colorado hunter 2011

Northwest Colorado:THE STATE’S PREMIER HUNTING DESTINATION

2011 EDITION | A COMPlETE HUNTING GUIDE FOR NORTHwEST COlORADO | FREE

HUNTING FAMIlIESPlUS:

10 top survival skillsThe white River deer herd

weaponry upgrades…and more

local Hunter Talks Bear Kill Controversy

2 | 2011 Colorado Hunter 2011 Colorado Hunter | 3

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InsideIntroduction...............................................................8

Welcome.to.Northwest.Colorado............................10

Common.hunting.violations...................................12

Safety,.safety,.safety..............................................13

Weather.watch.....................................................16

Game.on,.other.species........................................18

Deer.herd.in.decline.............................................20

Banner.year.for.local.hunter................................26

Northwest.Colorado.rankings.............................34

Father-daughter.hunting.team............................36

Bull.elk.licenses.................................................41

Game.management.units..................................42

Survival.tips......................................................51

Tips.for.hunting.elk...........................................53

Fly-fishing........................................................54

Talented.taxidermists......................................58

Special.Olympic.hunter.section.......................60

Moose.on.the.loose......................................................................................72

Hunting.with.the.Lawton.family...................................................................76

Reader.photos..............................................................................................78

The.curious.case.of.Richard.Kendall............................................................81

Directory......................................................................................................83

Rangefinders,.rifles.and.other.weaponry.upgrades......................................92Photo by David Dietrich

Photo by David DietrichCover

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Helpful tips for your TrophyDon’t short cape your animal

Call for information on “Where” to cape

Don’t drag your animal

Keep your hide clean

Do not salt your hide unless it has been properly fleshed

If you are not sure call or bring your animal to B&L Quality Taxidermy

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560+/- acres of pure privacy 20 miles Northwest of Steamboat Springs. This ranch lies in a valley of rolling, grassy hills with spectacular views of the Continental Divide. Chimney Creek, stock ponds and several springs are located on the property. Electric and phone run to the original improvements. Public land is within 2 miles and several area lakes are within 10 miles. Abundant wildlife and proximity to the Steamboat Ski Area make this ranch a hidden gem.

125 acres bordering National Forest. Near Steamboat Lake. Utilities, year-round county road. Ultimate recreation property in a beautiful alpine setting.

Private fishing on over 1,000 ft. of Elk River. New 3bd/4ba home on 42 acres 10 5. miles N of Steamboat. 2 miles to National Forest.

• 391 acres at northern edge of town. Excellent elk and deer habitat. $4,900,000• 20 acres with creek and water rights. 8 miles north. 2 miles to NF. $399,000• Bank Owned 73 acres, 4700 sf home, shop/barn. Private valley. $699,000

• Custom home with wraparound porch on 35 acres. 6 miles to public land. $999,000• 5 acre lots w/cont. divide views. Within 5 miles of Forest and State land. $179,000• Small neighborhood building lot, bank owned. Perfect cabin site, great views. $38,350

genuine working knowledge from a local ranching broker! As one of just 12 Accredited Land Consultants in Colorado, Christy Belton’s firsthand knowledge can simplify an otherwise complicated transaction.

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87 & 100 acre parcels, each w/ National Forest boundary. South of Stagecoach Reservoir. Utilities, year-round access.

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116 acres with over 1 mile of private Elk River frontage. 8 miles west of Steamboat. Ski Area views, trees, utilities, access. Seller will divide. $3,250,000

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38 acres vacant land with oak brush covered hillsides. Excellent wildlife habitat. Within 3 miles of National Forest trailhead. $149,000

Impeccably maintained improvements on 62 acres near Yampa. Hunt creek. Great well. 3 miles to National Forest. $425,000

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560+/- acres of pure privacy 20 miles Northwest of Steamboat Springs. This ranch lies in a valley of rolling, grassy hills with spectacular views of the Continental Divide. Chimney Creek, stock ponds and several springs are located on the property. Electric and phone run to the original improvements. Public land is within 2 miles and several area lakes are within 10 miles. Abundant wildlife and proximity to the Steamboat Ski Area make this ranch a hidden gem.

125 acres bordering National Forest. Near Steamboat Lake. Utilities, year-round county road. Ultimate recreation property in a beautiful alpine setting.

Private fishing on over 1,000 ft. of Elk River. New 3bd/4ba home on 42 acres 10 5. miles N of Steamboat. 2 miles to National Forest.

• 391 acres at northern edge of town. Excellent elk and deer habitat. $4,900,000• 20 acres with creek and water rights. 8 miles north. 2 miles to NF. $399,000• Bank Owned 73 acres, 4700 sf home, shop/barn. Private valley. $699,000

• Custom home with wraparound porch on 35 acres. 6 miles to public land. $999,000• 5 acre lots w/cont. divide views. Within 5 miles of Forest and State land. $179,000• Small neighborhood building lot, bank owned. Perfect cabin site, great views. $38,350

genuine working knowledge from a local ranching broker! As one of just 12 Accredited Land Consultants in Colorado, Christy Belton’s firsthand knowledge can simplify an otherwise complicated transaction.

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87 & 100 acre parcels, each w/ National Forest boundary. South of Stagecoach Reservoir. Utilities, year-round access.

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116 acres with over 1 mile of private Elk River frontage. 8 miles west of Steamboat. Ski Area views, trees, utilities, access. Seller will divide. $3,250,000

$1,250,000

38 acres vacant land with oak brush covered hillsides. Excellent wildlife habitat. Within 3 miles of National Forest trailhead. $149,000

Impeccably maintained improvements on 62 acres near Yampa. Hunt creek. Great well. 3 miles to National Forest. $425,000

$1,999,999


welcome to Colorado HunterWelcome to the 2011 issue of

Colorado Hunter, the premier guide to big-game hunting

in this beautiful place we call Northwest Colorado.

There’s a reason the hunters among us call the region home.

Come fall, it offers some of the best deer and elk hunting in the world, whether you’re pulling back a bow or sighting in a scope.

Whatever your big game fancy, we hope you plan on Northwest Colorado as your hunting destination for years to come.

While the area offers limitless recreational opportunities year-round — on top of outstanding scenery, friendly locals and Old West charm — for hunters the action arrives

every autumn when game starts making its way down from the high country to its winter range.

Following this annual movement, thousands of hunters from across the country make a migration also, flocking to the mountains of Meeker, Craig, Hayden and Steamboat Springs to enjoy one of the largest elk herds in the nation.

While not all of you will fill your tags, the real reward comes in the experience and camaraderie you’ll discover in one of the most beautiful locations in Colorado. It’s as much about the companionship and stories you share around the campfire as it is the harvest you take home.

This magazine is designed to offer something for everyone — from novices

hearing their first bugle to seasoned veterans looking for a record trophy. Inside you’ll find tips on what to bring and where to go, as well as herd updates, tales from local hunts, taxidermy hints and a complete resource directory offering everything you need for your stay, from information on outfitters and guides to meat processors and stores to equip your excursion.

As a bonus, there’s even a special section on a few local Olympians who put their training on hold every fall to take advantage of this place we all call home.

And who knows? After your hunt, maybe you’ll like it so much that you, too, decide to hang your hat here for a while. We’d be more than happy to have you in our neck of the woods.

466.Yampa.AvenueCraig,.CO.81625970-824-7031

Colorado Hunter is a joint publication

of Steamboat Today and Craig Daily Press.

P.O..Box.774827Steamboat,.CO.80477

970-871-4202

Bryce JacobsonPublisher, Craig Daily Press

Scott Stanford General manager, Steamboat Today


Photo by David Dietrich


Northwest Colorado: The state’s premier hunting destinationeugene buchanan

If Colorado has a hunting hotspot, it’s likely Northwest Colorado.

Open up any map and set your sights over the upper left corner. Your scope lines cross on one of the truly great regions in the country for outdoorsmen, and the ideal destination for your next hunting adventure.

Home to some of the largest elk herds in the country and extensive public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, and Bureau of Land Management, Northwest Colorado provides terrain as varied as the animals that inhabit it. It’s a jumping-off point for world-class hunting, gold-medal fishing, renowned off-highway vehicle trails and plain, old Rocky Mountain adventure of every flavor.

Start in the far northwest, where the rugged canyons and ancient sandstone cliffs of Dinosaur National Monument offer a glimpse of the region’s prehistoric life. As well as harboring fossils and stories of 1800s outlaws like Butch Cassidy, it’s also

where the Yampa and Green rivers come together, providing a popular destination for rafters, kayakers and anglers.

Rangely is the largest town in this far northwest corner of the state, with the town of Dinosaur also offering limited amenities. U.S. Highway 40 is the main thoroughfare, leading east through barren, hilly landscapes populated with deer, pronghorn, elk and small-game animals.

Craig, the seat of giant Moffat County, continues to be ranked as one of the top destinations in the country for outdoorsmen. It’s easy to see why. The city is surrounded by public lands and private ranches, all nestled into terrain perfect for hunting. Historic downtown offers boutique shopping and dining, but the city also has a Murdoch’s, Walmart and two large grocery stores to help equip your party for the backcountry.

Colorado Highway 13 leads north and south out of Craig. To the north is a short drive to Wyoming; to the south and west are hunter-friendly towns like Meeker. In between are game-rich hunting areas and open landscapes.

Heading east on U.S. 40 takes you to the small Routt County town and hunting hot spot of Hayden. Rich in ranching heritage, it’s also hunter-friendly and a great place to grab a bite to eat between destinations.

Another 30 minutes east is Steamboat Springs, the seat of Routt County and one of the most beautiful resort towns in the Rocky Mountains.

Known for its world-class ski area, Steamboat also is home to fifth-generation ranches and some of the best trout fishing and hunting in the state. It’s also where visitors will notice a change in the topography and ecosystems, with the sagebrush-covered hills of the region’s western reaches giving way to dramatic mountains thick with groves of aspen and pine. Like much of Moffat County, Routt County is also home to large elk and deer herds, as well as a booming moose population that has spread south from North Park.

Downtown Steamboat offers premier shopping and dining and an abundance of outdoor sporting goods stores for stocking your adventure.

www.steamboatpowersports.com

2989 Riverside PlazaSteamboat Springs, CO

970-879-5138


If.you.fill.your.tag.early,.or.the.weather.isn’t.cooperating.for.your.hunt,.there’s.no.shortage.of.activities.for.you.in.Northwest.Colorado..The.following.is.a.sample.of.how.to.stay.busy.when.you’re.not.out.in.the.bush..

•HOT SPRINGS It’s.almost.as.if.the.region’s.multiple.hot.springs.were.custom-made.for.hunters,.each.

ready.to.soothe.tired.legs.and.aching.backs..If.you’re.in.Steamboat.Springs,.Old.Town.Hot.Springs,.near.the.corner.of.Third.Street.and.Lincoln.Avenue,.provides.the.most.convenient.soaking.option.and.a.little.excitement.with.its.recently.remodeled.pools.and.pair.of.230-foot.slides.(www.oldtownhotsprings.org)..

If.you.have.time,.make.the.seven-mile.trip.to.Strawberry.Park.Hot.Springs.north.of.town.on.Routt.County.Road.36..Strawberry.Park.features.a.series.of.natural.stone.pools.tucked.into.the.hillside.along.Hot.Springs.Creek.(www.strawberryhotsprings.com)..You.also.can.take.a.walking.tour.of.seven.hot.springs.scattered.throughout.downtown..

Farther.south,.the.Meeker.Recreation.Center.features.a.family.aquatics.area.with.a.four-lane.lap.pool,.diving.well,.therapeutic.whirlpool,.water.slide,.hot.tub.and.lazy.river,.with.extended.fall.hours.to.stay.open.after.dark..

There’s.also.the.sprawling.complex.of.22.pools.and.private.baths.at.the.Hot.Sulphur.Springs.Resort.&.Spa.right.along.the.Colorado.River.(www.hotsulphursprings.com).

•MUSEUMS Firearm.connoisseurs.will.want.to.take.a.look.at.the.Museum.of.Northwest.Colorado.

(www.museumnwco.org)..Housed.in.the.historic.former.Colorado.State.Armory.building,.the.museum.in.the.heart.of.downtown.Craig.showcases.the.Cowboy.and.Gunfighter.Museum.as.well.as.a.new.Craig.centennial.exhibit.and.a.collection.of.nearly.1,000.working.cowboy.artifacts.and.railroad.memorabilia..

Meeker.visitors.can.revel.in.the.past.with.a.trip.to.the.historic.downtown.Meeker.Hotel,.where.Teddy.Roosevelt.once.stayed,.as.well.as.a.trip.to.the.White.River.Museum..

“It’s.free,.there’s.a.lot.of.homestead.goodies.and.artifacts,.the.whole.story.of.the.Meeker.Massacre,.and.the.curators.are.very.knowledgeable.and.can.cover.a.lot.of.genealogy,”.says.Suzan.Pelloni,.executive.director.of.The.Meeker.Chamber.of.Commerce..

Other.notable.museums.include.downtown.Steamboat’s.Tread.of.Pioneers.Museum.(www.treadofpioneers.org).—.complete.with.exhibits.exploring.Steamboat’s.Olympic.heritage,.ranching.roots.and.outlaw.tales.from.its.Wild.West.past.—.as.well.as.the.quirky.and.unique.collections.at.Craig’s.Wyman.Museum.(www.wymanmuseum.com)..If.you.have.the.time,.you.can.also.drive.west.to.Maybell.and.then.turn.east.on.Colorado.Highway.318.for.70.miles.to.the.John.Jarvie.ranch.(435-781-4400).in.Browns.Park.along.the.Green.River,.where.outlaws.like.Butch.Cassidy.rode..There.you’ll.find.a.one-room.stone.building.built.by.outlaw.Jack.Bennett;.a.museum.with.displays.and.video.history;.a.two-room.dugout.where.Jarvie.and.his.wife,.Nellie,.first.lived;.a.blacksmith.shop.and.corral,.constructed.from.hand-hewn.railroad.ties.which.drifted.down.from.Green.River,.Wyo.;.and.a.replica.of.the.general.store.built.in.1881.and.furnished.with.many.artifacts.from.

the.Jarvie.period,.including.the.original.safe.which.was.robbed.by.the.men.that.murdered.John.Jarvie.

•MOVIES AND BOWLINGSimple.entertainment.is.never.far..Catch.a.flick.in.Steamboat.at.one.of.the.six.

auditoriums.with.stadium.seating.at.the.Metropolitan.Wildhorse.Stadium.Cinemas.or.on.Lincoln.Avenue.at.the.Chief.Plaza.Theater..Craig.also.has.a.pair.of.screens.at.the.recently.renovated.West.Theater,.29.E..Victory.Way.

If.you.want.to.head.for.the.lanes,.Thunder.Rolls.Bowling.Center.in.Craig.offers.the.largest.facility.in.the.region..There.are.another.12.lanes.at.Steamboat’s.Snow.Bowl.on.the.west.end.of.town.and.six.lanes.in.Walden.at.Paradise.Lanes..Beyond.that,.the.Rifle.Fireside.Lanes.lie.just.north.of.Rifle.off.Colorado.Highway.13.

•OFF-ROAD RIDINGEndless.open.space.means.plenty.of.options.for.dirt.bike.and.OHV.users..Sand.Wash.

Basin,.about.50.miles.west.of.Craig,.offers.a.Bureau.of.Land.Management.area.where.wild.horses.still.roam..According.to.the.BLM’s.Little.Snake.Field.Office.in.Craig,.90.percent.of.the.Sand.Wash.Basin’s.165,000.acres.is.open.for.off-road.travel..The.Craig.office.(970-826-5000).has.visitor.maps.available.marking.some.of.the.BLM’s.inventoried.routes.in.the.basin..Jackson.County.also.has.plenty.of.open.trails.ranging.from.the.vast.timber.rides.in.State.Forest.State.Park,.to.the.60-plus.miles.of.dirt.bike-only.singletrack.on.the.Snyder.and.Willow.Creek.Trails.near.Rand.and.the.state’s.only.OHV.sand.and.open.dune.riding.at.the.North.Sand.Hills.Special.Recreation.Management.Area..Other.public.options.include.the.Wolford.Mountain.area.north.of.Kremmling.or.the.singletrack.trails.just.south.of.Routt.County,.between.McCoy.and.Burns.as.well.as.the.technical.trails.at.Bocco.Mountain.near.Wolcott.

•SIGHTSIf.you’re.heading.to.or.from.the.235,406-acre.Flat.Tops.Wilderness.Area.for.your.hunt,.consider.the.trip.on.the.82-mile.Flat.Tops.Trail.Scenic.Byway.from.Yampa.to.Meeker..“It’s.great.just.to.go.check.out.Trapper’s.Lake,.but.in.the.fall.it’s.especially.worth.it.to.see.the.leaves.changing,”.says.Pelloni..

Another.scenic.drive.is.the.101-mile.Cache.la.Poudre-North.Park.Scenic.and.Historic.Byway.from.Walden.to.Fort.Collins..Stop.by.the.State.Forest.State.Park.along.the.way.to.find.out.why.Walden.has.earned.the.title.of.“moose-viewing.capital.of.Colorado.”

Closer.to.town,.consider.the.short.but.spectacular.hike.to.Fish.Creek.Falls.just.east.of.Steamboat.or.the.three-mile.loop.trail.up.Cedar.Mountain,.just.northwest.of.Craig,.providing.great.views.of.the.Flat.Tops.and.Elkhead.Mountains..If.you’re.in.between.the.two.towns,.consider.Carpenter.Ranch,.where.the.1.1/2-mile.interpretive.trail.loop.in.the.Yampa.River.Preserve.(free.and.open.dawn.to.dusk).gives.you.a.chance.to.spot.some.of.the.Nature.Conservancy.preserve’s.150.bird.species.

Post-hunt activitiesAlready fill your tag? There are plenty of other things to do in Northwest Colorado

South of Steamboat on Colorado Highway 131 is Oak Creek, a place to stop and eat and walk Main Street before heading off toward the Flat Tops Wilderness Area or other game-rich public lands. Beyond Oak Creek to the south are Phippsburg and Yampa, the latter of which bills itself as the “Gateway to the Flat Tops” and its prime hunting habitat.

No trip to Northwest Colorado is complete without a stop in North Park, a series of small towns as known for its moose population as its fishing. Located a one-hour drive on Colorado Highway 14 from Steamboat and Laramie, Wyo., Walden is the largest city in North Park and the best place to load up on provisions. As with the rest of Northwest Colorado, the public lands here are extensive, offering endless hunting opportunities.

Use our game management unit maps and descriptions beginning on page 42 to help you plan your hunting visit to Northwest Colorado.

Chances are your hunt here will be successful, which is the way folks in the regions like it.

Lake Catamount and the Flat Tops


Colorado Parks and wildlife: Common hunting violations can be costly

Every hunting season, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers issue thousands of tickets for violations that can result in steep fines for the offenders.

“While some of those tickets are for flagrant violations of wildlife regulations and hunting laws, many more are for minor violations that could have been avoided,” Parks and Wildlife reports in a recent news release.

“Hunters are reminded that not only can they be fined for violations, they can also lose their hunting privileges in Colorado and the 34 other states that cooperatively participate in a wildlife compact agreement.”

Rick Basagoitia, San Luis Valley area wildlife manager, says hunters need to review the Colorado Big Game Brochure to avoid costly mistakes.

The brochure outlines many common violations.

“Hunters must know their responsibilities when they get into the field,” Basagoitia says.

“Wildlife laws are written to protect a valuable resource and for safety.”

The following are some of the more common violations that occur every year:

• Not wearing fluorescent orange: You must wear at least 500 inches of daylight fluorescent orange, plus a head covering of the same color. Camouflage orange or mesh orange do not qualify.

• Carrying loaded firearms in or on vehicles: Rifles must not have ammunition in the chamber while in or on any motor vehicles. For those riding ATVs, weapons (rifles and bows) must also be in a closed and fully unloaded (chamber and magazine). Most accidents involving firearms occur in or near vehicles.

• Shooting from a road: Before firing a shot, you must be at least 50 feet off of a designated state or county road, and just off forest service or Bureau of Land Management roads.

• License not voided: After you kill an animal, you must void the license immediately.

• Improperly attached carcass tag: The carcass tag must be attached to the animal. The best way is to cut a hole in the hide and attach with a tie. Photo by David Dietrich


Safety, safety, safety

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Your game will be shrink wrapped andclearly labeled for your custom cuts.

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After you bag your game, bring it to Steamboat Meat & Seafood Co.Clean Quality Workmanship • Quick, Friendly Service

1030 Yampa Ave. Steamboat Springs • Downtown 970-879-3504 • 970-879-1513 • FAX 970-879-4617

HUNTING SEASON HOURS: Open 7 days a week

While hunting accidents have declined since the passage of two laws in 1970 — one requiring hunter education training and another requiring wearing at least 500 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing — accidents still happen.

“Hunting is safe and getting safer all the time,” says Colorado Parks and Wildlife hunter education coordinator Mark Cousins, adding that the state sells more than 560,000 hunting licenses every year, resulting in several million hunter recreation days. “But one moment of carelessness can mean a lifetime of consequences.”

Almost all hunting incidents can be avoided by exercising care, he adds. Safety measures include familiarizing yourself with your gun or bow at a range beforehand; exercising caution when loading and unloading, and do so well away from your vehicle (it’s illegal to place a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle, and to hunt from from a vehicle); and unloading when you’re crossing streams and fences and hiking in rough terrain. “The gun’s safety isn’t always enough to prevent it from firing,” he says.

When your hunt is over, unload well before getting to the vehicle or camp, and triple-check it before placing it in a case or

vehicle. “At the end of a long day, it’s more important than ever to be extra careful with firearms,” he says.

Real-life AccidentsThe following are summaries of a few

hunting incidents that have occurred in Colorado.

• A father and son were kneeling side by side ready to fire at an elk. The son was holding the lead rope of a string of horses. When his father fired, the horses spooked, pulling the son’s rifle toward the victim. During the commotion the gun fired and the father was killed. Lesson: Be extra careful around horses.

• A hunter was walking on a steep hillside with a guide. The hunter slipped and fell. The rifle fired and the bullet struck the guide in the head, killing him. Lesson: Unload your gun when hiking in rough areas.

• A bow hunter took off alone in pursuit of elk. At some point he fell on an arrow--which was not in a quiver--and cut the femoral artery in his leg. The hunter bled to death. Lesson: Keep arrows in a quiver.

• An elk hunter was running in an attempt to get ahead of some elk. He

stumbled and fell, shooting himself through the leg. Lesson: Never run while carrying a loaded gun.

