Craig Daily Press

The Colorado Wildlife Commission, which governs the Colorado Division of Wildlife, approved 2008 hunting license numbers at its meeting Thursday in Grand Junction.

Elk license numbers for so-called trophy areas in Northwest Colorado — including game management units 1, 2, 10 and 201 — came down “slightly” for cow hunts, DOW spokesman Randy Hampton said.

The numbers for Northwest Colorado’s two largest elk herds did not change much from last year, he said.

License numbers for the Bears Ears herd north of Craig, which DOW officials reported last year was larger than expected, did not change.

The DOW could not harvest more elk from that herd if it wanted to, Hampton said. Of the roughly 16,000 elk licenses available in 2007, about 5,000 were left at the end of hunting season.

The DOW still is committed to lowering the population, however, he added.

“We’ve dramatically reduced the populations (in Northwest Colorado) since 2000,” Hampton said. “We’re bringing them down. The reality is, unfortunately, there are just not enough hunters out there to buy all these licenses.”

License numbers for the White River herd south of Craig came down, Hampton said, because the herd’s population is nearing objective totals set by the DOW.

The reduction should not hurt hunters, he added.

“There will still be enough licenses to meet demand because those reductions are licenses that didn’t sell,” Hampton said.

Of the roughly 32,000 elk licenses available in 2007 for game management units in the White River herd area, about 5,000 did not sell.

“No one will want for a license to hunt in Northwest Colorado,” Hampton said.

Statewide, elk hunting licenses decreased by 6,000, made up of small drops in game management units across the state, Hampton said.

All 2008 license number information can be found on the Wildlife Commission’s Web site at http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeCommission/Archives/2008/May12008.htm.

High school band performs Tuesday

Craig Intermediate School, Craig Middle School and Moffat County High School bands will perform in a concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at the Moffat County High School auditorium, 900 Finley Lane.

The performance will showcase numerous students, including those in seventh- and eighth-grade bands and the high school’s jazz band.

For more information, call 824-7036.