give a limited number of people an increased opportunity to hunt in game management units where licenses are becoming highly sought after for deer. During the 2005 season there were 2,605 licenses available in these game management units, an increase of 472 licenses from the previous year. Success rates during the 2005 season appeared to be very good. Exact harvest numbers will be posted later this month on the Colorado Division of Wildlife web site at http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/BigGame/Statistics/.


Is this good news or Bad?
 
It's good, If we can keep the 4th season tags very limited. They say 100 (20) per unit. We will try for a lower number at next weeks meeting. As for the effect on Prefrence points??
With banking this year third and second season will be a guess, who knows. I will be shocked if any one draws forth with less then 10 PP's. The good news is not near as many bucks died up here after they shed like spring of 05. Lots of growers out there last fall.
 

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