• A hunter was leading his horse through thick oak brush; a loaded rifle was in the scabbard. A tree limb caught the trigger, the rifle fired and the bullet hit the horse and the hunter. Lesson: Don’t carry a loaded rifle in a scabbard.

• Basic safety rules: • Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.• Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe

direction at all times.• Be sure of your target--what is in front

of it and what is beyond it.• If you are in doubt about the target,

don’t shoot.• Keep the safety on and your finger off

the trigger until you are ready to shoot.• Never place your hand over the

muzzle of a gun.• Load and unload your gun at least 100

yards from your vehicle.• Don’t hurry while loading or

unloading.• Talk about safety issues with

youngsters and less inexperienced hunters.• Stop to rest when you are out of

breath. • Wear daylight fluorescent clothing

when and where required.


Chuck & Sari Cobb - Broker OwnersOffice: 970-824-4455 Chuck Cell: 970-629-9397Sari Cell: 970-629-9876508 Yampa Avenue, Craig CO [email protected] • [email protected]

Sandra King, ABR- Broker AssociateOffice: 970-824-7000Cell: 970-629-059611 E. Victory Way, Craig CO [email protected]

Stacey Mathers - Broker OwnerOffice: 970-824-4455Cell: 970-326-7581508 Yampa Avenue, Craig CO [email protected]

Roy McAnally - Broker AssociateOffice 970-824-3445Cell: 970-326-6566105 E, Victory Way, Craig [email protected]

Yvonne McAnally - Broker AssociateOffice 970-824-3445Cell: 970-326-8346105 E, Victory Way, Craig [email protected]

Vicki Burns - Broker OwnerOffice: 970-824-7709Office: 1-888-824-7086Cell: 970-629-2470840 W. Victory Way, Craig CO [email protected]

Otis Lyons - Broker AssociateOffice: 970-824-7709Office: 1-888-824-7086Cell: 970-326-6938840 W. Victory Way, Craig CO [email protected]

70 Barkwood Drive. Craig, CO

Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views from this beautiful custom log cabin. Includes:

Misc. Furniture, generator, refrigerator, range, 1000 Gallon

Cistern water tank with surge flow pump, 2 covered decks, and wrap around decking.

Near-by access to 480 Acres private hunting reserve that adjoins the National Forest. Seasonal driving access and easy snow mobile access during the winter months.

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weather watchHigh temperatures can delay herd migrations

rob schmitzer/sportsman information specialist, craig chamber of commerce

As everyone gears up for this year’s hunting season, most preparation involves deciding where to hunt, which season and how to approach it. But there’s another consideration to take into account. A few environmental factors have changed in the past few years that have affected big-game movement patterns.

Until about six years ago, many elk hunters could count on elk migrating to lower elevations into their winter range during rifle season. This allowed for seeing herds moving across the landscape, providing the possibility for a harvest.

Warm and dry fall weather the last several years, however, has delayed this migration, causing many hunters to rethink their strategies. Many now are hunting at higher elevations within more forested environments.

Much of the forested environment also has changed in the past few years, however, with the lodgepole pine forest falling prey to the pine beetle epidemic. These dead forests have reduced the thermal and hiding cover for big game, causing them to keep closer to spruce and fir stands for cover. It’s also kept them at higher elevations during warm periods.

Autumn’s relatively warmer weather pattern also has affected strategies for archery and muzzleloader hunters. Heat is one of the biggest threats to the meat of a recently killed animal. If the carcass is not skinned and cooled quickly, the meat can spoil. Location, weather and time of the day all factor into the decision-making process of whether or not to take a shot.

This past year resulted in a record snowpack and a late snowmelt. Although the winter mortality of big game was relatively light despite the hard winter, their movement into the summer ranges is later than normal. How this factors into their movements out of the summer range, where they have ample food and water, remains to be seen.

Archery and muzzleloading hunters may do well by planning to hunt this fall in higher elevations, where the game still is headed. The first rifle season always begins to push elk and deer lower, away from the hunting pressure, but the game will return to their summer ranges if the weather stays warm and dry once the hunting pressure diminishes. But high elevation snows in the fall would encourage herds to head for their winter ranges.

So despite the abundance of big game in Northwest Colorado, a big factor for a successful hunt remains the most unpredictable: the weather.

DEER:•.Resident.—.$34•.Youth.resident.—.$13.75•.Nonresident.—.$334•.Youth.nonresident.—.$103.75

ELk:•.Resident.—.$49•.Youth.resident.—.$13.75•.Nonresident.bull.—.$554•.Nonresident.cow.—.$354•.Nonresident.either.sex.—.$554•.Youth.nonresident.—.$103.75

PRONGHORN:•.Resident.—.$34•.Youth.resident.—.$13.75•.Nonresident.—.$334•.Youth.nonresident.—.$103.75

BEAR:•.Resident.—.$44•.Nonresident.—.$354

MOOSE:•.Resident.—.$254•.Nonresident.—.$1,844

HUNTING SEASONS:•.Archery/deer.—.Aug..27.to.Sept..26•.Archery/elk.—.Aug..27.to.Sept..26•.Archery/pronghorn.—.Aug..15.to.Sept..20•.Archery/bear.—.Sept..2.to.25•.Archery/moose.—.Sept..10.to.25•.Muzzleloading/deer.—.Sept..10.to.18•.Muzzleloading/elk.—.Sept..10.to.18•.Muzzleloading/pronghorn.—.Oct..21.to.29•.Muzzleloading/bear.—.Sept..10.to.18•.Muzzleloading/moose.—.Sept..10.to.18

DEER/LIMITED RIFLE:•.Second.season/combined.deer.and.elk.—.Oct..22.to.30•.Third.season/combined.deer.and.elk.—.Nov..5.to.13•.Fourth.season/combined.deer.and.elk.—.Nov..16.to.20

ELk/LIMITED AND UNLIMITED RIFLE:•.First.season.—.Oct..15.to.19.(limited)•.Second.season.—.Oct..22.to.30•.Third.season.—.Nov..5.to.13•.Fourth.season.—.Nov..16.to.20.(limited)

PRONGHORN:•.Oct..1.to.7

BEAR/LIMITED RIFLE:•.First.season.—.Oct..15.to.19•.Second.season.—.Oct..22.to.30•.Third.season.—.Nov..5.to.13•.Fourth.season.—.Nov..16.to.20

MOOSE:•.Oct..1.to.14

COlORADO FEES & SEASONS

Rob.Schmitzer,.sportsman.information.specialist.for.the.Craig.Chamber.of.Commerce,.cautions.hunters.to.consider.weather.and.how.it.affects.herds..(Photo.by.Joshua.Gordon)



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Game onNorthwest Colorado offers a slew of game species, from pronghorn to grouseeugene buchanan

Elk and deer aren’t the only things on hunters menus in Northwest Colorado. The region is also known for a variety of other species luring outdoorsmen to Moffat and Routt counties every year.

Aside from antlered game — elk, deer and moose — the next most popular species on hunters’ lists is likely the pronghorn antelope. Rifle bearers far and wide descend upon the region’s sage-covered plains and rolling hills for long-range, open-country hunts far different than the tactics used for other game. And this year should prove especially fruitful pronghorn.

“Despite heavier-than-normal snowfall, the herds are in pretty good shape,” maintains Jeff Yost, a terrestrial biologist for the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife. “We had higher-than-normal pronghorn and deer dawn losses over the winter and spring, and higher-than-average calf losses for elk, but for the most part, the adults survived pretty well. And with all that moisture, habitat conditions are great, which will compensate to some degree. The animals should be going into fall in really good condition.”

As with hunting for larger game, if you can get on private land, so much the better.

“Agricultural development and past drought years have redistributed antelope onto private lands,” says Darby Finley, wildlife biologist at the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife Meeker office. He adds that with healthy animal numbers, Wildlife officials have been able to maintain high license numbers. Pronghorn licenses are unlimited during archery season and by drawing only for muzzle-loading and rifle seasons.

Finley also points to the possibility of private licenses leftover from the drawing (available after Aug. 9) and cautions hunters to seek permission to hunt on private property. Colorado law does not require private landowners to post their property with no trespassing signs or fences, making it the hunter’s responsibility to mind property boundaries.

If you’re hunting pronghorn on public land, some of the best opportunities come early, toward the end of the archery season, in North Park.

“During the rut, the dominant bucks run the sub-dominate males back and forth to keep them away from the harem,” says Josh Dilley, district wildlife manager for the Walden East Game Management Unit (GMU). He adds that the populations are especially strong on the public lands across North Park’s five GMUs — a region otherwise known for its moose habitat.

It’s a different pronghorn picture farther

north, however. On July 28, the National Wildlife Federation hosted a meeting in Walden addressing the results of a recent report by wildlife biologists John Ellenberger and Gene Byrne on declining pronghorn and mule deer populations along the Colorado/Wyoming state line, based on analyzing 30 years of data for game management units in both states.

Grouse and other speciesMusings on mule deer and pronghorn

aside, plenty of other game species in Northwest Colorado also garner hunters’ attention. On the bird side, grouse also regularly draw outdoorsmen to the area.

According to Division of Parks and Wildlife Meeker area wildlife manager Bill de Vergie, all three species — blue (dusky), great sage and columbine sharp-tail — are present and hunted regularly throughout Northwest Colorado. “Quite a few people come hunt for them every year,” he says. “There are separate seasons and bag limits for each. A lot of times even elk hunters are opportunistic and go after blue grouse

during their hunts for bigger game.”Steamboat Springs Division of Parks and

Wildlife area wildlife manager Jim Haskins maintains that Hahn’s Peak Basin is one of the best in the state for blue grouse hunting.

On the other end of the spectrum, bears also lure hunters to the area. Haskins says that despite the heavy winter, the bear population remains strong and shouldn’t be negatively impacted from hunting pressure. “Not many people put in for the draw, so there are usually a lot of leftovers,” he says.

The mountain lion population also should yield successful harvests, with record-book cats taken as recently as last year.

The only caveat: It’s illegal to hunt mountain lions without a Division of Parks and Wildlife-issued mountain lion education certificate verifying completion of the Mountain Lion Education and Identification Course.

Hunters also are required to call 888-940-LION for GMU closures before any hunting trip — units will close as harvest limits are reached.

Grouse.is.one.of.several.smaller.game.species.in.Northwest.Colorado.


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Moffat County is home to two of the largest migratory elk herds in North America, as well as a hunting hot spot for deer, antelope and small game.

Each year Colorado sees more than 375,000 deer, elk and pronghorn hunters. Going into the fall 2010 hunt, biologists put Colorado’s elk population at 280,000-plus. The state’s deer herds are estimated at more than 466,000.

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Desperate measuresDeclining white River deer herd a concern for wildlife officials, hunters, business communityjoshua gordon

The decline in the White River mule deer herd has been a focal point of concern in Rio Blanco County as hunting season approaches and the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife has taken notice.

Biologist Darby Finley, mammals researcher Chuck Anderson and Division of Parks and Wildlife managers Bill de Vergie and Bailey Franklin have ideas about how to improve the herd numbers and want the community’s thoughts.

The four Division of Parks and Wildlife officers met with more than 70 people June 20 at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds and plan to host additional meetings in the future.

The White River deer herd, Finley says, has declined between about 30 and 40 percent since 2000.

The Division of Parks and Wildlife is in the process of instituting studies to fix

the problem, Finley adds, but there are no quick remedies.

“There are problems with habitats, predators, oil exploration and other things to take into consideration,” he says. “A lot of what we are going to do will require monitoring and time to see trends.”

At the June meeting, Franklin discussed varying types of habitat manipulation the Division of Parks and Wildlife is experimenting with enacting. The changes in habitat, he says, are to provide better forage for deer.

“A lot of people here hate sagebrush, but it keeps deer alive in the winter,” Franklin says. “This is more art than science and we are learning as we go.”

While the deer are at high elevation during the summer, they stay at lower elevation in the winter, so transition ranges also are taken into consideration when it comes to habitat changes.

Anderson says habitat development

Below.is.the.estimated.White.River.mule.deer.population.for.the.past.11.years.according.to.the.Colorado.Division.of.Parks.and.Wildlife..Biologist.Darby.Finley.says.the.herd.has.declined.between.30.and.40.percent.since.2000:Year Total population2000. 70,0002001. 82,0002002. 81,0002003. 85,0002004. 75,0002005. 79,0002006. 71,0002007. 63,0002008. 52,0002009. 54,0002010. 50,000

HERD NUMBERS: lAST 11 YEARS

Diminishing.herd:.The.White.River.deer.herd.has.declined.as.much.as.40.percent.since.2003.


studies would go into 2016 and possibly 2018, allowing the Division of Parks and Wildlife enough time to get comprehensive results.

“Deer travel in small packs, so we want to monitor several small patches in a large area,” he says. “We want to be able to protect against the factors that are limiting the deer herd numbers.”

Although the Division of Parks and Wildlife officers discussed habitat for a majority of the June 20 meeting, people in the audience were generally more concerned with how predators, such as coyotes, affect the numbers.

Finley says there is simply too much land to cover if the Division of Parks and Wildlife decided to take on predators.

“If fawns didn’t die from a coyote, they would die from malnutrition during the winter,” he says. “We don’t have the tools

to effectively cover such an expansive geographic area.”

The biggest fallout from the decline, Finley adds, is limiting the number of licenses that can be handed out.

“We have to be more conservative with the number of licenses we hand out so the number of deer don’t decline even more,” he says.

“There will be fewer number of hunters out hunting these deer, and hunters don’t want that and neither do we.”

Stan Wyatt, owner of Wyatt’s Sports Center in Meeker, says a majority of his store’s business has come from hunting gear since it opened in 1995. The decline in licenses, he adds, will affect the equipment he sells.

“With the slash in the number of tags the state has handed out, we’ve seen less hunters in this area,” he says. “A lot of

people come to hunt deer and elk, but if they can’t get a deer tag, they may go somewhere else, and we’ll then have less business from hunters.”

Wyatt’s store sells everything except firearms, including boots, clothing, ammo and binoculars. “Hunting is a big attraction for a smaller town,” he says. “With the combination of fewer licenses and the economy, we’ve seen fewer hunters each year for a while.”

The problem isn’t just in Rio Blanco County, de Vergie adds. The White River deer herd is the biggest in the state and hunters also touch economies in other Northwest Colorado counties.

“This deer herd is extremely important to the Division of Parks and Wildlife,” he says. “We don’t have all the answers by any means, but we’re taking many factors into consideration.”

Habitat.development.studies.could.last.until.2018.


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Hunting opportunities abound in the Meeker area. The White River National Forest is reported to be home of the largest elk herd in the United States numbering about 30,000 animals. Mule deer and antelope are also abundant. The White River Area winters

around 67,000 deer.


A banner bowhunting yearLocal Rick Sanny bags cat, bear and elk, putting two in the record bookseugene buchanan

Local hunter Rick Sanny, who in 2006 moved to Steamboat Springs from Fremont, Neb.,“in pursuit of big game,” had a heck of a hunting year.

The property manager for Old West Management bagged a bear, mountain lion and elk last season, two of which garnered state honors. “Last year was amazing,” says Sanny, also a ranch manager at Coal View Ghost Ranch. “Two of my three animals made it into the record book. Hard work, scouting and persistence paid off.”

Sanny started bowhunting after drawing his first rifle deer tag at 14. He took his Boone and Crockett cat the week of Feb. 24 to 28 near State Bridge, harvested his bear on Ghost Ranch west of Steamboat on Sept. 5 and bagged his elk on the same ranch the last day of bow season Sept. 26.

The following are accounts of his hunts.

Bear necessities: A record bear with a bow

“After passing on many respectfully sized bears the past few years, this time I wasn’t going to wait around for the monster I’d seen in years past.

“I had trail cams over different wallows, hoping to catch a large bear working an area. While elk hunting, I checked it. After downloading the pics, I realized that a very large bear was working the wallow. With just a day before the bear opener, I knew it was in the area somewhere.

“On opening morning, I got out on the wallow bright and early. There weren’t any bear, just lots of elk. After two days sitting the wallow, I considered changing spots. But then, with the last hour of light and tons of elk around, I heard something crashing down the ridge in front of me.

“Figuring it was another elk, I then

heard a loud grunting noise before it stepped out. I knew instantly that it was the same bear that had been working the wallows.

“I saw him come out of the bush and found myself staring him in the eyes at 22 yards.

“As he continued to the water, I pulled back my bow and executed the shot. I harvested this bear at Ghost Ranch just outside of Steamboat Springs, and it will be on display at the Ghost Ranch Saloon.”

Catching a Boone and Crockett cat

“My good buddy Nick Hotchkiss and I were hard on the trail that winter with our dog, Ruby the Red, catching and releasing nine cats that year already. We were out there for the pure joy of the outdoors and just to take pictures of the cats.

Rick Sanny, with his Boone and Crockett cat.


“But after catching this one, we realized we had quite a cat and decided one of us had to take it. Since we didn’t set out to harvest a cat that day, neither of us had our bow — just my .357 pistol. So we used that to harvest it, while Ruby gets the credit for catching it.”

A late-season elk“I got my elk on the last day of the

season last year. I had passed on 26 bulls with perfect shots already but was holding out for a big six-by-six. I got on this big boy a couple days prior, but had no shot when I called him in to within seven yards of me. He was staring right at me.

“So the last day of the season I decided to sit in one of my wallows as the season was expiring. I had bulls bugling their way straight to another wallow. I couldn’t believe I was going to have a slow last night of the season.

“I threw an array of calls at three bulls that they wouldn’t be able to resist. Sure enough, instantly the herd bull turned his cows straight toward me and basically ran right into the wallow where I was sitting.

“The bull thrashed around the wallow for a while before laying down 15 yards in front of me, raking his rack in the mud. That’s when I harvested it in the last hour of the season.”

RIck Sanny with his prize bear, which took first place from the Colorado Bow Hunter Association in 2010, and bull elk, taken the same year as his record bear.


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Towns in the great outdoorsNorthwest Colorado towns offer nationally ranked options for outdoor activitiesjoshua gordon

While hunters travel all across Colorado each year to bag big game, Craig offers one thing other towns don’t.

“We have big-game hunting and a large population of other wildlife,” says Rob Schmitzer, the sportsman information specialist for the Craig Chamber of Commerce. “But we also have hundreds of thousands of acres of public land that aren’t over utilized. Craig offers solitude.”

In Outdoor Life magazine’s fourth annual rankings of the top 200 towns for sportsmen, Craig ranked 77th, dropping nine spots from last year. But that’s fine with locals, who like to keep the outdoor gem to themselves.

Schmitzer says Craig has its “own character,” which may be why it slipped in the rankings.

“There are definitely more trendy options that offer big bodies of water or skiing along with hunting,” he says. “But you can walk outdoors in Moffat County and see wildlife and landscapes that you can’t find many other places.”

Mike Swaro, Craig district wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, says fishing in Craig, especially at the Elkhead Reservoir, is some of the best warm-water fishing around.

“People go up there to fish bass, northern pike and bluegill,” he says. “It’s different than what people find along rivers and provides a nice alternative.”

Swaro says the Yampa River offers several fishing hot spots in Craig, Hayden and Steamboat Springs.

“It has some really good trout fishing,” he says. “Fishing in a river is a different experience than fishing in lakes.”

The magazine rankings are based on 40-percent socio-economic ratings and 60-percent outdoor life rankings. In a change to past rankings, this year Outdoor Life double-weighted three socio-economic factors — unemployment, household income and cost of living.

“Our goal was to provide an exhaustive list of cities and towns that, in addition to having excellent and abundant hunting and fishing opportunities nearby, also are great places to raise a family and provide high quality of life,” the magazine states on its website.

According to the magazine’s list, Craig has an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent, an average household income of $46,441, and a cost of living index of 82.3. All statistics are from 2009.

The outdoor life category rated towns on their performance in gun friendliness,

fishable species, huntable species, proximity to public land and waters, and trophy potential. Craig’s ratings in the outdoor life categories were not available.

Schmitzer says socio-economic ratings brought Craig down but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“We don’t have all the trendy shirt shops along our roads like other towns,” he says. “But we built a new hospital and are building a new college campus, so we do have things to offer people economically.”

Bend, Ore., was ranked No. 1 overall, while Granby was the highest rated town in Colorado, coming in at No. 24.

Carbondale, Colorado Springs, Rifle, Trinidad, Fort Collins, Evergreen, Montrose and Hayden also were ranked ahead of Craig.

Hayden made the jump from No. 114 last year to No. 74 this year.

“It all depends on the sports you like to do,” Schmitzer says. “Craig is the opposite of a lot of the cities because you can escape from other people and lose yourself in the outdoors.”

Schmitzer has lived in Fort Collins and hiked numerous places in Colorado but that he is always drawn to Craig.

“The Yampa Valley is the greenest place in all of Colorado this time of the

Craig, Colo.


year,” he says. “In Craig, you can re-create yourselves and break away from your busy lifestyle.”

No matter the ranking from the magazine, Schmitzer says he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. “I can see, based on their criteria, how Craig is rated a little lower,” he says. “But Craig is special. We have nearby national forests, mountains and the whole outdoor experience. I definitely think we should be higher.”

Rifle: A frontrunner in our backyard

Head south from Craig on Colorado Highway 13 about 90 miles and you will end up in a town ranked in the top 50 on Outdoor Life’s list — Rifle, coming in at number 46.

Andrea Maddalone, Rifle Chamber of Commerce’s member and visitor services director, says hunting isn’t the only option for people in Rifle.

“Our top five is definitely hunting, but also fishing, mountain biking, hiking and rock climbing,” she says. “We have a hidden secret in Rifle Mountain Park, where if you don’t mountain climb, you can enjoy the canyons and go fishing or hiking.”

When it comes to hunting, however, Maddalone says elk and deer are No. 1 in the area.

“We have turkey and pheasants and mountain lions, but our deer and elk population is the biggest,” she says. “You

can’t think of hunting without thinking of rifles, and that’s the name of our town.”

Meeker may not have made the magazine list, Swaro says, but based along the White River, it, too, has numerous opportunities for hunting and fishing.

“Big game is the bread and butter in this part of the state,” he says. “Our elk and deer herds are some of the largest in the world, and it draws in a lot of hunters.

Three years ago, we also brought some moose in, which have grown in population.”

Swaro adds that hot fishing spots range from Trapper’s Lake and Anderson Lake to Vaughn Lake and Lake of the Woods. “There’s fishing along the White River, but also a lot of higher mountain streams and lakes to visit,” he says.

While Rangely might not have Craig’s big game, it does share one particular allure — a more spacious hunt.

Chamber of Commerce director Nita Rohn says hunters in Rangely must enter a draw unit to be selected for mule deer tags.

