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.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

MISSOULA, Mont. Your crosshairs shift undecidedly between a raghorn bull and a big cow, both standing broadside at 60 yards. The elk tag in your pocket makes both animals legal. Which one do you shoot?

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation offers 5 reasons to consider taking the cow:

1. Reducing a herd to fit the carrying capacity of its winter range is a form of habitat
conservation. Culling a calf-producer is more effective population control. Wildlife agencies
issue either-sex tags specifically to encourage hunter harvest of cows.

2. Letting young bulls walk improves your odds for a big, mature bull next year.

3. A more abundant bull population tends to be older which can improve efficiency of the rut.
Result: more bulls surviving winter, higher pregnancy rates in cows, fewer late calves and
better overall herd health.

4. A less abundant cow population tends to be younger, more vigorous and resistant to diseases.

5. As tablefare, cows and calves are generally better.

Hunting remains the primary wildlife management tool today, vital for balancing elk populations within biological and cultural tolerances, says David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

Habitat conservation, sound management, good hunting, and healthy wildlife they re all tied together. And, more and more, adequate harvest of cow elk is becoming a factor. If you have an either-sex elk tag this fall, consider letting young bulls go and filling your freezer with a fat cow, he said.

RMEF this summer passed the 5.6 million acre mark in habitat conserved or enhanced.