GUNNISON, Colo. – The Colorado Division of Wildlife released 62 pronghorn in the Gunnison Basin on Feb. 26 to supplement the population in that area. The release area was about 20 miles southeast of the town of Gunnison.
 
The animals were trapped earlier in the day on private property in an area northeast of Pueblo where there are an abundance of pronghorn. Hunting is not allowed in that area and the number of pronghorn is over the population management objective set by the DOW. Relocating animals is an established wildlife management technique that is used nationwide.
 
“It was a win-win situation,” said Brian Dreher, terrestrial biologist with the DOW in the Colorado Springs area. “Gunnison needed some pronghorn to bolster their herds and this area near Pueblo had plenty to spare.”
 

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The printed regulation booklet for Arizona’s 2010 elk and pronghorn antelope hunting seasons are now in license dealer stores and department offices throughout the state. Hunters that are interested in a tag will need to submit an application through the lottery-draw process.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Chico Basin Ranch and the Colorado Division of Wildlife have collaborated to offer late season youth pronghorn hunters a unique hunting opportunity during the December pronghorn doe season.

Youth hunters who have an unfilled pronghorn tag from an earlier season are eligible to apply for one of a few limited opportunities to hunt this private ranch.

Chico Basin Ranch is an 87,000-acre property located southeast of Colorado Springs near Hanover in GMU 123.

The ranch will provide a limited number of access permits.

Youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult during the entire hunt.

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

Young hunters, age 12-17, with unfilled doe licenses are automatically eligible for a second chance hunt.  Youth hunters 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.

Interested youth hunters should contact Jonathan Tullar at 719-683-7960 or email at Jonathan@ChicoBasinRanch.com no later than Nov. 23.  Available slots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

For a more detailed description of the ranch, you may visit their website at www.chicobasinranch.com

For more information about other late youth pronghorn opportunities, contact your local Division of Wildlife Office.

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

By DAVE BUCHANAN/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Saturday, September 12, 2009

The Colorado Wildlife Commission on Thursday adopted the season structure for the 2010-2014 hunting seasons and, except for a few notable changes, left the existing structure pretty much alone.

Colorado again will have four big-game rifle seasons, starting with an elk-only first season, followed by two deer and elk combined seasons, with a final limited deer and elk wrap-up.

Nothing was done in regard to a proposal to swap archery and blackpowder rifle seasons.

The commission adopted what’s being called a hybrid preference point draw. There are several premier elk units, such as 1, 201 and 10, where it takes nearly two decades of preference points to draw a license.

Which means, of course, that even if you started accruing points in the past decade, you’ll never catch up, as the point totals mount each year.

Starting next year, though, every hunter with five or more preference points can enter into an auxiliary random draw, where 20 percent of the licenses will be set aside for any unit requiring 10 or more points to draw.

This includes deer, elk, pronghorn and bear units statewide.

For those hunters not expecting to draw but willing to gamble their first license choice, this opens an interesting realm of possibilities.

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Didn’t draw in the first round? It’s not too late to apply for the second controlled hunt drawing for the unclaimed permits.

The application period for the second drawing for deer, elk and pronghorn hunts runs through August 15. The drawing will be August 20. Any left over permits will go on sale August 25.

The application fee is $6.25 for residents, and $14.75 for nonresidents. Any left over permits will go on sale August 25. Residents began buying general season tags August 1.

Hunters can pick up tags at any license vender in the state, online at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/licenses/, or by calling 1-800-554-8685.

Last year Sean Degrey who is a guide from Trophies West outfitter did an “Antelope Trilogy” with BowCast. If you haven’t listened to the trilogy, you can learn how to effectively hunt trophy antelope.

As part of the trilogy, Trophies West offered all BowCasters to hunt trophy pronghorn in Montana – 5 Day hunt for $999!   

Right now, if you contact Trophies West or Sean (sdegrey@gmail.com) and mention BowCast, you can book a 5 day hunt for only $899!  This can be for either the 2009 or 2010 hunting seasons.

I would love to do a little speed goat hunting, if only I could turn that into a family vacation!

Read the full article here.

Montana’s annual hunting regulations are available. Finally. The long-awaited, 120-page, deer, elk and antelope regulations arrived Monday, March 30, at Fish, Wildlife and Parks offices. They should also be at license agents throughout the state. Arriving at the same time were the smaller, 40-page, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat regulations.

The deadline to apply for moose, bighorn sheep, bison and mountain goat licenses is May 1; for deer and elk permits and antelope licenses the deadline is June 1.

Idaho Fish and Game is seeking public comments on proposed changes in big game seasons for 2009.

The only statewide proposal covers archery pronghorn hunting. Historically, few hunters participated in archery-only pronghorn hunting, so hunting seasons had few restrictions, including the current opportunity for general season permits.

But the numbers participating in archery pronghorn hunting have more than doubled in the past 10 years, with a concurrent increase in harvest. Rifle hunter numbers and harvest have remained fairly constant during this time.

More hunters during the archery season have led to increased complaints about hunter congestion. And in some areas of Idaho, pronghorn populations are not meeting state management objectives. Fish and Game is considering four options to address both issues:

• Unlimited controlled hunts. Hunters who want to hunt pronghorn during the archery-only season would have to apply during the May controlled hunt application process. Hunters who apply would receive a permit to hunt. There would be no over-the-counter permits. 
• Limited controlled hunts. Hunters who want to hunt pronghorn during the archery-only season would have to apply during the May controlled hunt application period and be drawn for a limited number of permits. 
• Statewide quota on general tags. Hunters who want to hunt pronghorn during the archery-only season would have to purchase a general permit before the quota is reached. 
• Shift archery pronghorn season to August 30 – September 14. This option would allow unrestricted access to permits; it would probably result in a reduction in hunters because some would choose to pursue archery deer or elk during the same period.

The pronghorn proposal and a list of other, regional proposals for the 2009 season are available for review and comment on the Fish and Game website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/public.

Comments and proposals will be presented to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission March 24.