“We have deer, elk and bear here,” Rohn says. “Having people apply in the beginning of April provides more selectivity in hunting here.”

Besides hunting, Rohn says places such as the White River and Kenny Reservoir also provide great angling options.

“Part of the draw to this area is how beautiful it is,” she says. “From the wildlife to the bulls and bucks, we have a lot to offer in a small area.”

Outdoor Life magazine’s top 10 towns for outdoorsmen:1. Bend, Ore.2. Pinedale, Wyo.3. Rapid City, S.D.4. Kodiak, Alaska5. Saratoga, Wyo.6. Cooper Landing, Alaska7. Lewiston, Idaho8. Pendleton, Ore.9. Sheridan, Wyo.10. Bismarck, N.D.— www.outdoorlife.com/besttowns

OUTDOOR LIFE TOWN RANKINGS

The Roan Plateau, north of Rifle

Hayden, Colo.


Forest for the treesFather-daughter hunting team gear-up for a special seasonben mccanna

Eight-year-old Tiana Nichols had an early introduction to hunting.

Very early.“Four days after she was born, I took

her up to where my tree stand was,” father Gary Nichols says. “That kind of gives you an idea.”

Gary, 56, is a deputy sheriff with the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office. He hunts exclusively with a recurve bow and has been hunting in the area since 1989. He’s involved his daughter in hunts as much as possible since her birth in September 2002.

“The experiences and lessons a child is subjected to in the outdoors helps them develop confidence in themselves that can last a lifetime,” he says.

Those lessons, he adds, began in earnest when Tiana was a toddler.

“I got her started shooting a recurve bow when she was 3 years old,” he says. “And she’s been going hunting with me since she was 3 years old.”

Since then, Tiana has joined her father on turkey, elk and antelope hunts.

“She’s spent a lot of hours in ground blinds and tree stands,” he says.

Gary says his daughter has learned skills like identifying animal tracks and perfecting an elk call. However, she hasn’t yet taken a shot at game. For that privilege, she’ll have to wait a few years until she’s 12 and can get a hunting tag. When that day comes, her objective is clear.

“To shoot my own elk or deer,” Tiana says.

In the meantime, Tiana serves as a good partner.

“She’s real quiet,” Gary says.“You have to be patient and quiet,”

Tiana adds.Gary says hunting teaches children

patience. And the parents who take their children hunting learn the same lesson.

“When you take your children hunting, you have to be more patient yourself,” he says. “You have to put them first and not yourself first. That teaches you patience. And it makes me a better parent just being outdoors with my children.”

Gary says the experience of hunting with his daughter has changed his perspective on the sport.

“I think when you go hunting with children, you see things through

children’s eyes,” he says. “You slow down a bit and see things that, as an adult, a lot of times you don’t see. It’s not all about the shooting — it’s about time together.”

Gary’s new outlook is evident in his approach to the 2011 hunting season. “I drew a tag this year — a coveted tag to Unit 2 at Douglass Mountain — for archery elk,” he says. “There’s only eight tags in the whole unit. I’ve been putting in 17 years for that tag. When I first started putting in for it, in my mind, it was all about killing a 350 bull.

“Everybody tells me, ‘Now that you have that tag, you have to kill a big bull.’ I say, ‘I’m going out there, I’m going to camp, relax, have a good time, and I’m not going to put pressure on

Tiana Nichols, 8, peers upward from a tree stand during the 2010 archery elk season in Moffat County.

“It’s not all about the shooting. It’s about time together.”

— Gary Nichols, bow hunter, on hunting with his 8-year-old daughter


myself to get a big bull. If I get a nice bull, that’d be great. If I don’t — even if I don’t even fill the tag — I’m still going to have a good time.’ It drives guys crazy.”

Tiana, on the other hand, has a different notion of what her father should get.

“A big bull,” she says. “A big fat one.”Tiana, who is in third grade, says one

boy in her class hunts with his parents, but none of the girls do. And some of those girls think it’s weird that Tiana enjoys hunting.

When someone questions her interest in the sport, Tiana has a quick response. “‘It might not be your favorite thing, but it’s mine,’” she says.

Gary says fewer children are getting involved in the sport year after year.

“I think it’s declined — the number of young people involved in hunting — across the nation,” he says. “It’s important to introduce our children to the outdoors and hunting and fishing. They’re the future for us. We could lose it.”

In addition to learning a way of life, Gary says spending time with children teaches them something even more valuable. “It makes them feel more important,” he says. “When you take time to listen to what they say… and to take time to answer their questions about what they see, it makes them feel special.”

Tiana Nichols stands with her archery gear during the 2010 archery elk season in Moffat County. She says she can’t wait until she’s 12 so she can harvest her first elk.

Gary Nichols, left, and daughter Tiana, 8, share a smile in a tree stand. (Photos courtesy Gary Nichols)

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South Routt Facts★ The population of the Oak Creek area in the early to mid-1900s was larger than it is today,

with about 2,000 to 3,000 people in South Routt.

★ Since at least 1913, Oak Creek has attracted throngs of people, residents and visitors, for the annual Labor Day festivities along the streets of the town. What began as a literal celebration of the holiday brought organizers from each of the local mine unions to speak in the town center.

★ Since the 1920s there have been seven different newspapers in South Routt.

★ The Flat Tops Wilderness is the second largest wilderness area in Colorado.

★ The Boor-Redmond Ranch near Yampa played a significant role in the devel-opment of farming and ranching in Routt County. It is an intact agricultural complex in continuous use since circa 1890 whose buildings have been adapted to meet changing ranch needs. The Redmond Ranch, more than any other ranch in the community, tells the story of agriculture in southern Routt County.

★ Flat Tops Wilderness Area Facts: ∙ Size:235,035 acres ∙ Elevation: 7,600 to 12,994 feet ∙ Miles of trails: 160 ∙ Year designated: 1975 ∙ Hunting areas: 24, 25, 12, 26, 33, 34

★ Bonfiglio Drug and Liquor Natural Preventative healthcare, gifts, cards and sundries. 970-736-2377, 877-Bonfiglio, 118 Main St.

★ Spiro’s/Oak Creek Liquor Licenses (hunting/archery), ammo, supplies, cold beer and friendly smiles. 970-736-2443, 107 Main St.

★ Oak Creek Motel Clean, affordable, friendly hospitality year round. Drive a little - Save a lot! 970-736-2343, 408 Willow Bend just off Main St., www.oakcreekmotel.com

★ Tracks and Trails Museum Coal Mining, Rail-roading History & More—Where the Journey Begins 970-736-8245, Main St.,

★ South Routt Medical Center We are here to keep South Routt healthy, because we care!

970-736-8118, 300 Main St.

★ Flat Tops Ranch Supply Farm supplies, animal feed, tack, tools, propane, sporting goods and gifts. 970-736-2450, 21475 Hwy 131, Phippsburg

★ Tracks and Trails Museum Also visit the outdoor Railroad Display in [email protected] www.yampavalley.info/tracksandtrails.asp

★ Montgomery’s General Merchandise Groceries, ammo, licenses, hardware, maps, gifts, sporting goods. 970-638-4531, 24 Main St., Yampa

★ Oak Tree Inn & Penny’s Diner Our rooms are clean, dark and quiet. HBO, 100% non-smoking, free Wi-Fi. We’re the only Hotel/Diner open 24/7 in South Routt. Come on over & visit 970-638-1000, 98 Moffat Ave., Yampa

★ Royal Hotel - Historic Hotel, Bar and Cafe located in Yampa, Colorado. Just minutes away from hunting, fish-ing, hiking and more! 970-638-4538.

★ Toponas General Store Fule, groceries, cold storage, game proccessing & shipping, ice, spirits, licenses, propane, and ATM. 970-638-4483, 10000 Hwy 131, Toponas

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Grand Junction

Glenwood Springs

SteamboatSprings

Meeker

Archery RestrictionRifle hunters may hunt in these areas with an over-the-counter license, however archery over-the-counter license holders may only hunt on private land in these units.

Limited Units - Draw onlyYou may NOT hunt in these areas with an over-the-counter license.

Unlimited Units Hunters with an unlimited bull elk license (archery or rifle) may hunt in these units. Remember: You must still have permission to hunt private land.

Archery restrictionRifle hunters may hunt in these areas with an over-the-counter license; however, archery over-the-counter license holders may only hunt on private land in these units.

Limited units — Draw onlyYou may not hunt in these areas with an over-the-counter license.

Unlimited unitsHunters with an unlimited bull elk license (archery or rifle) may hunt in these units. Hunters still must have permission to hunt private land.







Craig

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GMU: 1, 2, 10, 201CWD has been detected in GMU 10Local Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife officeMeeker 970-878-6090Dinosaur National Monument is closed to all hunting

In this area, 9,700-foot Diamond Mountain is the highest point, dropping to 5,100 feet in elevation at the White River. Sage and sage-grassland dominate, with the typical vegetation groups as the elevation increases. Weather is generally mild through the later seasons, though the higher elevations can have significant snow accumulation. Public land accounts for more than 85 percent of GMU 201. GMU 2 is a checkerboard of public and private land, and GMU 10 is mostly BLM land with a lot of scattered private land. Consult a map and be aware of where you are. GMU 1 has poor access into the rough, rocky terrain and into the wilderness area. You must draw a license to hunt the Green River units, and it takes many years of preference points. Hence, the hunting pressure is light.

DEER — Deer are scattered throughout GMUs 2, 10 and 201. If there is winter range migration, it is usually during third season. Deer in GMU 1 tend to stay at the south and north ends of Brown’s Park Refuge. The average good buck in GMUs 2 and 201

measures 24 inches to 26 inches. There are trophy bucks in GMU 10; however, they tend to have tall versus wide antlers. Hunt the bush-covered areas, high elevations early in the season, lower elevations later.

ELK — 300+ size bulls are common. The elk tend to stay put over the seasons. Movement is weather dependent. Overall, elk are scattered in GMUs 2, 10, 201 and the northern portion of GMU 1.

We recommend Blue Mountain and Moosehead Mountain in GMU 10, but be prepared for rough terrain. When hunting GMUs 2 or 201 — hold out for a good bull — the average size is around 305. In GMU 2, try the southwest corner. In GMU 1, try Hoy Draw and Chokecherry Draw.

GMU: 3, 11, 211, 301CWD has been detected in these unitsLocal Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife officeMeeker 970-878-6090

The Lower Yampa units are south of Wyoming, bordered by the White River and the Little Snake River. The lower elevations of 6,000 feet consist of sage and sage steepe. Pinyon and juniper cover the upper elevations up to 8,500 feet. Expect zero to light snow cover in first and second seasons. The later seasons may bring

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Craig

Game management units

GREEN RIVER

LOWER YAMPA

DeeR: There are new hunting opportunities around Craig. Hunters should get permission from landowners before hunting, since these units are near populated areas. (Visit the deer section on page 13 of the 2011 Colorado Big Game brochure at www.wildlife.state.co.us/NR; look for hunt codes D-F-481-L1-R, D-M-004-P5-A and D-F-004-P5-A).

eLk: Private land-only hunts in Unit 14 of the Upper Yampa GMU have been eliminated. In Units 25 and 26 in the White River GMU, antlerless licenses will be available for second, third and fourth seasons on a first-come, first-served basis starting July 12.

MOOse: Additional moose hunts have been added along the Continental Divide, in Units 14, 20, 29, 38, 39, 46, and 49. Additionally, a new regulation now allows hunters to keep moose preference points on record for 10 years. As with other big game, if you get a first-choice moose license, all of your accumulated preference points will be purged for that species. Points also will be purged if you fail to apply for a moose license or preference point in a 10-year period.

BeaR: There are new, limited private land-only hunts in units 31 and 32 of the Bookcliffs/Piceance GMU.

2011 Updates for NW Colorado


moderate snow and a potential for near zero temperatures. If the weather is mild, deer and elk will not be present in high numbers until the later seasons. Overall access is easy, and 4WD is not necessary in most areas. Hunting pressure is heavy. Outside of GMU 301, 70 percent of the Lower Yampa is public land.

DEER — The buck-doe ratio is increasing. The mid-range elevations with mountain shrub and pinyon-juniper breaks generally hold the most deer, especially during the regular rifle seasons. In GMUs 11 and 211, deer generally are found in the Danforth Hills during second rifle season, moving to lower elevations in Axial Basin (GMU 211), Bitterbrush SWA and adjacent BLM land (GMU 11), and Crooked Wash (GMU 11) by third and fourth rifle seasons. Several thousand acres are open for public hunting in Axial Basin through a coordinated resource management plan (call Meeker Division of Parks and Wildlife office for more information).

ELK — The large elk herd occupies all available habitat. The later seasons are usually better, especially on public land, because of snow and hunting pressure pushing the elk out of the adjacent units. The success rate is very good on late cow elk hunts. Axial Basin CRM is a hot spot for hunting, but crowding is significant. The best bull hunting will be on private land.

GMU: 4, 5, 13, 14, 15, 131, 214, 441CWD has been detected in these unitsLocal Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife officeMeeker (GMUs 4 and 5) 970-878-6090Steamboat Springs (others) 970-870-2197

From a low of 6,300 feet, the elevation soars to 12,000 feet along the Continental Divide. The Routt National Forest dominates the eastern 2/3 of the Upper Yampa units with coniferous forests and aspen. Most of the land outside of the national forest is private land. Mountain shrub and rolling sage cover the low country. Expect light to moderate snow in the first season, gradually increasing through the fourth season. 4WD is usually necessary on the secondary roads. Hunting pressure is heavy. Hunters will have better success and enjoy more solitude by walking into remote areas. Hunting pressure may create refuge situations on the private lands in GMUs 13, 131, 214 and 441. Mount Zirkel (GMU 14) and Sarvis Creek (GMU 15) wilderness areas access is restricted to non-vehicle methods. Public hunting in GMUs 13 and 131 is limited to a few small parcels of BLM land and some State Trust Land parcels.

DEER — The deer herd is doing well in the Upper Yampa units. Most of the deer will be found in the western section of these units. Movement also is to the west. Hot spots are located north of Hayden. Some good trophy bucks are seen in the southern portion. In GMUs 4 and 5, the buck hunting

has shown steady improvement. This area is not managed for trophy bucks, but it does have a good number of adult males in the population. Hunt the aspen and brush areas. Doe licenses in these units are “list B” licenses.

ELK — Elk are plentiful throughout the Upper Yampa area. Licenses are also readily available, but hunters should not rely on leftover license availability as these herds approach population objective. The DOW has been working to minimize crop damage and significantly reduce the number of elk in these units. There are good numbers of bull elk; however, do not expect to see many large adult males. Large elk numbers occur in the Routt National Forest. The basic movement is from the higher to lower elevation in response to hunting pressure and weather. Hunt the timber and hunt the Routt National Forest early. In GMUs 4 and 5, private land access is only available on a fee hunting basis.GMU: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171

CWD has been detected in these unitsMoose in area, so be sure of your targetLocal Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife officeSteamboat Springs 970-870-2197

North Park borders Wyoming and lies between the Continental Divide and the Medicine Bow Mountains. The valley floor at 7,880 feet supports agricultural lands and sagebrush. Extensive willow stands line the streams — a favorite moose habitat, so be sure of your target. The forest surrounding the basin varies from aspen/lodgepole to spruce/fir. The area is generally windy and colder than many places in western Colorado. Prepare for snow during your hunt. 4WD is helpful, as are chains. More than 2/3 of North Park is public land. Mount Zirkel (west) and Never Summer (southeast) are the wilderness areas. Access to all State Trust Lands and the wilderness areas is nonmotorized. Big game can move onto private lands with no public access.

DEER — If you are a patient hunter, you could have success hunting trophy bucks. North Park has an early 9-day, deer-only season that begins the last week of September. This season provides additional hunter opportunities as many of the deer in North Park migrate early. Few deer are found in North Park during January classification flights. Small sample sizes lead to higher observed buck-to-doe ratios than can be expected during the hunting seasons. Use three-year average success rates for choosing a hunt.

ELK — Elk are distributed evenly throughout these units. During the day, the bulls will be in dark timber — grass in the early morning and evening. The herd tends to stay in the coniferous timbered areas until late in the season, moving to lower elevations with snow and hunting pressure. Computer models likely overestimate the total North Park elk population because of biased

January observed bull-to-cow ratios resulting from multiple bias factors, including state line issues, refuge areas and low public land hunter success rates.GMU: 21, 22, 30, 31, 32

CWD has been detected in these areasLocal Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife officeMeeker (GMU 21, 22) 970-878-6090Grand Junction (GMU 30, 31, 32) 970-255-6100

Intense energy development is occurring in these units. Pinyon-juniper woodlands with pockets of sagebrush cover most of this area. The terrain varies from rolling sagebrush to steep-sided canyon country. Seventy-five percent of this area is BLM land. There are remote hunting areas accessible by foot, horseback or ATV. Get maps and study BLM access points. Some areas are steep and rugged, especially in the southern portion. Weather is generally mild. Rains bring muddy roads. At high elevations, snow makes roads impassible without chains.

DEER — The hunting ranges from fair to good in the Bookcliffs and Piceance units. Deer are well-distributed in the northern portion from mid-October. Concentrate on higher elevations in early seasons. If the weather is dry, you’ll need to do a lot of walking and looking. Good snows will move the herds to the south. Hunt high early, low later. Cathedral Rim has some big bucks, but tough terrain. Little Hills and Dry Fork of Piceance is better late. GMUs 21 and 30 are managed as quality deer units, and licenses are separate from licenses that are valid in GMUs 22, 31 and 32.

ELK — Good cow hunting opportunities. The best hunting is in remote areas, mostly at high elevations, where the elk tend to hold up in pockets of green timber and aspen. Check out the Texas Mountain area and Ratt Hole Ridge. Hunting pressure will push some bulls into the large expanses of pinyon-juniper. If snow and hunting pressure are sufficient, some elk will move into the Little Hills and Dry Fork area of Piceance later in the seasons. Most of the GMU 32 elk move into GMU 22 to winter.GMU: 12, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34

CWD has been detected in these unitsLocal Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife officeGlenwood Springs (GMU 25, 26, 34) 970-947-2920Meeker (GMU 12, 23, 24) 970-878-6090Steamboat Springs (GMU 26) 970-870-2197Grand Junction (GMU 33) 970-255-6100

White River offers variety and extremes. Several peaks in the Flat Top Wilderness Area 12,200 feet in elevation. Elevation drops to 5,300 feet near Rifle. The lower elevation vegetation starts out with sage, progressing to oakbrush/mountain brush, aspen, evergreens

UPPER YAMPA

NORTH PARK

BOOKCLIFFS/PICEANCE

WHITE RIVER


and alpine tundra. Expect mild weather with light snow in the first season, with roads becoming impassable in the upper half of the area by the third season. The high country in GMU 24 is prone to heavy snowstorms in late seasons. Heavy snowstorms can strand hunters on Flattops after first season. While there is a great deal of public land, hunting pressure is heavy especially in northern half of GMUs 23 and 24. 4WD is necessary on all but the few main paved roads. Half of the area is roadless — which makes for very good hunting if you can walk or pack in. You may encounter heavy ATV traffic in GMUs 12, 23 and 33. Hunters in GMU 25 and 26 can gain access using Forest Service Road 610 (Stump Park Road) or USFS Road 613 (Crescent Lake Road).

DEER — The deer are scattered and will move in response to hunting pressure and weather. On National Forest lands in GMUs 12, 23 and 24, deer hunting is generally better in early seasons. Good public land deer hunting typically can be found in GMU 12 on the Jensen and Indian Run State Wildlife Areas. Jensen SWA is north of Meeker, and Indian Run SWA is east of Hamilton. GMU 23 deer hunters can try Hay Flats and Miller Creek southwest of Meeker and the Jensen and Oak Creek State Wildlife Areas north and east of Meeker. Deer densities are lower across GMU 24, but hunters can find deer

on the south-facing slopes above the White River.

ELK — Moose have been introduced to this area. Elk hunters should be sure of their target to avoid accidental kill of moose. Generally all of GMUs 12, 23 and 24 are considered very good elk hunting. The elk are generally up at higher elevations in the eastern portions of GMUs 12 and 24 during the early seasons, and then move west to lower elevations (and private lands) as hunting pressure and snow depth increase. Try the abundant public lands in eastern GMU 12 and 24 early on. The chance for a trophy bull is low because of unlimited bull elk licenses. Because of access roads, hunting pressure is high on Sleepy Cat, Lost Park and Sand Peak. The Flat Tops Wilderness Area offers good hunting, but travel is limited to walking or horseback, and the potential for heavy snowfall means hunters must be prepared. Successful hunters avoid the main roads and hunt the dark timber and deeper canyons. Jensen State Wildlife Area is good during most seasons. Oak Ridge State Wildlife Area is good during third and fourth rifle seasons. Both properties are limited to foot or horseback travel.GMU: 35, 36, 44, 45

CWD has been detected in GMU 36Local Division of Parks and Wildlife officeGlenwood Springs 970-947-2920

The Eagle River Valley units are bordered by the Colorado River, the Gore Range, the Red Table Mountains and the Continental Divide. Elevation climbs from 6,000 feet with sagebrush and pinyon to more than 14,000 feet with alpine vegetation starting at 10,500 feet. Weather can vary tremendously with high-country snow exceeding several feet. Motorized travel restricted to designated routes. GMUs 35 and 44 have the most public access, however, the northern portion of GMU 44 between Edwards and Eagle is primarily private property with no hunting allowed. Check your map and contact the BLM/USFS office regarding off-road travel.

DEER — Deer hunting in these units continues to improve. The herd will be scattered from 6,500 feet to timberline and will move down to the lower elevation pinyon-juniper areas as heavy snow arrives. More than 18 inches of snow will move the deer. Try hunting the aspen, open parks and shrublands. GMUs 35 and 36 have the most deer. After the first heavy snow, most GMU 45 deer will move into GMU 36. GMU 44 is managed for trophy deer with limited number of licenses, but it is a good place to take a big buck.

ELK — Elk are scattered from about 7,000 feet to above timberline. As hunting

pressure increases, they seek the deeper canyons and dark timber areas away from roads. Concentrating on the large stands of dark timber and the larger wilderness areas will increase your chance of finding a big bull on public lands. Large blocks of private land in GMUs 35 and 36 provide refuge areas and can make hunting difficult.GMU: 18, 27, 28, 37, 181, 371

CWD has been detected in these unitsLocal Division of Parks and Wildlife officeHot Sulphur Springs 970-725-6200

The Continental Divide and the Gore Range Divide encircle Middle Park. Most of this terrain is steep to very steep. The weather can change rapidly with higher elevations receiving more precipitation. Areas can become snowbound. 4WD is recommended, along with chains. Sagebrush/shrubs are common on southern exposures at lower elevations. The valley bottoms are mostly private lands. The remaining 2/3 of this area is public land. GMU 27 has less public land than the other GMUs. Check USFS maps for ATV closures/restrictions. Hunters around Wolford Mountain (GMU 181 and 27) should be aware that a travel management plan is in place — check with the BLM Kremmling office for information. Horses/pack animals are recommended for remote tracts and for wilderness areas. The better hunting will be at least 1/2 mile away from roads. There are pockets where hunters overconcentrate. Due to the proximity to Denver, there are many weekend hunters and recreationalists (bikers, hikers, ATVers). Pine beetles have affected more than 90 percent of the lodgepole pine stands in Grand and Summit counties. As a result, fire danger is increased, big game distribution is changing in some areas and logging operations are likely in some spots. Hunters might focus on some of the dead lodgepole areas as increased sunlight to the forest floor creates more forage, and these areas tend to hold deer and elk for longer periods of time.

DEER — All GMUs have good numbers of deer. The buck-to-doe ratios continue to increase as a result of limited buck hunting and mild winters. All units are managed for quality bucks. There are good numbers of mature bucks, but they rarely reach trophy status found in lower elevation mountain shrub and mild winter areas. Concentrate on transition zones that have aspen, shrub and coniferous cover in close proximity. Deer tend to move west and down in elevation over the seasons; snow will move them faster and farther. They typically migrate out of GMU 371 with average snowfall. A limited number of fourth season deer licenses are available.

Game management units [continued]

EAGLE RIVER VALLEY

MIDDLE PARK

New OveR-THe-COuNTeR eLk aND PRONgHORN MaPsNow it’s easy to find where you want to hunt when you’re buying an unlimited license. Check out where you can hunt on the elk archery, second rifle, third rifle and plains season maps on pages 24 to 26 of the 2011 Colorado Big Game brochure (www.wildlife.state.co.us/NR). There’s also a new map of units open for archery pronghorn hunting on page 39 of the brochure.

New $10 HaBiTaT sTaMP RequiReD A new regulation regarding habitat stamps requires hunters ages 18 to 64 to purchase a stamp prior to buying or applying for a hunting or fishing license. The stamps cost $10, with one required per person per year, valid April 1 to March 31. A lifetime stamp is $300.25. The stamps are not refundable, even if you don’t draw a license. Hunters applying for a limited license must purchase a stamp to apply in the drawing process.

New suRvey Don’t be surprised if you receive a phone call or email asking you to take part in a harvest survey, with such questions as where you hunted, if you harvested an animal, were you satisfied with your hunting experience, and if you saw overcrowding from other hunters.Only randomly selected hunters can participate. Participation is not required, but responding — even if you didn’t hunt or harvest — is an important part of setting seasons and license numbers for next year. If contacted, you also can do the survey online at www. coloradohuntreports.com or call 877-237-1666. The survey runs 24 hours daily, October through mid-February.

NEW FOR 2011 SEASON


ELK — Elk are well distributed in all units. Bull-to-cow ratios are good because the area is fairly steep and heavily timbered. Generally, trophy bulls are rare (a few are taken every year) because bulls are managed for hunter opportunity. With hunting pressure and snow, elk head for the inaccessible timber and private property. GMU 27 has a lot of private land. Hunt the rough terrain and heavy cover away from roads and trails to increase your success.

GMU: 40No hunting allowed in Colorado National MonumentLocal Division of Parks and Wildlife officeGrand Junction 970-255-6100

This 750-square-mile unit consists of a relatively flat summit leading to sloping mesas bisected by deep, rugged canyons. The highest elevation range is about 9,800 feet. Roads provide access to the mesas, but many of the canyons are remote and accessible only by foot or horseback. Weather starts out mild but mud/snow accumulation is likely in later seasons. Early season hunters should favor higher elevations of the USFS land, while later season hunters will do better on the lower BLM lands. Hunters can find many water holes within the dark timber stands on north-facing slopes. Elk and deer frequent these areas during warm temperatures and heavy hunting pressure. GMU 40 has a lot of private land, and public access to BLM is often difficult to reach by vehicle.

DEER — There are some good bucks in GMU 40, but they are difficult to locate. The upper end of the Little Dolores drainage is a great place to find quality mule deer bucks; however, there is considerable private land. Late-season hunters may have success north of Seiber Canyon to the Colorado River, but it is foot or horseback only in that area. Areas along the Utah border and north of Gateway can be good during the rifle seasons; however, hunters need to be aware of public land boundaries and the state line.

ELK — Bulls will be bugling from mid-September through first rifle opening weekend. Elk are widely distributed. Most stay high until hunting pressure pushes them to lower elevations and less accessible drainages. Do not hunt areas that have previously received heavy hunting pressure — the elk will not be there. Successful hunters do a lot of walking and looking. You cannot hunt elk in GMU 40 with an unlimited bull elk license. GMU 40 is a limited unit. You must apply in the draw.GMU: 41, 42, 421

CWD has been detected in GMUs 42 and 421Local Division of Parks and Wildlife officeGrand Junction 970-255-6100

Grand Mesa terrain ranges from high

elevation (11,000 feet) spruce/fir forests to low elevation (4,800 feet) pinyon-juniper woodlands. Weather can be rainy or snowy, then warm up and dry out the following day. Roads can become very muddy and 4WD is recommended. There is not a lot of road access in GMU 42. Hunters should be prepared to spend time on foot or horseback. Much of the area is public land. Overall, the hunting pressure is heavy. Intensive natural gas development activity is occurring in GMUs 42 and 421. This work includes a major drilling project and a pipeline project. Contact the USFS Grand Valley Ranger District, 970-242-8211, for more details on energy development in this area.

DEER — Deer hunting is good with the numbers increasing. Deer are found on forest lands and higher elevation private lands during October. The resident deer stay in lower agricultural areas year-round. The migrating deer herd begins to move off the forest in mid-November to lower elevations, often to BLM lands. The best deer hunting is at mid elevations (8,500 feet to 9,500 feet), with more buck opportunities in the later seasons. The number of trophy bucks continues to increase. The Battlements can be good in late seasons, but the terrain is rugged. The open country offers good opportunities for those who get out on foot or horseback.

ELK — The elk herd is well distributed with good hunting success expected. Elk are scattered throughout the forest and on private lands. Most elk stay at higher elevations (8,500 feet to 10,000 feet) in thick timber and oakbrush. There is no migration during the season, movement to the more remote areas is in response to hunting pressure. They will seek classic cover — the heavily wooded, north-facing slopes near water. You will need to get away from the roads. There are lots of legal bulls as the area is managed for quantity of bulls rather than trophy status. Hence, trophy bulls are present but relatively rare.

GMU: 43, 47, 444, 471Local Division of Parks and Wildlife officeGlenwood Springs 970-947-2920

This area encompasses the Roaring Fork, Frying Pan and Crystal River drainages. The lower elevations (6,500 feet) are primarily developed or agricultural. Timberline is around 11,500 feet, and there are 14,000-foot peaks in the wilderness areas. Be prepared for daytime highs of 75 degrees dropping to 20 degrees at night. Snow can exceed several feet in the higher elevations, and moisture can make roads dangerous or impassible. 4WD is a necessity. About 40 percent of the area is wilderness (Hunter-Fryingpan, Maroon Bells, Raggeds, Collegiate Peaks), and vehicles are not allowed. These rugged areas offer increased hunting success, but require

horseback/pack-in camps. Hunting pressure is moderate. There are large blocks of private lands in GMU 43 east of Colorado Highway 133 and in the western portion of GMU 444.

DEER — Deer populations were on the upswing for several years but did decline during the winter of 2007-08. Fawn-to-doe ratios are low while buck-to-doe ratios are decent. This herd is concentrated in aspen and oakbrush habitats before the snow flies. Hunting pressure does not generally cause herd movement, but deer will move to lower elevation woodlands as snow accumulates. Archery and muzzleloader hunters should head to timberline — Capitol Creek, Haystack Mountain, East Snowmass Creek and Thompson Creek. Later-season hunters could try “The Crown,” Holgate Mesa, Williams Hill and Light Hill, but expect to see other hunters in these areas. Some good bucks can be found if hunters focus in areas away from roads.

ELK — Early seasons find elk anywhere from 7,500 feet to above timberline. With increased hunting pressure and snow, herds tend to move to remote areas or private land — away from roads and hunters. The wilderness areas are a good bet for success, but hunters must hike or horseback in as motorized travel is prohibited. Try Snowmass Creek, Conundrum Creek, Capitol Creek, Avalanche Creek, Difficult Creek, McFarland Creek, Maroon Creek, Thompson Creek, Basalt Mountain, Four-mile, the Marble area and the upper Frying Pan drainages. Kobey Park and Sloans Peak are good, but deep snow and bad roads should be expected, especially later in the seasons. Some great opportunities for private land cow hunting exist in GMU 43, if you can get permission.

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Survival skills 101The Boy Scouts have it right: Be preparedcolorado hunter staff

With most trophy animals off the beaten track, inherent risks come with chasing record-book racks. When hunting, you’ll often be far from help in unfamiliar terrain, and oftentimes you’ll be alone.

Knowing basic survival techniques and packing appropriately for mishaps is essential.

Just ask Steamboat Springs’ Darrel Levingston, a member of the Routt County Search and Rescue team who has spent many a cold night locating lost hunters.

He’s seen all the mistakes, from not monitoring the weather to being ill-prepared and getting lost.

To combat the latter, he suggests bringing modern technology into the mountains. Not only can cell phones and GPS do wonders for your own orientation, he says, but they can also help rescuers.

But he also cautions against relying on such gadgetry.

“Technology has changed the way search and rescue works, but electronics have limitations,” he says. “Even though they’re great to have, you should also take such basic essentials as a map and compass.”

Electronics, map and compass aren’t the only extra items you should pack. Brett Mason, of Routt County’s Longshot Ranch, recommends always bringing more supplies than you think you might use.

“At the very least, you want to have a basic survival kit,” he says. “Even if it’s just a first-aid kit, matches, water and a flashlight, you want to be prepared.”

A survival kit also should include an emergency poncho and blanket, whistle, extra knife, cotton balls or other materials to start a fire, and a small signal mirror.

Mason also advises to stay hydrated. He brings between three and four water bottles with him per hunt. “You can go a night or two without food,” he says. “But you definitely can’t without water.”

Weather is another factor to consider. While a cold snap can bring animals down from the high country, it can also wreak

havoc on hunting parties, causing people to lose their bearings, post-hole through snow and get hypothermia.

To deal with unpredictable weather, Scott Brennise, of Craig’s Superior Guide Service, recommends having layers of dry clothing on hand.

“Around here, the weather will go from 60 to zero really quickly,” he says. “I tell people to bring Gore-Tex tops and bottoms, a good jacket and two sets of boots — one for when it’s snowy, cold and sloppy, and another lighter pair for when it’s normal.”

No matter the forecast, adds Levingston, be ready for anything. “The weather can change in an instant,” he says. “You need to have clothing and equipment for all four seasons, regardless of what the day might look like.”

This is especially true in the later hunting seasons. “Later in the year, weather becomes more of a factor,” says Kevin Rider, owner of Rifle’s Timberline Sporting Goods. “Pay attention to weather reports before you go out. You need rain gear in the earlier hunting months and winter layers in the later seasons. Weather protection is something all hunters need to think about.”

So is alerting others of your whereabouts, adds Levingston. Telling someone where you’re going and when you plan to return can spell the difference between a safe, successful harvest and a miserable, extended stay in the backcountry.

“Northwest Colorado is a big place to look for someone,” he says. “Knowing where people are going and when they expect to return can cut search time down dramatically.”

This holds true no matter how long your hunt. Mason and Brennise usually hunt a day at a time. But they say the amount of time doesn’t matter; everyone should be prepared, no matter what.

“We usually go out for just half a day,” Mason says. “But we’ve had people get lost and not get back until that evening.”

Because even familiar territory mixed with foul weather can present danger, the only thing certain is how smartly you’ve packed, he adds. “You never know when

you mightget hurt or get lost,” he says. “You should always bring the basic essentials.”

Dr. Dan Smilkstein, a Steamboat Springs physician with plenty of experience in high-altitude recreation, offers the following advice for flatlanders heading straight to the high-country hills:

• Be aware of your elevation. Some people develop altitude sickness as low 4,000 feet, while 8,000 feet affects most others.

• Watch for the following symptoms: disrupted and irregular sleep, loss of appetite, mild nausea, low energy, drowsiness and mild headaches. If you’re experiencing any of these, don’t go any higher. You don’t necessarily have to go back down; within 24 to 48 hours your body should adjust. But if the symptoms get worse — breathing problems, headaches, etc. — descend to a lower altitude.

• Drink plenty of fluids and eat a carbohydrate-rich diet. Avoid alcohol. Eat regularly to keep a steady flow of calories and energy.

• Rule of thumb: Don’t sleep 1,000 feet higher than you did the night before. If you’re just coming up to altitude, spend two to three days in the valley before heading up to camp.

• Don’t push yourself hard the first 24 hours. A high level of exertion as your body is acclimating can aggravate health problems.

• Tylenol and Ibuprofen (and hydration) are fine to treat headaches. Be careful with sleep medications (Smilkstein recommends Diamox for sleep quality and ventilation). Before heading to altitude, speak with your doctor about potential medications and any underlying pulmonary and cardiac conditions.

HinTS for flaTlanderS


As a checklist of what to take, Routt County search and rescue member Darrel Levingston cites the “Ten Essentials” from the Mountain Rescue Association’s

General Backcountry Safety Workbook, with the ability to make fire, stay dry and orient oneself as principal packing priorities:

① U.S. Geological Survey topographic map, magnetic compass and other navigational aids such as cell phones, GPS or personal locator beacons. “Keep the GPS and cell batteries warm in a pocket next to your body and keep the cell phone off until you need it,” Levingston says.

② Waterproof matches in a waterproof container, candle/fire starter. Levingston advises bringing a film canister with Vaseline-saturated cotton balls, weather-proofing matches by dipping the tips in molten wax or even a small bottle of (highly flammable) hand sanitizer gel. You also can pull off a bullet’s tip to access the casing’s black powder.

③ Extra clothing, including gloves, hat, jacket and rain gear.

④ Whistle. “I’ve seen many rescues where the missing person said he could hear us yelling,” Levingston says, advising a pea-less whistle that won’t freeze up.

⑤ Flashlight (with extra batteries and bulb). Levingston advises intentionally flipping over a single battery to avoid draining the battery in your pack by accident.

⑥ Space blanket or two large heavy-duty trash bags.

⑦ Extra food and water. You never know when you’ll be out longer than expected. Pack extra food and water just in case.

⑧ Sunglasses. If a surprise snowstorm hits, you’ll be glad to have them to ward off the glare.

⑨ Pocket knife. Keep it where it belongs...in your pocket. You never know when you might need it.

⑩ First-aid kit. Accidents come in all shapes and sizes, and so do first-aid kits. Bring one that can handle a wide array of ailments.

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Tips for hunting elk

colorado parks and wildlife

Hunting magazines often display colorful photographs of huge bull elk standing in open meadows presenting easy targets. The reality in the mountains of Colorado, however, is far different.

Stalking these animals is challenging and you likely won’t get an easy shot. You’re more likely to find elk on a steep hillside, in a dark ravine, or in thick timber than standing out in the open.

The hunter success rate for all manners of take in Colorado was 22 percent in 2010, with a total of 48,018 animals harvested. A total of 214,535 hunters stalked elk last season. It’s estimated that there are about 280,000 elk in Colorado, the most of any state. If weather is warm, elk stay spread out over vast areas at high elevations at and above timberline.

In those conditions hunters need to work extra hard. When snow falls, elk will usually start to move, bunch up, and look for food sources at lower elevations or on slopes where vegetation is exposed.

However, the snow fall must be significant; usually more than a foot of snow must be on the ground to get elk moving.

Get off your ATV and hunt slowly and quietly far from any road. Elk are smart, move quickly at any hint of danger and hide in rugged terrain.

Compounding the challenge is the fact that elk typically gather in groups of 10 or more. If one is spooked they all move and they can run easily for a mile or more.

Elk are most active during the night and are likely to be grazing in transition areas — meadows next to heavy timber, where different types of vegetation meet and just above or below ridgelines.

Watch these areas at first light and at dusk. During the day, move into the dark timber — cool north-facing slopes — and don’t be hesitant to hunt in difficult areas. Move as quietly as possible for short distances and then scan the woods for 10 minutes or more before moving again.

Even in dense forest use binoculars to discern subtle movement or unusual colors in the trees.

If you find the areas where animals graze at night it’s likely that you’ll find them in adjacent areas during the day.


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drop a line after dropping your gameQuality fishing can complement any elk outing eugene buchanan/tom ross

Done dressing your elk? With the Yampa River flowing through

the heart of downtown Steamboat Springs, Hayden and Craig, the Elk and White rivers nearby, and countless smaller streams, lakes and reservoirs in the surrounding hillsides, Routt and Moffat counties are the perfect places to complement your hunt with trout fishing.

“Fishing is the perfect companion activity to hunting,” says Brett Lee, a veteran hunter and co-owner of Straightline Sporting Goods in Steamboat Springs. “And Northwest Colorado offers some great options.”

Lee adds that this year the fishing should remain especially good well into fall. “With the amount of water we’ve had this year, in the form of both snow and rain, the fishing will be awesome all hunting season,” he says. “Some years, the rivers get too low and warm, but this fall should be great.”

He adds that, like the area’s hunting options, hot spots are strewn throughout Northwest Colorado. “The Yampa through Steamboat has great fishing with a lot of public access, the White down by Meeker

is great, and the high mountain lakes where people hunt are fantastic also,” he says. “Come fall, those fish know winter’s coming and start feeding like crazy. It’s pretty easy fishing.”

So if time allows, swap your rifle for a rod and pursue another prized quarry in Northwest Colorado.

riversWinding its way from the Flat Tops

Wilderness Area west to its confluence with the Green River near Dinosaur National Monument, the Yampa River offers more than 100 miles of prime fishing, especially during the cooler hunting months of autumn when trout metabolisms come alive.

Prime public areas include the Stagecoach tailwaters just below Stagecoach Lake, the Chuck Lewis State Wildlife Area three miles south of town on County Road 14 (note: you also can take a footbridge to a pond teeming with northern pike), and the six-mile Steamboat “town stretch,” which extends to the west side of town and carries as many as 2,000 trout per mile. Favorite locations include the tall grass meanders of Rotary

A Colorado fishing license is required for anyone 16 or older. Nonresident fees:

License feesAnnual, $56; five-day, $21; one-day, $9. Colorado residents can get an annual license for $26 ($1 for seniors 64 and older). License holders also must purchase a Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp for $10.

Where to PurchaseAnglers can purchase licenses at www.wildlife.state.co.us or by calling 800-244-5613. A temporary authorization number can substitute for a physical license for 14 days from the date of purchase. Anglers must have their temporary authorization number on hand while fishing.

2011 coLoraDo fishing reguLations for trout/DaiLy bag LimitFour fish in aggregate. Possession limit: eight fish in aggregate. The town stretch of the Yampa River in Steamboat Springs has special regulations: flies and lures only and catch and release keep this fishery rewarding with large fish right in town. Find more information at www.wildlife.state.co.us, 800-244-5613.

2011 feeS & reGUlaTionS


Park, and the fast water along the Yampa River Core Trail (note: catch and release, with flies and lures only). For flies, try elk hair caddis, bright green caddis emergers or weighted streamers.

The Elk River offers public access upstream of Hinman Park Bridge along Seedhouse Road, or at the Christina Wildlife Area along the lower portion of the river on Routt County Road 129 northwest of town.

Those hunting in game units west of Craig also can fish for smallmouth bass and northern pike in Elkhead Reservor and the Yampa (hint: try white/chartreuse streamers and lures for the hard-fighting “smallies”). While wildlife officials are removing the unwanted bass from the Moffat County stretch to protect endangered native species, local fishermen still are reporting success.

Another autumn option in Moffat County is to drive west of Craig to Maybell and turn northwest on Colorado Highway 318 to the Green River in Browns Park, where 19th century outlaws once hid out and wild horses still roam.

With three world-class stretches of water (Sections A, B and C), the area is known for its large brown trout and clear, cold water released from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Stop at any sporting goods shop in Craig for directions.

Finally, the White River, which flows through Meeker and Rangely, drains the Flat Tops Wilderness Area and teems with trout in the fall. Head upstream from Meeker on County Road 8 toward Buford, where you can branch up the south or north fork, or try the Meeker town stretch, the section between Meeker and Rangley, or the the Rangely reach.

lakes and reservoirsFor lake fishing, hit any number of

reservoirs throughout Routt and Moffat counties (i.e. Stagecoach Lake, Steamboat Lake and Elkhead Reservoir). “The Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife has been stocking them with bigger fish than normal to give them a chance to survive the giant northern pike cruising the lake,” says Straightline’s Lee.

The strategy is succeeding, and October is the month the fish charge out of the depths to feed before winter sets in. Cooler temperatures also bring rainbow trout back into shallower water in large impoundments.

Anglers also can take advantage of more surface area to fish, with recent expansions increasing the sizes of Stagecoach and Elkhead reservoirs.

Located 13 miles south of Steamboat Springs via Colorado Highway 131 and Routt County Road 14 just outside of Oak Creek, Stagecoach Lake State Park recently benefitted from a construction project adding 4 feet of concrete to the top of the dam. An expansion project also recently nearly doubled the size of Elkhead Reservoir.

Wherever you go, hit it first thing in the morning for the best luck and be prepared to get your fly down 10 to 11 feet. Boat

rentals are available at the marinas of both state parks (Stagecoach and Steamboat Lake), which can be a big help for novices who don’t have their fly-casting technique down pat.

For fly patterns, try woolly buggers in olive, black and brown to imitate minnows. Remember, as water temperatures drop, retrieval rates on streamers and lures should drop with them.

“The cold water of autumn dictates a slower retrieve than fishermen are accustomed to in summer,” says Lee, adding that at Steamboat Lake trout often are looking for crayfish, an easy food source to imitate with lures.

Aside from these big three, there are also countless smaller lakes where you can dip a line after your hunt. On the other side of the Park Range from Steamboat, in Jackson County, anglers will find their best opportunity for a trophy brown out of North Delaney Lake.

All three Delaney Buttes lakes offer free camping. Other lakes in the area include Big Creek and Lake John.

Lakes abound in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, as well, from popular Trapper’s Lake, where you can rent canoes, rowboats and rustic accommodations, to Chapman and Sheriff reservoirs, Stillwater Reservoir at the headwaters of the Yampa River, and smaller fish hideouts like Rainbow and Mosquito lakes.

If you want to get farther off the beaten track, try the countless small alpine lakes in Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area, including Gilpin, Three Mile and Mica lakes.

Trout flies are tied of animal furs and bird feathers to mimic the different life stages of aquatic insects, minnows and crustaceans.

recommenDeD nymPhs (fisheD beLoW the Water):• Beadhead prince nymph (universal prospecting

pattern)• Gold-ribbed hare’s ear (good in mountain lakes)• Copper John (in several colors, size tiny)• Pablo’s Cripple (invented by local guide Paul Russell)• Black Depth Charger (hot pattern for 2011)

Dry fLies (fisheD on the surface):• Deer hair caddis• Parachute Adams (universal mayfly in several sizes)• Yellow Humpy (for cutthroat in mountain lakes)• Goddard caddis (for mountain lakes)• Rubber legged renegade • Pale morning dun

terrestriaLs:• Grasshoppers (ask the fly shop for the pattern of

the week; must-have on the Elk River when the ranchers are cutting hay)

• Ants (good for high mountain lakes)

streamers:• Woolly boogers tied with flashabou

eSSenTial flY PaTTernS

There’s nothing like hiring a guide to get your fly over feeding fish and to teach you how to make a realistic presentation. As with hiring a guide to hunt on private land, it can also get you out on trophy-filled private waters. Expect to pay several hundred dollars for a guided outing depending upon your preferred piece of water.

If a guide isn’t in your budget, don’t hesitate to ask the fishing experts in the fly shop for advice (and when the next free casting clinic takes place).

GeT a GUide



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You’re in good hands if you’re looking to preserve your animal in Craig. The town’s taxidermists are in a league of their own, head and shoulders above those found elsewhere in the field.

Want proof? In early June, two local taxidermists accomplished something that would have been unthinkable 20 years ago.

Scott Moore and Leland Reinier submitted a collaborative piece to a taxidermy competition and won.

Their entry — an African lion mounted on a rock cropping called “Can’t Kill the King” — won first place in the collective artist division at June’s Colorado State Taxidermy Competition in Salida. The event pitted 75 entries against one another, with taxidermists from across the West competing.

Things were different in the business a few decades ago, says Moore, 34. “When I first took over the business taxidermy secrets were secret,” he says. “The guy down the street wouldn’t tell you what he did to make it look nice. It’s changing now.”

Moore, who owns Mountain Man Taxidermy in Craig, worked with a guy down the street. Reinier owns Big Cat Taxidermy, also in Craig.

Earlier this year, Moore sought Reinier’s assistance with the African lion project. The lion’s skin, Moore says, was purchased from eBay.

Reinier jumped at the opportunity. “A lot of people think it’s funny that we got together to work on that piece,” says Reinier, 33. “But, at the end of the day, we both became better taxidermists and now we’re good friends because of it.”

Reinier, who won four awards including best of show for a stone sheep mount, agreed collaboration was outside the norm when he was growing up.

Reinier started working as a taxidermist in 1990 in his father, Bob Reinier’s, taxidermy shop, B & L Quality Taxidermy in Steamboat Springs.

“He was the greatest,” Reinier says. “Nobody else compared.”

The elder Rainier guarded his trade knowledge, he adds. “Dad’s always been private and secretive about that stuff,” he says. “He’s hardly ever gotten along

Practice makes perfectnW Colo. home to numerous talented taxidermists

Leland Reinier, owner of Big Cat Taxidermy in Craig, works on a customer’s leopard in May 2010. Reinier worked with taxidermist Scott Moore to create another piece, “Can’t Kill the King,” which won first place for collective artist at the Colorado State Taxidermy Competition in June in Salida.

Craig winners from June’s Colorado State Taxidermy Competition:

• Scott Moore, Mountain Man Taxidermy — two awards, including first prize for collaborative artist for “Can’t Kill the King,” an African lion mount.

• Leland Reinier, Big Cat Taxidermy — four awards, including best of show for a stone sheep and first prize for “Can’t Kill the King.”

• Mark Zimmerman, Bullseye Taxidermy — four awards, including first prize in the Mule Deer Challenge.

TaXiderMY TiTanS


with other taxidermists, never joined an association, and never goes to the shows.”

Leland Reinier felt the same way until he started his own business in Craig seven years ago. That’s when he realized the industry could be different.

“I don’t mind working with these guys and competing right alongside them,” he says. “It’s better for you, better for them, and makes you a better taxidermist.”

Mark Zimmerman, who owns Bullseye Taxidermy in Craig, also attended the state competition, taking first for game-head mounts in deer, elk and antelope. He also won first prize for the annual Mule Deer Challenge.

Zimmerman, 43, agrees with Moore and Reinier’s assessment of the industry. “In years past, if something was working well for you, you didn’t want anybody else to know about it,” he says.

Competitions like the one in Salida, he says, have helped change perspectives. “There are a lot of seminars and nothing is really secret anymore,” he says. “Everyone’s willing to help one another, which helps our industry.”

Moore says he invested nearly $4,000 and 80 hours of work into his African lion piece.

Moore got started in the trade at 15 years old, serving as an apprentice to Bob Barton, former owner of Mountain Man. He says he was fortunate to catch that break in the old days.

“I was lucky in that he took me in and taught me how to do it,” he says. “A lot of people were turned away and had to learn

on their own.”Zimmerman says there’s a simple

explanation for the number of award-winning taxidermists in Craig: Practice makes perfect. “Craig is the hub of hunting,” he says. “We have the largest migrating elk herd in the world here and there’s a lot of work for all us taxidermists.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: This mounted turkey is an example of the work of Scott Moore, owner of Mountain Man Taxidermy in Craig. Scott Moore in his shop.Scott Moore stands next to the prize-winning piece “Can’t Kill the King,” which he created with taxidermist Leland Reinier. The two men won first place for collective artist at the Colorado State Taxidermy Competition in Salida. The piece, which features an African lion, is on display at Moore’s business, Mountain Man Taxidermy in Craig.

Taxidermy is more than just a profession for Meeker’s Bill Wille, who has owned Antler Taxidermy with his wife, Donna, for 31 years. But the beginning of his love for animals came across the country in New York and Pennsylvania.

“I couldn’t wait until I turned 12 so I could get my hunting license in Pennsylvania,” Wille says. “When I did, I shot an albino chipmunk and that was my start as a taxidermist.”

Growing up in the city, Wille worked on whatever he could find, from pigeons to road kill, and collected books and magazines on animals. And he credits his dad, who passed away when Wille was 14, for fostering his feelings toward wildlife. “I’ve always had a love for animals and he’d always take me out hunting to further that love,” he says.

Wille, now 61, says people who don’t hunt don’t understand why he became a taxidermist. “It’s a way

to catch the memories of the hunt and the beauty of the animals,” he says. “I create memories every day I work on a new project.”

Wille also owns a professional hunting service in Africa. Leaving the country, he says, allows him to work with a wide variety of animals, including elephants, goats, antelopes and snow leopards.

“I’ve worked with some rare and unusual pieces,” he says, adding that his favorite piece is a leopard he bagged in Africa. “As a professional hunter, you never have time for yourself because you’re always helping others attain their game.”

In the business for almost 50 years, Wille is always looking for new and innovative techniques. But in the end, it’s all about the animals. “I have such a love and passion for it that I’ll keep doing this until I can’t breathe anymore,” he says. “Working with animals is just a way of life for me.”

TaXiderMY: a WaY of life


from the olympic games to big gamelocal nordic olympians Johnny Spillane, Todd lodwick as solid with bow as they are on skis

OLYMPIC HUNTERS

Three-time Olympic silver medalist Johnny Spillane at home on the waters of the Yampa River.

Photo by John russell

eugene buchanan/tom ross


While Northwest Colorado is home to trophy elk and deer, it’s also home to hunters who brought home trophies from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Nordic combined skiers with ties to Steamboat Springs brought home seven silver medals from last year’s Games — enough to hang from every point of a Routt or Moffat county bull. And come hunting and fishing season, two of them — Todd Lodwick and Johnny Spillane — take a break from hunting world titles to set their sights on bow-hunting big game.

Spillane, who brought home three silver medals, and Lodwick, who brought Routt County another, might share Olympic medals, but they also share billing as outdoorsmen. And they’d just as soon be tracking big game as stepping into their ski bindings.

“Archery season is what I live for, and the month of September is it,” says Spillane, who also guides fishing trips locally in the summer. “There’s adrenaline in it, but it’s really about getting deep into the woods.”

Spillane and Lodwick grew up fishing and hunting in Northwest Colorado. While training for the Olympics — Lodwick has competed in a record-tying five and Spillane three — cuts into their time spent bugling elk, they return to the woods as avid bow hunters every chance they get.

During a 24-hour hunt last year in New Mexico, Lodwick harvested a 343-inch bull elk and an 18.5-inch, 400-pound black bear, both record book animals. He’s so accomplished that he’s on the pro staff of camouflage clothing manufacturer Mossy Oak, which explains the camou-colored Uvex ski jumping helmet he wore at the 2009 World Championships.

It’s easy for him to draw an analogy between Nordic combined skiing and bow hunting.

“Competing last year was a lot like a hunt,” says Lodwick, who once packed out an elk on his mountain bike. “You start out to conquer something and then it all comes together. It was like a 14-year stalk.”

Like studying his opponents in a Nordic event, Lodwick, who says he has only missed filling his tag once, takes a cerebral approach to his hunts. “I understand the animals,” he says. “I want to out-smart them and figure out what their next move is. I’ve touched a cow (elk) on the nose with the tip of my broadhead.”

If it’s not fishing for trophy trout, the highlight of Spillane’s year comes every autumn when he, too, picks up his bow. His favorite trips involve joining his younger brother Sam deep in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area.

“I can tell hunting stories all day long, but it’s not about the hunt,” says Spillane, who’s known for tying flies in hotel rooms while on the World Cup circuit. “It’s about enjoying the outdoors with friends and family.”

Spillane started hunting with a rifle at age 10, “the first year you can legally get your license.”

He took up archery at age 17, and has been at it every year since. “I love the added challenge of it,” he says. “Plus, there are fewer hunters and the ones that are out there you don’t see.”

While he says he usually fills his tags, he admits to “going through a cold streak a couple of years ago.” But, in 2007 he also got his biggest bull, a 302-inch five-point deep in the Zirkel Wilderness Area. “It was actually a bit of a nightmare getting it out,” he says, adding that he got help from his brother Sam and fellow Nordic combined teammate Bill Demong.

He says his favorite time of the year is September, when the leaves have turned, the temperatures have dropped, and the bulls are bugling. “That’s when it’s time to get into the backcountry,” he says. “When my brother and I finally get into our area, it feels like home. We’ve experienced every kind of weather and challenge the Rockies can muster and we relish the opportunity to get out every year.”

Even his coaches respect his passion, knowing that traipsing around the mountains is good cross-training, mentally and physically. “Our coaches don’t mind,” he says. “We’re pretty active in our hunts. We do a lot of hiking and it’s not uncommon for us to be out running around for eight hours a day. And I kind of plan that into my training every year. It’s good cross-training, keeps you fresh and gives you a mental break before the final Nordic push of the season.”

When asked to compare competing on the Nordic circuit with bow-hunting for elk, he admits the adrenaline rush is the same. “They’re definitely both a thrill,” says Spillane, who, after the Olympics, starred in a VISA commercial, had his picture taken with Wayne Gretzky and turned down free tickets to the Oscars. “When you have a big bull charging right at you, it definitely gets your heart pumping like in the middle of a race.”

Still, as with competing in the Olympics, it’s all about the experience. “Sharing time outdoors with the special people in my life will always be my favorite part of hunting,” he says.

So while you might spot Lodwick and Spillane stalking medals again at the next Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, you can bet your best bow that you’ll also find them stalking elk each year in the mountains surrounding their home — looking for that trophy rack that can accommodate even more Olympic medals.

Five-time Nordic combined Olympian Todd Lodwick with his record-book bear and elk taken in 2010. (Photos courtesy Ralph Ramos.)


Craig Thrasher: The Hunt of My lifeolympic downhiller relishes his favorite hunt in routt County

OLYMPIC HUNTERS

Former Olympic downhiller Craig Thrasher with the fruits of his favorite hunt.

Photo by craig thrasher

craig thrasher


A member of the U.S. Ski team from 1987 to 2006, including making the Olympic downhill team in 1994, Steamboat-raised Craig Thrasher likes sighting big game

as much as he does skiing. “I started hunting the first year I was old enough to hunt grouse, with a single shot .22,” he says. “And we normally got our birds.”

He started bow hunting in the late ‘80s with fellow ski team member Lonny Vanatta, and claims he was the 70th person in Colorado to kill eight big game species with a bow. Thrasher still hunts every season, staying in shape for the long trudges through Routt County by racing triathlons. “It’s all to stay in shape so I can hang around with my brother, TJ, when he decides to take me hunting,” he says.

This year, he’ll return from his home in Wisconsin to hunt with his father, John, who pulled a tag for one of Northwest Colorado’s premier units. “I’m looking forward to helping him,” he says. “He taught me how to hunt. My time spent chasing elk with him are some of my fondest memories.”

Thrasher’s favorite HuntAfter getting picked up at the Denver airport by Mom and Dad,

we drove up to Steamboat where I quickly organized gear, bought a license, and loaded a pack for three nights in the wilderness with my brother, TJ. He had already filled his tag so he was my videographer, guide, potter, packer and companion. It was Thursday, Sept. 17, at dark thirty when we started trekking up the mountain. Around 11 p.m. we found ourselves close to bugling elk and set up camp.

The bulls bugled most of the night and we got up early when it was still dark and snuck into the herd. The elk were close and still bugling. This herd turned out to be mostly small bulls, without a shooter. So we headed around the mountain and found a lake full of cutthroat trout. We caught more than a dozen, a few of which made a dandy lunch. After a quick rest we headed out again and found another herd. But we buggered them as soon as we found them. Oops!

That night, at about 1 a.m. as the frost built up on my tent, I heard a bull bugling and getting closer. Soon the bull and his cows were right on top of us; I thought they were going to step on TJ’s bivy sack as they bolted through camp. We chased them all morning and couldn’t figure out what spooked them until later when we spotted a group of hikers.

After three hunts we had seen a lot of elk but hadn’t gotten too close to any. Strange events and overzealousness had cost us a few opportunities. Still it was a gorgeous September day and we were having a big time. When an afternoon thunderstorm rolled in we got down in some cover, pumped some water out of a seep into our bottles and loaded the packs in search of lower ground.

Dropping out of the meadows with thunder banging around us, we heard midday bugles ringing up from the timber. The bulls were going crazy. We got within a couple hundred yards of the closest one, dropped our packs and slipped down the mountain toward the herd. Pinned down, we couldn’t decide what to do; the bulls were moving, but if we tried to slip by the cows, they’d spook and take the whole herd with them. Eventually the cows moved off, the bulls shut up and we thought it might be the end of the hunt. Then I bugled and one of the bulls answered. He sounded small, so with nothing to lose we snuck toward him simple to video.

He turned out to be bigger than we thought and the video session quickly turned into a hunt. Some cows spooked, but the bull was confused. I did a few cow calls and he stopped about 60 yards ahead of me. Then another bull bugled behind us, and then again 20 seconds later about 100 yards away. He was heading our way fast and we

quickly decided to switch our attention to him. Moving into a better viewing position, I was shocked to see the bull

coming full tilt at me at only 20 yards. It was all I could do to get my release on the string and jerk the bow back before he was on us. At first the sight pins floated wildly in and out of my peep sight, until a quick self-talk (“Craig, get your $#!% together!”) brought me into focus. It was just in time. The bull sensed something at 10 yards and came to a screeching halt. Too late for him my pin found the front shoulder and the arrow was gone. He immediately bolted and I saw a spot right where I aimed. I had my bull and TJ videoed the whole thing.

Erring on the side of caution, we marked the spot on my GPS, left some gear and retreated back up the mountain to retrieve our packs. Giving the bull time to expire, we returned to find him tangled in a tree on a steep rocky hill side. We had to cut the tree down to get to him. Then he rolled further down the face and ended up in a creek bed. It was quite a recovery.

In the remaining daylight we took pictures, butchered and started hiking out with some meat and our packs. We made it back to town at about 11:30 p.m. After a few hours of shuteye, Dad met us at daylight to go back in with the goats. We packed meat all day and made it back to the truck at dark with three people, four pack goats and one tired dog.

Thrasher with his bull (above) and hiking out with the rack (top).


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colorado hunter staff

Want to bag the largest deer in the world? In Northwest Colorado, it’s entirely possible.

Since being reintroduced to the region — North Park, specifically — by the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife in 1978, moose have thrived in an environment seeming tailor-made for them. Valleys thick with willows, streams, ponds and marshes provide food and shelter for moose, considered by biologists to be the world’s largest deer.

The giant herbivores, which can reach 6 feet at their shoulders and weigh in excess of 1,000 pounds, love Northwest Colorado so much that their numbers continue to grow. In 2008 the wildlife officials transferred another group of moose to the Flat Tops Wilderness Area near Meeker. That followed a recent introduction of moose on Grand Mesa in 2005. For hunters, all this spells a good chance of success.

The North Park moose population is estimated at 510, and Middle Park boasts another 323. The Grand Mesa herd population is about 240, with an objective of 450.

Wildlife officials have begun a campaign reminding hunters to be aware of their target. Illegally shooting a moose because you

thought it was an elk carries a hefty fine. The bill starts at $1,350.

How you know it’s a moose:• Dark brown or black body• A bell, or flap of skin, hanging from its

throat• White/gray inner legs• Overhanging snout and bulbous nose

If you managed to score a moose license this year, be patient on your hunt; moose are relatively solitary and can be difficult to find. Stick to forested areas, particularly those near marshes and swamps.

Any area thick with willows, their primary source of food, is prime habitat. They’ll also eat pine needles and the leaves of deciduous trees as well as aquatic plants and aspen trees.

North Park Game Management units 6, 16, 17, 161 and 171 are available for nonresident moose hunting this year. Nonresident moose hunting consists of units 14, 18, 28, 36, 37, 181 and 371 in Middle Park; units 41, 42, 43, 52, 411, 421 and 521 in Grand Mesa; and units 12, 23, 24 and 33 in the Flat Tops.

Your best chance of seeing moose is early in the morning or late afternoon. Be aware that they can be extremely aggressive, especially when startled, and are known to defend their home territory.

Moose on the looseThe moose rifle season runs from Oct.

1 to 14, the muzzleloading rifle season is Sept. 10 to 18 and the archery season is Sept. 10 to 18.

A moose license costs $254 for Colorado residents and $1,844 for nonresidents. All moose licenses are by drawing only.

MOOSE INFO

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Jeff Dolan, 970-871-6221the Hahns Peak InnP.O. Box 89961066 RCR 129Clark, CO 80428www.hahnspeakinn.net

Hahns Peak is located in Hahns Peak Village on Routt County Road 129. Come let our pleasant and friendly staff fill you with a gourmet breakfast and send you out into the 2.5 million acres of National Forest on your hunt of a lifetime. Then return to the Inn from a successful day in the woods to dine in our famous restaurant. All of our guests had a successful hunt in 2010!Packed lunches available.We will be happy to help arrange your hunt with local outfitters.

It doesn’t take a

Crackshot to shoot

poles, insulators or powerlines

It happens, believe it or not. Every year some people decide to use our lines, poles or insulators instead of targets or game to shoot at.

• THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS ACT! We pay the cost to repair the equipment. Shot insulators, wires and poles result in electric service interruptions and inconvenience. The inconvenience could be critical if it interrupts a life support system.

• IT’S ALSO EXPENSIVE IF YOU GET CAUGHT! There are penalties for intentional damage to utility property.

• IT’S DANGEROUS! Live wires can burn or electrocute when they fall to the ground. An innocent person could become a victim - so could the shooter.

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174 acres located in Northwest Colorado’s prime elk and deer hunting country and bordering the Jimmy Dunn Gulch State Trust lands. Sweeping views, and hunting season easy access located up the California Park road North of Hayden. MLS #132144 $348,000

20 scenic miles from Steamboat, this secluded 680 acres has panoramic views of the snow-packed peaks of the Continental Divide to the Flattops. A big bull favorite because of the abundant grass, springs, ponds, cover and seclusion this wooded big game haven is also home to resident bear, deer, lion and more. Ranch with hunter’s cabin has been booked solid by content hunters for years, providing a nice supplemental income without over-hunting. Adjoins larger parcels, including Cross Mountain Ranch. MLS #131680 $1,300,000

160 acres of the best priced hunting property on the market. Grouse, antelope, deer and elk opportunities with property adjoining state lands open for public hunting. Routt County Road 61 frontage, seasonal stream, hunting, and investment opportunity located between Steamboat Springs and Craig. MLS #130721 $99,000

Vonnie FrentressBroker /[email protected]

Reach Your Limit

Elkhead Lake Ranch is a 406 acre wildlife paradise with year-round access and multiple use opportunities. Old outbuildings still exist and electricity is available, with current use being cattle grazing and wheat farming. Located in both Routt and Moffat counties with Cottonwood Creek flowing through year-round, this would make a very nice farm and ranch property. Prime hunting property with mixed topography, live water, crop land and privacy creates the perfect setting for big bucks to hole up. MLS #131186 $1,200,000

Don’t miss this opportunity to own 811 acres of some of the best hunting land in Northwest Colorado. Mixed topography and good cover provide home to deer, bear, lion and ELK! In fact, this tract is in the heart of CDOW’s Bear’s Ears District, home to the second largest herd in North America. Just 40 miles NW of Steamboat, 15 miles North of Hayden and minutes from the Yampa Valley Regional airport, this ranch also offers ample grazing and abundant water, making it a perfect ranching and hunting retreat. MLS #132146 $1,216,500

Fortification Rocks Ranch offering of 1,362 versatile acres is located in the wildlife-rich zone between Craig, CO and Baggs, WY on Highway 13. This large, income-generating ranch is, and can be, farmed, hayed, grazed, hunted, built on and subdivided with excellent year-round access, tremendous water rights and a wildlife-attracting reservoir. Seller will also sell in separate parcels of 235 acres m/l and 1127 acres m/l. All Seller’s mineral interests, oil and gas leases and royalties are included. MLS #131680 $1,100,000

This is a one-of-a-kind, private, hunting and fishing retreat with abundant deer and elk opportunities. Numerous trophy animals have been harvested from the property for years, with resident herds existing - Five trophy bulls called the area home last winter. Further, enjoy one mile of secluded Yampa River frontage, 113 deeded acres with cottonwood forest, and approximately 40 acres of irrigated alfalfa hay meadow. Property offers rare, and nearly private hunting access to thousands of acres of surrounding public lands with poor public access. This special property is located just thirty miles West of Steamboat Springs, twenty miles East of Craig and very near the Yampa Valley Regional Airport. MLS #131055 $1,695,000

1,660 acre Yampa River Ranch has hunting, fishing, bird watching and agricultural operations. Irrigated river ground with water rights directly out of the river, along with hundreds of acres of dry land alfalfa-mix hay, are capable of producing approximately 1,000 tons of hay per year. This is one of the few properties available for a larger ranching operation and includes state-leased ground of 400 acres for 111 AUM’s. The hunting operations have provided supplemental income for years and have consistently had impressive kill rates. Located in the coveted Morgan Bottom area just North of Hayden, CO, this property has it all! MLS #132071 $9,170,000

Rare offering of centennial Zehner Ranch! Nearly 640 acres of undeveloped land with big water rights and excellent hunting. Secluded, yet close to town, gives this property prime development potential. This offering is located just North of Hayden with sweeping views, two reservoirs, springs, and borders public land. Its productive, lush, waving grasslands take you back to the Old West and the wildlife is plentiful. Even reported to have a buffalo wallow! MLS 126831 $1,357,000


All in the familyHunting is a way of life in Northwest Colorado for Lawton famiy

andy bockelman

Up at 3 a.m. Getting acclimated with horses. Heading out before the sun rises.

After 15 years, the process is still fairly new to Carrie Lawton, who married into one of the most ardent hunting families in Northwest Colorado. But to her credit, she didn’t grow up with the same routine as the rest of her family.

As part of the Lawton clan, Carrie has grown to appreciate the early morning timelessness of hunting as a result of spending time with family patriarch LeRoy Lawton.

LeRoy, 72, has been hunting in Northwest Colorado for most of his life and leads his children and grandchildren on hunting trips each year. “It’s always a great family get-together around here,” he says.

Carrie and her husband, Tracy, have traveled on countless hunting trips with LeRoy, bagging dozens of deer and elk in the process.

“I can’t remember the last time we didn’t have a successful hunt,” Tracy says.

LeRoy’s hunting method doesn’t hinge on luck — it’s the result of familiarizing himself and his family with the land of Northwest Colorado.

“He knows just about every inch of this country,” Tracy says. “He’s been taking my brother and I out every year since we were big enough to be on a saddle. It’s always been a big family thing.”

During this time, Tracy and his brother, Tony, have learned how wildlife behaves; but for their father, predicting their patterns is almost second nature. “

He just knows where the elk go,” Carrie says. “Some people will go in early and scope them out, but that just chases them out. I think the secret is knowing where the

animals migrate and where they’ll be. He knows how they work.”

Carrie has encountered few people who have a better lay of the land at Indian Run State Wildlife Area and Beaver Flat Tops than her father-in-law.

“You could tell him ‘second stump on the left past the oak tree,’ and he’ll say, ‘OK, I know where that is,’” she says.

The Lawton family has been hunting in the area since before LeRoy was born. Tracy estimates that his grandparents started tracking Northwest Colorado wildlife at least 80 years ago.

The Lawtons keep tradition alive by riding horseback during every trip.

“Very seldom do we get off our horses,” Tracy says. “A lot of times, when we do, we’ll shoot straight from the hip.”

Throughout the years, LeRoy and his sons have welcomed other hunters whose paths they’ve crossed into their family fray as well. Friends from Virginia and Arkansas make the trip to Colorado every year to join in.

The Lawtons use a massive tent during their trips, large enough for 10 king-size air mattresses to accommodate everyone.

“I think what keeps them coming back is that we have a lot of fun just hanging out and doing our thing. Hunting is almost secondary,” Tracy says.

“Our friends work hard all year to come out and hunt, and everybody who hunts with us is really part of one big happy family.”

Tracy adds that he and his father focus on having a good time rather than turning the trip into a hunting competition.

“We’re not trophy hunters, and it’s not really a sport to us,” he says. “There’s just something that gets into your blood to go out and have fun with people you enjoy being around.”

LeRoy ran High Country Outfitters for

about 30 years, but he prefers not to think of hunting as a business. He says the most satisfying part of any trip is the closeness involved in the excursion.

“I love the company and the camaraderie,” he says. “The camping is what’s so fun, sitting around the campfire, telling wild stories.”

For Carrie, the camaraderie is vastly different than her childhood growing up in Wisconsin. “I grew up eating deer meat, but my dad would never let me go hunting with him,” she says.

“Until I came out here, I thought it was all for guys. The first year I met Tracy, he asked, ‘Are you going with us?’ and I said, ‘No, there’s no shower or place to plug in my curling iron,’ and so I never went.

“Then one year he talked me into going and it was a lot of fun. It’s such a cool experience to ride up the mountain and then sit there until the sun comes up.”

Tracy adds that sharing the Flat Tops’ beauty with his family is great.

“We’re not really religious, but when you’re up there that’s about as close to God as you can get,” he says.

“We have a lot of fun just hanging out and doing our thing. Hunting is almost secondary. Everybody who hunts with us is really part of one big happy family.”

— Tracy Lawton

Tony Lawton, of Grand Junction, poses last hunting season with an elk he shot on Indian Run in Northwest Colorado.

The Lawton family, who live in Craig and Grand Junction, and their friends pose on Indian Run in Northwest Colorado. The Lawtons have had friends come from Arkansas and Virginia to hunt for more than 20 years. (Photo credits Tracy Lawton)


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Reader Photos

CLOCKWISE, from top: Jerry Zeman tracked and scored this elk in 2007 west of Craig. Chris Jurney is shown with a bobcat he killed in the winter of 2009 south of Craig. A mule deer fell to Kayla Jurney in 2007 west of Craig. Photos provided by Chris Jurney.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS JURNEY OUTFITTING

Matt Hill, of Pennsylvania, poses with a bull elk he shot on the Three Springs Ranch in Unit 10 near Elk Springs by Dinosaur in Moffat County.

Chris Jurney, left, of Craig, and Rick Callison, of Denver, are shown with a bull elk in Unit 201 west of Maybell in Moffat County.

Jeff Keith, of Denver, earned this buck last year in western Moffat County.

Wayne Grishamber, of California, scored this buck last year in Unit 4 north of Craig in Moffat County.

Hawken White, of Buena Vista, killed this cow elk in Unit 13 south of Craig in Moffat County.

Dave Colburn, of Denver, scored this bull elk in Unit 201 west of Maybell in Moffat County.

Bob Bugden, of Pennsylvania, killed this buck last year in western Moffat County.


“All these shots were taken near Buffalo Pass at a heavily used water hole,” says local hunter Bill Van Ness. “The bull moose was the boss of the woods and actually came by me at 10 yards, tearing up every tree in his path. He had a pretty severe attitude. The elk was in front of my trail cameras daily. He was fun to monitor. One morning he passed through a camera, then four hours later he passed through another one two miles away. The bear is one of nine different bears I was able to catch on camera in the area. You couldn’t set foot in the woods without coming across a bear up there.”

“The photo on the left, in the snow, was taken in October 2010 in North Routt County,” says long-time hunter Dawn Obrecht. “We call it ‘Dawn’s Deer’.” The one on the right of the antelope was taken in September 2010 west of Craig. My husband and I live in North Routt and are always blessed with elk, deer, grouse and sometimes antelope. We hunt every year and count on success to feed our children and grandchildren, as well as his parents and other friends and family. I have a book coming out this year on women and hunting, including my wild game recipes developed over several decades of hunting. It, along with my other books, is available through www.docdawn.com.”

BILL VAN NESS TRAIL CAM

DAWN OBRECHT, MD


Eric Scherer proudly holds up the head and hide of his 2010 elk, shot in the Cow Creek area.

Craig resident Luke Schafer poses with a 4-by-4 buck, which he scored in the Marapos Creek area in western Moffat County.

Tony Lawton, of Grand Junction, poses last hunting season before heading out for a hunt on Indian Run in Northwest Colorado.

ERIC SCHERER

REBECCA TRAESTER

LUKE SCHAFER CARRIE LAWTON

Rebecca Traester poses with her quarry, taken during 2nd season on public land.


The Curious Case of Richard KendallCraig resident’s trophy bear kill erupts into statewide controversyben mccanna

It was a shot that reverberated around the state and beyond.

In November 2010, Craig resident Richard Kendall crawled to the mouth of a dark cave with a .45-70 caliber lever-action rifle.

Inside lurked a 703-pound male black bear.

Adrenaline pumping, Kendall glimpsed into the cave with a flashlight and briefly made eye contact with the animal. The bear growled. Then, Kendall fired two shots.

The short-term ramification was that

Kendall had bagged the fourth-biggest recorded black bear in the world.

The long-term result, however, hasn’t been as glorious for the lifelong hunter.

The story of Kendall’s hunt appeared on the front page of the Dec. 4, 2010 Saturday Morning Press. Within days, Kendall’s name appeared on websites for ABC, CBS, The Denver Post, Field & Stream, The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times and other media outlets.

Comments about his hunt include those raising ethical concerns about fair chase to those in support of the hunter. Within six months of Kendall’s hunt, the Colorado Wildlife Commission revised rules to prevent similar hunts from ever happening again.

Fair chase?Randy Hampton, spokesman for the

Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, says Kendall’s actions were legal at the time.

“It’s important to note, Mr. Kendall did not commit a violation in what he did,” Hampton says. “There was an issue regarding the use of a flashlight, for which he was cited, and (Kendall) paid the fine.”

Rather, the question at the crux of the Kendall controversy is whether it was ethical. “It comes down to the element of fair chase,” Hampton says.

Kendall’s hunt began a week before he fired his shots. He and a friend from Arizona were scouting for mountain lion tracks in the Wilson Creek area of Moffat County. Instead, they found tracks that belonged to a big bear. A very big bear. Kendall described each track as being the size of a ball hat.

For several days, Kendall and his friend returned to the area to continue tracking the bear. Eventually, they tracked the bear to a cave.

That afternoon, they drove to Meeker, purchased a bear tag and hoped the bear still would be in its cave the next morning.

It was.But the question today is as relevant as it

was then: was it OK to pull the trigger?Reactions were mixed, based on comments

posted on the Craig Daily Press website.“What would possess a person to hunt

down an animal, minding its own business in its cave, and shoot it, then talk about how fabulous he is?” an anonymous commenter wrote.

Another commenter said the hunt was fair.“He had a tag, which means the DOW

had determined that the bear population in that area needed to be controlled through hunting,” the commenter wrote. “He didn’t use bait or shoot the bear from his truck. He followed the bear’s tracks…and somehow came to within six feet of the bear, who was apparently awake. … So he did what he was authorized to do by law and shot the bear.”

Craig resident Richard Kendall, left, stands with the 703-pound black bear he killed Nov. 20, 2010 by crawling into the mouth of a cave. The hunt has become a source of statewide controversy. (Photo courtesy Richard Kendall.)


The Wildlife Commission, on the other hand, was not pleased. Although the hunt was legal, the commission sought to change the rules.

In early 2011, the agency directed the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife to review Kendall’s hunt and draft a new regulation.

In a January 2011 news release, Commission Chairman Tim Glenn said the commission was compelled to act. “This is a perfect example of the kind of issue that the Wildlife Commission needs to look at,” Glenn said.

“We talked about the importance of fair chase for maintaining public trust in what we do. That is absolutely critical.”

A few months later, the commission approved the Division of Parks and Wildlife regulation and banned hunting, killing or harassment of bears in dens. The regulation went into effect July 1, 2011, and a violation carries a $68 fine.

Behind the scenesFor several months after the initial media

coverage, Kendall remained silent. In early August, he agreed to discuss the hunt and the impact the media coverage has had on his life.

Kendall says the fervor has diminished somewhat, but it continues to make noise.

“It’s calmed down, but I still get telephone calls from magazines all over the country,” he says. “And I still get calls from people who tell me what a no-good (expletive) I was for killing a bear in a den. They’ve ridiculed and knocked me down for it, and there was nothing illegal with the whole situation.”

Part of the humiliation came at the hands of the Division of Parks and Wildlife, Kendall adds. Shortly after the story broke, officials contacted Kendall and an investigation ensued. Kendall contends the agency misrepresented the facts of the investigation in the media.

“Randy Hampton, on TV says, ‘Well, this

bear was sleeping and hibernating,’” Kendall recalls. “How does he know? He’s never even talked to me. It wasn’t sleeping. It wasn’t hibernating. It had been out the whole week before, every single day. I had seen its tracks every day. A hibernating bear doesn’t come out of the den.”

Kendall says his hunt was no different from other forms of hunting. “When you tree a bear, is it not cornered? You’re damn right it is. When you back it into a ledge of rock, is it not cornered?

“They’re saying this is unethical, but what’s ethical about treeing a lion or bear and shooting it? I did everything right, by their laws, and yet I get in trouble for it.”

Kendall contends the Division of Parks and Wildlife regulation was a result of state agencies caving to pressure from urban constituents.

“The game wardens are the ones that made me into a bad person,” he says. “They were getting pressure from higher above, trying to make me look bad to please the public.

“All the power is on the Eastern Slope, not over here. Everybody on this side of the mountains hunts and understands what kind of people we are. Those people on the other side are different. They’ve never hunted. They don’t have an understanding.”

Hampton says he doesn’t recall the details from television news appearances, and acknowledges that he never spoke to Kendall.

“I’ve never met or talked to Richard Kendall,” Hampton says. “I have no ill will toward him. He was just a guy who got caught up in a very unfortunate situation.”

Hampton adds that the Division of Parks and Wildlife never sought to defame Kendall. “The concern was not Richard Kendall,” Hampton says. “I think he’s tried to apply all of the discussion about the regulation to his situation, but that’s not the case.

“What we did talk about was the fact that the Wildlife Commission, in passing the regulation, expressed the concern that people

would enter a den and take a sleeping or hibernating bear because they would hear about this case, this incident, and think Colorado condoned that.”

As to whether Kendall’s bear was sleeping or hibernating, Hampton says there’s no sure way to know. The only established fact from the case is that the bear “was in a den,” he says. “Once again, he did not violate the law,” Hampton adds.

Hampton says that the issue of regulation arose partly from constituents’ demand, but that’s not the whole story. “The Division of Wildlife is quite familiar with outrage,” Hampton says.

“We do have an obligation to listen to our constituents. In this case, we heard from many sportsmen who were concerned about the harvest of bears in a den. However, the decision was not made in response to outrage. The decision was made to prevent further take in that manner.”

The futureKendall, who has been hunting since he

was 8, will continue hunting as long as he can. “But I’ll never kill another bear,” he says, “because I’ll never find another one as big as this one.”

In the meantime, Kendall says his record-setting bear doesn’t hold the same magic it once did.

“I thought it was something very special. And something very special the Division of Parks and Wildlife turned into (expletive),” he says.

He adds that he’s still upset by the ordeal.“It hurts me, it hurts my family,” he says. “I

can’t even tell you how bad this whole thing has hurt.”

And he admits that if he could go back in time, he’d keep things quieter. “If I did it again knowing the same things I do now, no one in the whole country would know that I killed that bear except when I checked it in,” he says. “After that, nobody would ever see it again.

The story that started it all: On Dec. 4, 2010, the Saturday Morning Press published the story of Richard Kendall, who tracked a bear into a cave and killed it. Reaction to the story spread throughout the country, with some condemning Kendall’s actions. Kendall insists he did nothing wrong.

NEWS CLIP

Kendall poses with his trophy black bear Nov. 20, 2010, in the Wilson Creek area of Moffat County. The Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife determined Kendall did nothing wrong, but revised the rules to ban the hunting of bears within dens.


• 4+2T RanchGuided archery, muzzle-loading and rifle hunts for deer and elk from Horse Mountain in the Flat Tops area or for antelope from a desert ranch north of Craig (GMUs 12, 3). P.O. Box 896, Hayden, 970-276-4283, www.huntco4plus2tranch.com/

• Adams Lodge OutfittersPrimarily elk and deer (archery, muzzle-loader and rifle) guided, lodge-based and unguided drop-camp hunts in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, wilderness camp at Marvine Lakes available (GMU 24).200 Rio Blanco Road 43, Meeker, 970-878-4312, www.adamslodge.com .

• Badger Creek OutfitterFull-service guided (some trespass-free for archery) elk and deer hunts on public and private lands (GMUs 11, 211) north of Meeker, archery, muzzle-loader and rifle seasons with some archery trespass hunts.7072 Moffat County Road 51, Craig, 970-824-0227, www.badgercreekoutfitter.com.

• Bar-H OutfittersOffers elk and deer hunts, fully-guided from tents or cabins, or drop camps, on public forest service lands (GMUs 12 and 24).P.O. Box 2409, Meeker, 800-230-HUNT, www.barhoutfitters.com.

• Bear Mountain RanchLodge-based, free-range rifle hunts on private 10,000-acre

ranch for elk, deer, antelope, bison and bear (GMUs 17 and 181).7401 U.S. Hwy 40, Kremmling, 970-724-9651, www.bearmountainranch.net.

• Bearcat OutfittersFully guided or drop camp elk rifle and archery hunts on public and private lands (GMU 12).P.O. Box 110, Craig (28 miles south of Craig), 970-824-7958, www.coloradoelkhunts.net.

• Beaver Creek OutfittersCraig-based outfitter with full-service guided elk and deer hunts (archery, muzzle-loader and rifle) and drop camps into the Flat Tops Wilderness Area (GMU 12) and other public private lands (GMUs 4, 441 and 214). Also offers wilderness pack trips.54432 Sandy River Dr., Leonard, Minn., 218-368-3679, www.huntbeavercreek.com.

• Beaver SpringsSelf-guided, trespass-fee deer and elk hunts 20 miles south of Craig on 80 acres of private land bordering the White River National Forest (GMU 12) with private campground and fishing lake.908 Ridge Road, Craig, 303-973-8900, http://beaversprings.tripod.com.

• Behrman OutfittingP.O. Box 172, Maybell, 970-272-3284.

• Big Gulch Ranching for WildlifeFull-service and trespass-fee hunts (archery or rifle) during 90-day season for elk, deer and antelope on 90,000 acres of private ranch lands.

P.O. Box 1342, Craig, 970-824-6933, www.bgwildlife.com.

• Big Rack Outfitters & Horseback AdventuresFair chase guided hunts including deer, elk, antelope, bear and predators on over 30,000 acres with minimal hunting pressure (GMUs 3, 4, 301, 211 and 65). Summer horseback day trips, two- to three-night adventure packages, wagon rides and cattle drives on a working guest ranch.42755 Routt County Road 86 (35 miles west of Steamboat), 970-826-4468, www.bigrack.com.

• Buck Mountain OutfittersFully guided deer, elk and antelope hunts on 8,000 private acres around the Deep Creek and Buck Mountain region. Cabins for hunters on five- to six-day hunts from archery season through late big game rifle seasons.22990 Routt County Road 54 (15 minutes northwest of Steamboat), 970-870-9665, www.buckmountainoutfitters.net.

• Buffalo Creek RanchFully guided, luxury lodge-based rifle hunts for elk, deer and moose on 16,000 acres of private land.P.O. Box 2, Rand, 723-4045, www.buffalocreek.com.

• Buford Guide ServiceFully guided, lodge-based elk and deer hunts on national forest and private lands for (GMUs 23 and 24).20474 Rio Blanco County Road 8, Meeker (20 miles east of Meeker), 970-878-4745,www.bufordstoreandlodge.com.

• Bull Basin Guides and OutfittersElk, mule deer, black bear, antelope and mountain lion during archery, muzzle loading and rifle hunting seasons,

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August through January on national forest and private lands. Also offers private fly-fishing program with two options on the prestigious Troublesome Creek and Black Mountain Pond.P.O. Box 1566, Kremmling, 970-724-0417, www.bullbasin.com and www.troublesomeflyfishing.com.

• Chris Jurney OutfittingTrespass-fee, semi-guided and fully guided elk, deer, antelope, mountain lion and prairie dog hunts on private ranches around Craig.574 Legion St., Craig, 970-824-5505,www.cjoutfitters.com.

• Code of the West OutfittersHigh country fishing and big game hunting trips as well as summer pack trips and cabin stays.2655 County Road 12, Meeker, 970-878-0233, www.codeofthewestoutfitters.com

• Colorado’s High Lonesome Outfitter and GuidesOld fashioned, pack-in style adventure located in the backcountry of GMU 15. Guided and semi-guided elk, deer and mountain lion hunts among 52,000 acres of vast and unspoiled forested terrain in the Flat Tops.P.O. Box 312, Yampa (45 minutes south of Steamboat), 970-846-1449, www.cohighlonesome.com.

• Colorado Hunter ServicesTrespass-fee elk, deer and antelope hunts (archery, muzzle-loader and rifle) and cabin rental on private land at lower elevation or public land minutes from cabin accommodations (GMUs 4, 12 and 301).25 Canvasback Rd., S.C., 866-210-2445 or 866-210-5445, www.coloradohunterservices.com.

• Colorado’s Mountain West Outfitting Co.Trespass-fee elk and deer hunts on 8,000 acres of private lands.P.O. Box 1380, Craig, 970-824-7257, www.primehunts.com.

• Colorado Outfitters ServicesTrespass-fee and semi-guided hunts for elk, deer and antelope (archery, muzzle-loading and rifle) on private lands near Cedar Mountain and around Craig (GMUs 3 and 301) with some lodging.501 Cedar Mountain Ave., Craig, 303-726-5975.

• Colorado Private RanchesElk and deer non-guided hunts on 15 private ranches, archery through rifle seasons (GMUs 15, 42, 52, 53, 65 and 741). P.O. Box 1244, Winnsboro, La., 71295, 318-435-5029 or 318-435-5592, www.coloradoprivateranches.com.

• Coulter Lake Guest Ranch80 County Road 273, Rifle, 970-625-1473, rifleareachamber.chambermaster.com.

• Craig Wild Bunch Guides and OutfittersTrespass-fee with tent and guided elk and deer hunts (archery, muzzle-loader and rifle) to 3,800 acres of private land north of Craig (GMU 4) adjacent to the Routt National Forest.P.O. Box 800, Craig, 970-824-9334, www.elk-craigwildbunch.com.

• Coyote Creek OutfittersElk, deer, moose and bear hunts (archery, muzzle-loader and rifle) by horseback out of Routt National Forest base camp cabin 25 miles southwest of Walden (GMU 17).5103 Jackson County Road 11, Walden, 970-723-8666 or 970-723-4648, www.coyotecreekoutfittersllc.com.

• Craig Wild Bunch Guides and OutfittersTrespass-fee with tent and guided elk and deer hunts (archery, muzzle-loader and rifle) to 3,800 acres of private land north of Craig (GMU 4) adjacent to the Routt National Forest.3386 Moffat County Road 7, Craig, 970-824-9334, www.elk-craigwildbunch.com.

• Cross Mountain AdventuresFully guided elk, deer and antelope hunts on 60,000 private deeded acres on two ranches. Prairie dog and predator hunting, horseback and fishing day trips also available.1280 Industrial Ave., Craig, 970-824-2803, www.crossmountainranch.com.

• Dave Parri’s Outfitting and Guide ServiceFull-service, base camp and drop camp elk and deer hunts and pack service offered for the archery, muzzle-loading and rifle big game seasons into the heart of Troublesome Basin (GMU 18). Guided fly-fishing trips also available.P.O. Box 254, Hot Sulphur Springs, 970-725-3531, www.traditionalelkhunt.com.

• David R. Seely OutfittingFully guided five-day rifle hunts for elk on private property bordering national forest lands (GMUs 12 and 13).1826 Colo. Hwy 394, Craig, 970-824-4288.

• Del’s Triangle 3 RanchDel’s has been in continuous operation in North Routt County since 1962, offering both full-service, five-day hunts as well as drop camps deep into the wilderness of the Routt National Forest. Elk, deer and bear hunts in GMUs 5, 14, 161 and 214.55675 Routt County Road 62, Clark (18 miles north of Steamboat), 970-879-3495, www.steamboathorses.com.

• Dunckley Peak Outfitters and Pack ServiceFull-service guided archery, muzzle-loader and rifle bull elk hunts, including drop camps in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area (GMU 231). Horseback riding and fishing trips also available.P.O. Box 935, Craig (30 miles south of Hayden), 970-824-8257, www.billscabin.com.

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• Eagle’s Nest OutfittingDeluxe drop camps and semi-guided hunts in the Flat Tops Wilderness area (GMU 24) during archery, muzzle-loading and all four elk and deer rifle seasons.P.O. Box 1168, Craig (20 miles east of Meeker), 970-826-4383, www.eaglesnestoutfitting.com.

• Eagle Spirit OutfittersSpecializing in premier, lodge-based guided archery hunts, averaging close to 80 percent opportunity on 23,000 acres of private land around town of Oak Creek with limited pressure. Guided elk and deer trips run through big-game archery, muzzle-loading and rifle seasons.P.O. Box 775792 (base of Rabbit Ears Pass), 888-416-8102, www.eaglespiritoutfitters.com.

• Ed Chamberlain Horse Rentals53 County Road 223, Rifle, 970-625-2131, rifleareachamber.chambermaster.com.

• Elk River Guest RanchCustomized unguided hunting packages to vast public lands in the Routt National Forest, archery through second elk and deer rifle season.29840 Routt County Road 64, Clark (20 miles north of Steamboat), 800-750-6220, www.elkriverguestranch.com.

• Elkhorn OutfittersAccess to over 120,000 private-leased acres to hunt a 90-day bull season as a DOW Ranching for Wildlife partner. Archery, rifle and muzzle-loading guided hunts offered for mule deer, elk and antelope. Horseback riding, cattle drives, sporting clays, wildlife viewing and photography rodes also available.37399 N. Colo. Hwy 13, Craig, 970-824-7392, www.elkhornoutfitters.com.

• Feisty Fins OutfittersWhitewater rafts and accessories rentals from small

fly shop facilities. Guided fly-fishing tours available for Colorado, White, Roaring Fork, Crystal and Colorado Rivers.P.O. Box 691, Rifle, 970-319-5679,www.feistyfinsoutfitters.com.

• Fish & Cross Ranch/Pack Country OutfittersIn Yampa at the base of the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, this historic working cattle ranch offers full-service guided backcountry hunting trips and some limited drop-camp/self-guided hunts, archery through rifle seasons on national forest and private lands. Horseback rides, guided fishing trips, guided wilderness/wildlife photo hikes and cattle drives also available.24300 Routt County Road 11, Yampa (45 minutes south of Steamboat), 970-638-1064, www.packcountryoutfitters.com.

• Five Springs Ranch Guide and OutfittersFully guided hunts for deer, elk, antelope and bear, starting in August archery season and running through rifle seasons in December on 7,000 acres of leased private land.29550 Colo. Hwy 131 Steamboat (10 miles south of intersection with U.S. Hwy 40), 970-879-0868, www.5springsranch.com.

• Frosty Acres RanchMostly trespass-fee elk, deer and antelope hunts (archery, muzzle-loading and rifle) on 15,000 private acres of GMUs 4 and 301, with private lodging.41380 N. Colo. Hwy 13, Craig, 970-824-8935.

• H & H Processing and Outfitting“Guided gourmet hunts,” for deer, elk, antelope and mountain lion (archery, muzzle-loading and rifle) on private land in GMUs 22 and 23.68656 Colo. Hwy 64, Meeker (7 miles west of Meeker), 970-878-5126 or 970-878-5151. www.handhoutfitting.com.

• Hester Hunting CompanyDeer, elk, moose antelope, bear, sheep, goat and mountain lion hunts during archery, muzzle loading and rifle seasons. All hunts lodge-based and fully guided, with some overnight spike camps.1367 Eagle Ave., Kremmling, 970-724-9746.

• High Country Cabin Bed and Breakfast15805 County Road 245, New Castle, 970-625-3663, rifleareachamber.chambermaster.com.

• Homestead HuntsOffers semi-guided and trespass-fee elk, deer and antelope hunts on private property near the Great Divide area.2050 Chapman Lane, Craig, 970-824-8549, www.homesteadhunts.net.

• J.C. Trujillo Guide & OutfitterFully guided horseback elk and some deer hunts on public land in Bunker Basin (GMU 12).54768 Rio Blanco County Road 8 (28 miles south of Hayden), 970-276-3300 or 928-717-9360.

• JML OutfittersYear-round outfitting business offers elk, deer, bear pack-in, drop camp hunts on public forest service lands camps during archery, muzzle-loading and rifle seasons (GMU 24). Pack trips, fishing and trail rides also available.300 Rio Blanco County Road 75, Meeker (30 miles east of Meeker), 970-878-4749, www.jmloutfitters.com.

• James Creek OutfittersElk, deer and mountain lion fully guided hunts (archery, muzzle-loading and rifle seasons) on public BLM and private land at the historic Durham Ranch (GMUs 12 and 13).396 Colo. Hwy 13, Meeker, 970-824-6939, www.jamescreekoutfitters.com.

• Free Pick Up & Delivery - call for details• Specialized Wrapping for Longest Freezer Life • Insulated Shipping Boxes• Custom Cuts• Ground Italian & Breakfast Sausages, Jerky Cuts etc.

Call Joe: 970-819-8177 or Dan: 970-846-7642Email: [email protected]

2464 Downhill Drive, #11 Steamboat Springs, CO 80487


• Jeffcoat Ranch & OutfittersTrespass-fee elk and deer hunts on private lands.P.O. Box 97, Hamilton, 970-824-3757 or [email protected].

• Kawcak FarmsElk, deer and antelope trespass-fee hunts in GMU 4.3699 Moffat County Road 13, Craig, 970-824-7161.• Last Chance RanchCabin-based, self-guided and drop-camp elk and deer hunts on private land, along with access to public lands of GMUs 131 and 231 in the Routt National Forest.17825 Routt County Road 29, Oak Creek, 970-736-8564, www.colastchanceranch.com.

• Lone Tom OutfittingElk, deer, mountain lion and antelope lodge-based hunts (archery, muzzle-loader and rifle) and drop camps on public and private lands. Also offers fishing and pack trips and horse rentals.12888 Rio Blanco County Road 8, Meeker, 970-878-5122, www.lonetom.com.

• Longshot RanchTrespass-fee hunts during big game seasons on 45 acres of private land bordering public BLM land.28925 Routt County Road 14, Steamboat Springs, 970-879-4026.

• Lost Solar OutfittersDrop camps and full-service guided hunts, archery through big game rifle seasons (GMU 24) into the Flat Tops Wilderness Area.P.O. Box 513, Meeker, 970-942-3000 or 970-878-4220, www.meekercolorado.com/lostsolar.

• Louisiana Purchase Ranch OutfittersElk, mule deer and bear fully and semi-guided hunts on over 20,000 acres of public and private lands 43 miles

southwest of Craig (GMUs 11, 211).P.O. Box 206, Meeker, 970-272-3006, www.louisianapurchaseranch.com.

• Luark Ranch & OutfittersRents cabins and horses, drop-camps and packing services to 2,400 acres of private and adjacent, non-motorized public BLM land (GMU 26) during archery, muzzle-loading and rifle big-game seasons. Also offers trail rides and wild game meat processing.2834 Luark Road, Burns, 970-653-4324, www.luarkranch.com.

• M&M OutfittersFully guided, lodge-based elk and deer hunts on private lands near Hamilton on public and private lands (GMUs 12 and 13).P.O. Box 1020, Craig, 970-824-5812.

• Majestic Trophy OutfittersFully guided and semi-guided archery, muzzle-loading and rifle hunts for deer, elk, antelope and predators on 2,500 private acres of scrub oak and mixed terrain 20 miles south of Craig (GMU 12, antelope in 3 and 301). Also offers interpretive ATV tours and survival classes for all ages.215 Bilsing St., Craig 970-826-4311, www.trophy-outfitters.com.

• Middle Creek Ranch/Middle Creek Ranch OutfittersProvides housing, first-class cooking, meals and guides for hunting guests. Open for all big game and archery and rifle seasons on 8,000 private acres of mountainous and open-meadow combined terrain.28310 Routt County Road 31, Oak Creek (25 miles south of Steamboat), 970-879-7353.

• Miller’s Dry Goods118 E. Third St., Rifle, 970-625-1737

• Myers Hunting ServicesGuided elk and mule deer hunts on the private Gulmar Ranch, 14 miles south of Craig on the Williams Fork River and other adjacent private ranch lands (GMUs 12, 13).6148 Colo. Hwy 317, Hamilton, 970-824-9317, www.lazy-v-box.com.

• Nine Mile Guest RanchBull and cow elk, mule deer and combination hunts, archery or rifle available on private lands. Now offering a fourth season one-on-one trophy mule deer hunt for Unit 22.50735 Colo. Hwy 13, Meeker, 970-878-4656, www.ninemileguestranch.com.

• Oak Ridge OutfittersGuided and non-guided elk and deer hunting (archery, muzzle-loading and rifle) on private lands (GMU 23).P.O. Box 631, Meeker, 970-878-5822, www.meekercolorado.com/oakridge.

• Pinnacle Peak AdventuresOffers guided elk, deer and antelope hunts on 6,000 acres of private lands (GMU 4).2951 Moffat County Road 18N, Craig, 970-824-9269, www.huntpinnacle.com.

• PT OutfittersPrivate land hunts for elk, antelope, deer and bear (GMUs 27, 18, 181).129 Grand County Road 12, Kremmling, 866-724-3616.

• R&R Ranch of ColoradoMaybell lodge-based elk, mule deer and antelope guided and semi-guided rifle hunts on private 27,000-acre ranch (GMUs 11 and 211).10202 SW 138 St., Archer, Fla., 352-538-7094, www.rrranchco.com.

• Raftopoulos RanchesGuided archery, muzzle-loading and rifle hunts offered

Full kitchens in all rooms

627 W. Victory Way Craig 888-696-9720

[email protected]

20761830

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in the premier GMUs 2 and 201 for trophy bull elk, mule deer and antelope based out of historic lodge at base of Diamond Peak.2991 Pine Ridge Dr. Craig, 970-326-8620, www.trophy-elk-hunting.com.

• Red Feather Guides & OutfittersGould-based outfitter offers deluxe horseback-guided wilderness hunts, archery through second rifle season for deer, elk and moose. Fishing, horseback riding and camping trips available.49794 Colo. Hwy 14, Walden, 970-723-4204 (summer and fall) or 970-524-5054 (winter and spring), www.redfeatherguides.com.

• Reeder Creek RanchOffers some fully guided archery, muzzle-loading and rifle hunts for elk and mule deer (GMU 28) from family-operated working ranch focusing on private fly-fishing trips.137 Grand County Road 39, Kremmling, 970-531-2008, www.reedercreek.com.

• Rifle Performance Motorsports1014 Access Rd., Rifle, 970-625-2041 www.rifleperformance.com.

• Rim Rock OutfittersGuided elk, deer, mountain lion, bobcat, antelope and prairie dog hunts and drop camps in GMUs 10, 11, 12, 21, 22 and 30.P.O. Box 223, Rangely, 970-675-2619, www.coloradorimrockoutfitters.com.

• Rocky Mountain RanchesSpecializing in trespass-fee, non-guided big game hunts and drop camps for deer, elk and antelope on private ranch lands.466 S. 16th Ave., Brighton, 970-846-1147, www.rockymountainhunting.com.

• Sarvis Creek OutfittersGuided archery, muzzle-loading and rifle elk and deer hunts and drop camps with exclusive outfitter rights to 90 square miles of the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area (GMU 15). Fly-fishing trips also available.1625 Mid-Valley Drive No. 1, Box 95, Steamboat Springs, 970-819-5636, www.sarviscreekoutfitters.com.

• Saddleback RanchDeluxe accommodations at the Double Dollar Lodge for elk and mule deer guided hunts on 8,000-acres of private land on family-owned working cattle ranch, August through fall rifle seasons.37350 Routt County Road 179 (15 miles west of Steamboat), 970-879-3711, www.saddlebackranch.net.

• Sable Mountain OutfittersElk, deer and bear hunts (wilderness drop camps and guided) on public lands in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area (GMUs 23, 24 and 33). Also offers horseback, pack and fishing trips.5100 Rio Blanco County Road 4, Meeker, 970-878-4765, www.sablemountainoutfitters.com.

• Seely Hunting ServicesFully guided elk and deer rifle hunts on limited-access private property along the South Fork of the Williams Fork River, in business since 1969 (GMU 12).P.O. Box 1040, Craig, 970-824-5539 or 970-824-9474, http://seelyhunting.com.

• Sheep Creek Ranch OutfittersGuided elk, deer and bear hunts (archery, muzzle-loading and rifle) on 11,000 acres of public and private lands in GMU 22.P.O. Box 2463, Meeker, 970-878-4757, www.huntsheepcreekranch.com.

• Shelton RanchLodge-based, full service elk and deer hunts (archery, muzzle-loading and rifle) on 5,000 private acres (GMUs 11 and 211) 15 miles south of Maybell with access to public land.10955 Moffat County Road 57, Maybell, 970-272-3553, www.sheltonranch.com.

• Silver Creek OutfittersFull and semi-guided hunts and drop-camps offered primarily for elk, deer and mountain lion on rugged national forest service public lands.33710 Lariat Trail (25 miles south of Steamboat), 970-846-5877, www.silvercreek-outfitters.com.

• Snowmass Creek OutfittersGuided horseback riding, hunting and fishing (GMU 43) near White River National Forest and Maroon Bells. Mountain climbing and nature photo classes also available3610 Capitol Creek Rd., Snowmass, 970-704-0707, www.snowmasscreekoutfitters.com

• Skiles Guest & Hunting RanchElk and deer trespass-fee hunts offered on 800 private acres and adjacent public lands in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area from the base of Dome Peak. Horse rental and packing services available.P.O. Box 12, Burns, 970-653-4329, www.skilesranch.com.

• Sombrero RanchesRents horses for all seasons, including tack and delivery/pick-up within a 50-mile radius of one of the Sombero camps. Guided deer and elk hunts from the Williams Fork Hunt Camp for archery through rifle seasons in addition to four drop camps in the Routt National Forest (GMU 12).Craig Ranch — 781 Moffat County Road 15, Craig, 970-824-3468; Steamboat Stables — 835 Howelson Parkway, Steamboat (base of Howelson Hill, behind the rodeo grounds), 970-879-2306; Meeker White River Horse Camp — 12900


Rio Blanco County Road 8, Meeker, 970-878-4382 or 303-442-0258, www.sombrero.com.

• Steamboat Lake OutfittersFully guided, cabin- and tent-based elk and deer hunts as well as drop camps (archery, muzzle-loading and rifle) to both private lands and deep into the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area (GMUs 14, 214 and 131). Also offers horseback riding, pack trips and guided fishing and ATV tours. Fuel, lodging, convenience store, bar and restaurant all located on site.60880 Routt County Road 129, Clark, 970-879-4404 or 800-342-1889, www.steamboatlakeoutfitters.com.

• Sunset RanchOffers big game hunting trips and drop camps to the Swamp Park region, Mad Creek Lakes and Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area in the Routt National Forest. Multi-day fishing and sightseeing wilderness pack trips also available.29420 Elk Horn Lane (three miles north of Steamboat) 970-879-0954, www.sunsetranchinc.com.

• Superior Guide ServiceOffers elk and deer archery, muzzle-loading and rifle hunts on over 13,000 acres of private ranch land (GMU 12 and 211) from two lodges as well as multi-day pack trips and horse rentals.5801 Colo. Hwy 394, Craig, 970-824-4767, www.wehuntcolorado.com.

• T&D OutfittersFully guided deer and elk rifle hunts on over 1,650 private acres in the Isles Mountain area outside of Craig (GMU 211).P.O. Box 443, Pine, 303-618-2329 or 720-217-9500, www.tanddoutfitters.com.

• The Tradesmen128 E. Third St., Rifle, 970-625-GUNS,http://www.625guns.com.

• Three Forks RanchAll-inclusive deer, elk and antelope hunts on 50,000 private

acres surrounded on three sides by national forest offered by Ranching for Wildlife program partner (GMU 5).P.O. Box 69, Savery, Wyo., 970-583-7396, www.threeforksranch.com.

• Timberline Sporting Goods101 E. Third St., Rifle, 970-625-HUNT, www.timberlinesports.com.

• Topgun OutfittersArchery, muzzle-loading and rifle elk and bear hunts on private lands (GMU 211).108 Reigel School Road, Rimesburg, Pa., 814-229-4514, www.topgunoutfitters.com.

• Triple Track HuntingElk, deer, antelope and predator hunts, private land trophy and management hunts, guided and unguided drop camp hunts as well as trespass-fee hunts on private lands.P.O. Box 91, Hamilton (20 miles north of Meeker), 970-756-5000, www.tripletrackllc.com.

• Triple-O OutfittersArchery, muzzle-loading and rifle hunts for elk, deer and antelope (guided in elevated stands or unguided) on private land (GMU 12). Also offers nature photography and cabin rentals.448 Moffat County Road 41, Hamilton, 970-824-6758, www.coloradooutdoors.com.

• Trophy Mountain Elk RanchPrivate game hunting preserve with over 3,000 acres for guided trophy bull elk hunting. Bison, turkey and deer hunts also available.4000 Jackson County Road 4, Cowdrey (22 miles north of Walden), 723-4000, www.trophymtn.com.

• Vanatta OutfittersRanching for Wildlife program partner features September

through December hunt dates for elk and deer along with August through November hunt dates for antelope including 17,000 prime acres of public and private land at 4 Mile Ranch.P.O. Box 77170, Steamboat, 879-6164, www.vanattaoutfitters.com.

• W3 Outfitters (dba: Chuck Davies Guide Service)500 12 Mile Gulch Road, Elk Springs, 970-272-3002, rifleareachamber.chambermaster.com.

• Walz Guide ServiceFully guided elk, deer and antelope hunts on Deakins Ranch with 26,000 acres of private land in GMU 301 and 50,000 acres in GMU 2 of this DOW Ranching for Wildlife partner.P.O. Box 1118, Craig, 970-826-9814, www.walzguideservice.com.

• Welder Outfitting ServicesFamily-owned outfitter offering full-service guided elk and deer hunts in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area as well as drop and setup camps. Pack and fishing trips also available.P.O. Box 823, Meeker, 970-878-4559, www.flattops.com.

• Whispering Pines OutfittersFully guided hunts and drop camps for elk, deer, antelope hunts on over 50,000 private acres for this Ranching for Wildlife program partner.P.O. Box 472, Craig, 824-9450,www.whisperingpineoutfitters.com.

• Wilderness TracksFully guided hunts and drop camps for elk, deer, antelope, mountain lion and small game on public and private lands in GMU 4.1192 N. Johnson Road, Craig, 970-326-7575.

• Wild Skies Four Season Cabin RentalsCabin accommodations for up to 32 hunters where the

Craig Campground

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Welcome

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Store Hours: 8am - 8pm2800 East

U.S. HWY 40 Craig, CO 81625970-824-5105

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Grand Junction, CO 81505

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largest elk herd is located at 38,000+ elk, lots of mule deer and bear. Accommodations are a deluxe, secluded mountain cabin in GMU 12 (Flat Tops) surrounded on three sides by the Routt National Forest with 1/2 mile of river frontage; or in Craig with four individual cabins with kitchenettes and a 4800 SF duplex with full kitchen and washer/dryer. (GMUs 3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 211, 231, 301). 970-926-0216, www.wildskies.com.

• Williams Peak RanchGuided deluxe lodge-based hunts (archery, muzzle-loading and rifle) for elk, deer and antelope on 7,500 acres of private land.1330 Grand County Road 315, Parshall, 970-725-3282, www.williamspeakranch.com.

• Yampa Valley OutfittersFully guided elk, deer and antelope rifle hunts on 1,040 acres of private land and 3,000 permitted acres on public BLM land (GMU 3) with seven handicap-accessible two-storied shooting houses.P.O. Box 910, Craig (nine miles north of Maybell), 970-824-2102, 706-595-1044 or 706-990-9030.

• Aspen Sporting Goods & Video RentalsHunting, fishing and camping equipment and some apparel, knives and maps.417 Byers Ave., Hot Sulphur Springs, 970-725-0097.

• Backdoor SportsBackpacking gear and offers rentals for tents, stoves and backpacks.841 Yampa St., Steamboat Springs, 970-879-6249, www.backdoorsports.com.

• BAP!Outdoor retail shop and outlet store for BAP! (fleece apparel), Big Agnes (sleeping pads, bags and tents) and Honey Stinger (energy bars and gels) also sells other gear and clothing from manufacturers like Smith Optics and Smartwool.735 Oak St., Steamboat, 879-7507, www.bwear.com.

• Bear River Valley Co-opOffers hunting apparel and more.193 E. Jefferson Ave., Hayden, 970-276-3313.

• Brand Spankin UsedYour second-hand goods store for all your hunting needs in the flat tops area. We’ve got what you forgot!Main Street, Oak Creek, CO, 970-736-8100.

• Bucking Rainbow OutfittersSteamboat’s only Orvis-endorsed outfitter with full-service fly shop specializes in guided fishing trips and sells some maps, knives, outfitting packs and boots.730 Lincoln Ave., Steamboat Springs, 970-879-8747 or 888-810-8747, www.buckingrainbow.com.

• Elk River GunsFull-service shooting sports center with firearms, gun-smithing, ammunition, spotting scopes and binoculars, rangefinders and hunting accessories.1320 Dream Island Plaza, Steamboat, 970-879-7565.

• Fishin’ Hole Sporting GoodsFly shop with ammunition, archery and muzzle-loading equipment and camping equipment.111 W. Park Ave., Kremmling, 970-724-9407.

• Flat Tops Ranch SupplyFarm supplies, animal feed, tack, tools, propane, sporting goods and gifts21475 Highway 131, Phippsburg, CO. 970-736-2450.

• High Country SportsBasic hunting equipment including ammunition, camping and fishing supplies and Routt National Forest maps.491 Main St., Walden, 970-723-4648.

• Hunter’s Café, LLCBest half-pound burger in town.117 W. 4th Street, Rifle, 970-625-9481, rifleareachamber.chambermaster.com.

• Kremmling MercantileGroceries, blaze-orange apparel and some camping supplies. 101 Martin Way, Kremmling, 970-724-8979

• MJK Sales & FeedAmmunition, binoculars and scopes, camping equipment and cookware with some camouflage apparel, boots and clothing as well as certified hay.290 Ranney St., Craig, 970-824-6581.

• Master Bait & TackleMaps for GMUs 28, 37 and 18, some camping essentials, fishing lures, gasoline, liquor, hats and T-shirts.6875 Summit County Road 30, Heeney, 970-724-3677.

• Maybell Store“Conveniently located in the middle of nowhere,” this general store has basic game bags, calls, camping, hunting and fishing equipment, supplies and licenses with some ammunition, gasoline, propane, blocked and crushed ice, meats, produce and dairy.60311 U.S. Hwy 40, Maybell, 970-272-3262.

• Montgomery’s General MerchandiseGroceries, ammunition, licenses, maps and sporting goods.24 Main St., Yampa, 970-638-4531, www.montgomerysstore.com.

GEAR GOODS & SUPPLIES


• Murdoch’s Ranch & Home SupplyAmmunition, fishing and hunting licenses, cookware, coolers, deer carts, sleds, camping gear, knives, saws and a full line of Carhartt and Murdoch’s hunting clothes. Pack saddles and bridles, blaze-orange halters, blankets, tire chains and shovels.2355 W. Victory Way, Craig, 970-824-4100, www.murdochs.com.

• North Park AnglersNorth Park’s only full-service fly shop sells maps of the Medicine Bow and Routt National Forests with a selection of shirts, hats and jackets.524 Main St., Walden, 723-4215, www.northparkanglers.com.

• North Park SuperGrocery store with sporting goods section including a variety of camping equipment.33482 Hwy 125, Walden, 970-723-8211.

• Northwest Pawn ShopOne of the largest selections of firearms in Northwest Colorado with a huge selection of ammunition, archery equipment, knives, cleaning and reloading supplies and camouflage apparel.801 E. Victory Way, Craig, 824-2962.

• Outdoor ConnectionsSporting goods store with archery pro shop, muzzle-loading firearms, rifles, amps, camping and fishing equipment, ammunition, live bait and predator calls.34 E. Victory Way, Craig, 824-5510.

• Steamboat PowersportsRents ATVs on daily and weekly basis as well as Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Maps and riding information as well as helmet rentals and on-site delivery available.2989 Riverside Plaza, Steamboat, 879-5138, www.steamboatpowersports.com.

• Powderhorn CabinsLodging general store with ice and some fishing and hunting supplies.35336 Jackson County Road 21, Walden, 970-723-4359.

• Rocky Mountain BowstringsFull line of high-end archery equipment, camouflage and traditional bows with a selection of clothing and some camping supplies, optics and cutlery. The full-service shop features a 20-yard, eight-lane indoor archery range on site.696 Main St., Meeker, 970-878-4300, www.rockymountainbowstrings.com.

• Ski Haus InternationalCamping, hiking and backpacking gear and boots with sleeping bag, pack and tent rentals. Broad selection of maps and guidebooks including USGS quad maps.1457 Pine Grove Road, 970-879-0385 or 800-932-3019, www.skihaussteamboat.com.

• Spiro’s Tradin’ Post Liquor, movies and quality fishing, camping and hunting supplies including knives, arrows, ammunition and maps.107 Main St., Oak Creek, 970-736-2443.

• Sports AuthorityRifles, shotguns and ammunition, knives, hunting gear and clothes as well as camping equipment.705 Martketplace Plaza S. Steamboat, 970-871-4570, www.sportsauthority.com.

• Steamboat FlyfisherQuick-dry apparel, boots and socks and maps along with the shops comprehensive selection of fly-tying equipment and materials.Fifth & Yampa streets, Steamboat, 879-6552, www.steamboatflyfisher.com.

• Straightline SportsThe oldest fly-fishing guide service and shop in Steamboat

also has boots, shoes, maps, knives and camping equipment.744 Lincoln Ave., Steamboat, 879-7568 or 800-354-5463, www.straightlinesports.com.

• Timberline Builders SupplyCamping equipment and ammunition.209 N. Main St., Walden, 970-723-4422.

• Toponas Country General StoreGame processing, cold storage, dry ice, some ammunition, blaze-orange vests and some camping and fishing equipment. Also sells ice, gasoline, diesel fuel, propane and liquor, with ATM on site.10000 Colo. Hwy 131 Toponas, 970-638-4438.

• Tri-River AceAmmunition, knives, camping supplies, propane and a full line of Carhartt clothing including jackets and boots.720 Tyler Ave., Kremmling (right on Colo. Hwy 9), 970-724-9325, www.tri-river.com.

• Wyatt’s Sports CenterAmmunition, scopes and binoculars, slings, knives, hatchets, clothing, maps, camping equipment, stoves and boots.223 Eighth St., Meeker, 970-878-4428.

• All Seasons Taxidermy2354 Lincoln Ave., Steamboat, 970-870-8520.

• American West Taxidermy45 Grand Country Road 12, Kremmling, 970-724-9321.

• Antler Taxidermy369 Market St., Meeker, 970-878-3365, www.professionalsofafrica.com.

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• Axis Leather Works802 E. Second Place, Craig, 970-824-3256,www.axisleather.qpg.com.

• B & L Quality Taxidermy1744 Lincoln Ave., Taylor Building Np. 2, Steamboat, 970-879-1316.

• Big Cat Taxidermy37 E. Victory Way, Craig, 970-824-9624, www.bigcattaxidermy.com.

• Brothers Custom Processing383 E. First St., Craig, 970-824-3855.

• Bullseye Taxidermy1445 Yampa Ave., Craig, 970-826-2997, www.bullseyetaxidermy.com.

• Crazy 3 Tannery1480 N. Yampa Ave., Craig, 970-824-6063, www.crazythreetannery.com.

• Custom Quality Meats1430 N. Yampa Ave., Craig, 970-824-4668.

• Elk River Custom Wild Game ProcessingFree pickup & delivery. We ship.Call Joe 970-8198177 or Dan 970-846-7642. [email protected]. 2474 Downhill Drive, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487.

• Gross Locker PlantWild game processing since 1955.140 S. 8th Street, Silt, 970-876-2334, rifleareachamber.chambermaster.com.

• Kremmling Wild Game Processing5240 Grand County Road 22, Kremmling, 970-724-3759, www.kremmlingwildgames.com.

• Laura’s Corner637 E. Main St., Rangely, 970-629-5607 or 970-675-2800.

• Mountain Man Taxidermy1176 Yampa Ave., Craig, 970-824-4910, www.mtnmantaxidermy.com.

• Mountain Meat Packing291 Lincoln St., Craig, 824-4878.

• Out West Meat and ProcessingWild game processing and retail butcher shop.216 W. 2nd Street, Rifle, 970-625-4134, rifleareachamber.chambermaster.com.

• Purkey Packing Plant73215 Colo. Hwy 64, Meeker, 970-878-5501.

• Steamboat Meat & Seafood1030 Yampa St., Steamboat, 970-879-3504, www.steamboatseafood.com.

• Wildlife Expressions Full Service TaxidermistFull-service taxidermy. Quality is our standard.140 Morrison, Rangely, 970-629-3128

• City Market505 W. Victory Way, Craig, 970-824-6515.1825 Central Park Plaza, Steamboat, 970-879-3290.

• Clark Store54175 Routt County Road 129, Clark, 970-879-3849.

• Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife Northwest Region Service Center711 Independent Ave., Grand Junction, 970-255-6100.

• Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife Glenwood Springs officeColo. Hwys 6 and 24, Glenwood Springs, 970-947-2920.

• Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife Meeker office/service centerP.O. Box 1181, Meeker, 970-878-6090.

• Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife Steamboat Springs office/service center925 Weiss Dr., Steamboat, 970-870-2197.

• Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife Hot Sulphur Springs office/service center346 Grand County Road 362, Hot Sulphur Springs, 970-725-6200.

• Corkies Mini Mart597 Main St., Walden, 970-723-4733.

• Hayden Mercantile111 N. Sixth St., Hayden, 970-276-3922.

• Kmart1198 W. Victory Way, Craig, 970-824-2966.

• Lake John Resort2521 Jackson County Road 7A, Walden, 970-723-3226.

• Loaf ‘N Jug Store101 W. Brontosaurus Blvd., Dinosaur, 970-374-2461.

• North Park/Gould/Walden KOA53337 Colo. Hwy 14, Walden, 970-723-4310, www.koa.com/where/co/06117/.

• Rangely Exchange (The Flowersmith Exchange)513 E. Main St., Rangely, 970-675-8842.

• Rangely True Value Hardware105 W. Main St., Rangely, 970-675-2454.• Safeway Food & Drug1295 W. Victory Way, Craig, 970-824-9496.37500 E. U.S. Hwy 40, Steamboat, 970-879-3766.

• Samuelson True Value Hardware & Lumber43900 Colo. Hwy 13, Meeker, 970-878-3528.

• Samuelson True Value Hardware456 Breeze St., Craig, 970-824-6683.

• Seven Lakes Lodge36843 Rio Blanco County Road 17, Meeker, 970-878-3249, www.sevenlakeslodge.com.

• Shop & Hop Food Stop35775 E. U.S. Hwy 40, Steamboat, 970-879-2489.

• State Forest State Park56750 Colo. Hwy 14, Walden, 970-723-8366.

• Stagecoach Lake State Park (marina)25500 RCR 14, Oak Creek, 970-736-8342.

• Steamboat Lake State Park61105 RCR 129, Clark, 970-879-7019.

• Valley Ace Hardware401 E. Market St., Meeker, 970-878-4608.

• WalMart1805 Central Park Dr., Steamboat, 970-879-8115.

• WalMart Supercenter2000 W. Victory Way, Craig, 824-0340.

• Walden Conoco609 Main St., Walden, 970-723-4246.

• Yampa River State Park6185 W. U.S. Hwy 40, Hayden, 970-276-2061.

• Bears Ears Sportsman Club’s Cedar Mountain Range300-yard outdoor rifle and 50-yard outdoor pistol range for members, but open to the public the first Sunday and Monday of each month. Also open during daylight hours, Thursday and Friday prior to each big game season for rifle sight-in.P.O. Box 622, Craig (4.5 miles northwest of Craig on Moffat County Road 7), 970-824-8376, www.bearsears.com.

• Byers Canyon Rifle RangeUnsupervised, public Colorado Division of Wildlife-managed range open during daylight hours (closed during winter months). Five centerfire 100-, 200- and 300-yard rifle ranges, one 25-yard (.22 cal) rifle range, shotgun (hand traps only — not provided) and pistol range as well as straw bales for archery. Portable toilet and trash dumpster on site. A Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp is required to use this range. P.O. Box 216, Hot Sulphur Springs (12 miles east of Kremmling on the north side of U.S. Hwy 40), 970-725-6200 (CDOW Hot Sulphur Springs office).

• Glenwood Springs Gun ClubPublic welcome to shoot when range is open. Sporting clays, trap, black powder, rifle and pistol ranges up to 200 yards. Hunter education courses also available.P.O. Box 2362, Glenwood Springs, 970-945-5556.

• Hayden Shooting RangeColorado Division of Wildlife managed 100-, 200- and 300-yard rifle and pistol range, open to the public, from dawn until dusk year-round. A Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp is required to use this range. Two miles south of Hayden on Routt County Road 37, 970-870-2197 (CDOW Steamboat Springs office).

• Meeker Sportman’s Club, Inc.Hunter sight-in Thursdays and Fridays prior to each big game season (Tuesday for fourth rifle season). Sight-in is $5 per gun, or member shoot for $10. New memberships cost $20 per person and include full use of archery, trap, rifle and pistol ranges.P.O. Box 1325, Meeker (4.5 miles southwest of Meeker on Colo. Hwy 13), 970-878-4636, www.meekercolorado.com.

• Routt County Rifle ClubFacilities include clubhouse and trap, skeet, sporting clays, heated indoor .22, outdoor pistol, 25-, 50-, 75-, 100- and 200-yard rifle ranges. Public sight-in days prior to the first three big game rifle seasons (check online club calendar). Annual membership dues cost $75 with one-time, new-member applications fee of $25.P.O. Box 773116, Steamboat (two miles west of town on U.S. Hwy 40), 970-870-0298, www.routtcountyrifleclub.com.

• Three Quarter Circles Sporting Clays and Driving RangePublic twelve-station, two-tower sporting clays course by appointment.26185 U.S. Hwy 40 (six miles west of Steamboat), 879-5649 or 846-5647, www.3qc.com.

• Vail Rod & Gun ClubOpen to the public for sporting clays (five stand and 10-station course available) during the summer.001 Sporting Clay Way, Wolcott (just south of I-70), 970-926-3472, www.lazyjranch.net.

• Walden Public Shooting AreaPublic Bureau of Land Management range, open year-round, has three benches with range distances of 50, 100, 200 and 300 yards. No trash service.Four miles east of Walden on Jackson County Road 12E, 970-723-4625.

• White River BowmenBow-hunting club with indoor and outdoor targets and a clubhouse. Memberships cost $35 per year.970-675-8559.

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• Bureau of Land ManagementLittle Snake Field Office — 455 Emerson Street, Craig, 970-826-5000; Kremmling Field Office — 2103 E. Park Ave., Kremmling, 970-724-3000; Glenwood Springs Field Office — 50629 Colo. Hwys 6 and 24, Glenwood Springs, 970-947-2800; White River Field Office, 220 E. Market St., Meeker, 970-878-3800; Grand Junction — 2815 H Road, 970-244-3000, www.co.blm.gov, Lakewood Stat Office — 303-239-3600.

• Colorado Dept. of Transportation877-315-ROAD, www.cotrip.org

• Colorado Division of WildlifeGrand Junction Regional and Area Office — 711 Independent Ave., 970-255-6100Steamboat Springs — 925 Weiss Dr., 970-870-2197Hot Sulphur Springs — 346 Grand County Road 362 (west of Byers Canyon), 970-725-6200Meeker — 73485 Hwy 64, 970-878-6090Glenwood Springs — 50633 Colo. Hwy 6 and 24, 970-947-2920

• Colorado Outfitters AssociationP.O. Box 849, Craig, 970-824-2468, www.coloradooutfitters.org

• Colorado State ParksSteamboat Lake and Pearl Lake State Parks — 61105 RCR 129, Clark, 970-879-3922 or 970-879-7019; Stagecoach Stage Park — 25500 RCR 14, Oak Creek, 970-736-2436 or 970-736-8342; State Forest State Park — 56750 Colo. Hwy 14, Walden, 970-723-8366; Yampa River State Park — 6185 W. U.S. Hwy 40, Hayden, 970-276-2061, www.parks.state.co.us. Info — 970-434-6862; reservations — 800-678-2267.

• Craig Daily Press newspaper466 Yampa Ave., Craig, 970-824-7031, www.craigdailypress.com, explorecraig.com

• Craig Sportsman Information Center(Moffat County Visitor’s Center/Craig Chamber of Commerce) 360 E. Victory Way, Craig, 970-824-5689; 800-864-4405, www.craig-chamber.com.

• Dinosaur National Monument4545 U.S. Hwy 40, Dinosaur, 970-374-3000, Canyon Area Visitor Center, www.nps.gov/dino/

• Hayden Chamber of Commerce252 West Jefferson, Hayden, 970-819-5918, www.yampavalley.info/haydenchamber.asp

• Kremmling Area Chamber of Commerce203 Park Ave., 877-573-6654, www.kremmlingchamber.com

• Meeker Chamber of Commerce710 Market St., Meeker, 970-878-5510, www.meekerchamber.com, www.huntmeeker.com

• NOAA’s National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office792 Eagle Drive, Grand Junction, 970-243-7007, www.nws.noaa.gov

• North Park Chamber of Commerce416 Fourth St., Walden, 970-723-4600, www.northparkchamber.com

• Rangely Area Chamber of Commerce209 East Main St., Rangely, 970-675-5290, http://www.rangelychamber.com

• Rifle Area Chamber of Commerce200 Lions Park Circle, Rifle, 970-625-2085 or 800-842-

2085, www.riflechamber.com

• Steamboat Pilot & Today newspaper1901 Curve Plaza, Steamboat Springs, 970-879-1502 www.steamboatpilot.com, exploresteamboat.com

• Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association125 Anglers Dr., www.steamboat-chamber.com

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceP.O. Box 25486, Lakewood, (303) 236-4216, www.fws.gov

• U.S. Forest ServiceHahn’s Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District — 925 Weiss Dr.,

Steamboat Springs, 970-879-1870Parks Ranger District —2103 E. Park Ave., Kremmling, 970-

724-3000 or 100 Main St., Walden, 970-723-8204Rio Blanco Ranger District — 220 E. Market St., Meeker,

970-878-4039Rifle Ranger District — 0094 Garfield County Road 244,

Rifle, 970-625-2371Sulphur Ranger District — 9 Ten Mile Dr., Granby, 970-

877-4100White River National Forest — 900 Grand Ave., Glenwood

Springs, 970-945-2521Yampa Ranger District — 300 Roselawn Ave., Yampa, 970-

638-4516

• U.S. Forest Service Maps303-275-5350, www.nationalforeststore.com

• U.S. Geological Survey (topographical maps)Central Region Offices, Denver Federal Center, W. Sixth Ave., and Kipling St., DFC Building 810, Lakewood, 303-202-4700 or 888-275-8747, www.topomaps.usgs.gov

VISITOR INFORMATION


Nailing the ShotImproved rangefinders, rifles, arrows all help today’s hunters joshua gordon

While people have been hunting big game for centuries, advances in equipment keep making it easier.

Foremost on the list, says Rifle’s Kevin Rider, owner of Timberline Sporting Goods, are rangefinders, which help hunters discover exactly how far away a target is and the path their bullet or arrow will take.

Ranging between $200 and $1,000, they can be invaluable for the right hunt, he says.

“Rangefinders help hunters become more accurate before they shoot,” he says. “They’re not necessary for all hunters, but they’re great for those who have a problem adjusting to distances between them and the animal.”

Craig district wildlife manager Mike Swaro says rangefinders also help provide safety for hunters, keeping them in their distance comfort zone.

“A lot of hunters hunt from longer distances, so a rangefinder is great for when they’re 400 or 500 yards out,” he says. “But hunters need to stay within a distance that they feel confident at and practice at.

“If you can hit a range target at 200 yards, but get all over the place past that, you should stick at 200 yards when hunting,” he adds. “A rangefinder is great for letting you know exactly how far the animal is and to see if it’s within your practice zone.”

Rangefinders aren’t just for rifle hunters.Ben Rice, manager at Meeker’s Rocky

Mountain Bow Strings, says rangefinders, especially ones with Angle Range

Compensation, also are useful for bow hunters because arrows, unlike bullets, don’t travel in a straight trajectory if shot from long distances.

“If the trajectory changes from a straight shot to an uphill or downhill shot, the ARC technology helps,” he says. “With a 45- or 50-degree angle, the arrow has to travel an additional one to three yards. From 30, 40 or 50 yards out, knowing the exact trajectory with the ARC can be exceedingly helpful.”

Rifles and ArrowsWhen it comes to selecting a rifle, the first

thing to look at is what you plan on hunting, Swaro says. Next, be realistic about your skill.

“The biggest thing to consider when deciding what rifle to use is how accurate and precise you can shoot,” he says. “If you have those skills, you can put down big game with a smaller caliber rifle. If you use a .243-caliber rifle and hit an elk at the right spot, it’ll go down.”

Swaro adds that the state minimum caliber when hunting big game is set at .24.

Rice says knowing what game you’re hunting also is essential when choosing arrows.

For mule deer, he says the best arrow is an expandable broadhead, which will go fast and still has some kinetic energy to penetrate the hide. Mule deer speeds require a faster arrow, Rice says.

“A deer hide isn’t as thick as an elk’s and the bones are smaller, so you don’t need

as much penetration,” he says. “Deer stand about 4-feet high and elk about 6-feet, making them seem to move a lot faster, requiring a faster bow.”

With elk, Rice says hunters need an arrow that can cut through the thicker hide. If an arrow only penetrates one side, it won’t leave as big of a blood trail, making the animal harder to track, he says. “For elk I like to use a cut-on-contact broadhead,” he says. “Combined with a bow with more kinetic energy, the cut-on-contact heads make the elk easier to find after penetration.”

Improvements in accessories also are making hunting easier. Foremost among them, especially when hunting deer, are scent controls.

“Deer seem to be more sensitive to the things around them than elk, so scent controls can help cover something new to the environment,” says Kevin Rider, owner of Rifle’s Timberline Sporting Goods.

Craig district wildlife manager Mike Swaro says maps and GPSs also are extremely useful when planning a hunt, allowing you to target specific locations. High-end binoculars, he adds, also are essential.

AUGMENT wITH ACCESSORIES

The bow is a popular weapon among Colorado’s hunters. Ben Rice, manager at Rocky Mountain Bow Strings in Meeker, says expandable broadheads are the best arrow for mule deer while a cut-on-contact broadhead is better for elk.

Mike Swaro, Craig district wildlife manager, says that when deciding on a rifle, take into consideration your skill level and game you’re after — even with a .243-caliber rifle, an accurate hunter can take down an elk. (Photo courtesy of Craig Daily Press).


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