Craig Daily Press / Colorado Hunter magazine

Parks and Wildlife: Don’t feed wild animals

Feeding wildlife attracts predators, spreads diseases

Mike Porras, public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said feeding the animals not only has a variety of negative effects on big game, it also can result in fines under Colorado law.

Spring turkey-hunting season begins Saturday

From April 13 to May 26 some 12,000 hunters will take to the fields and woods of Colorado to pursue turkeys on public and private lands.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife announces waterfowl stamp art contest winners

Charles Black’s winning entry, titled “A Break in the Clouds,” features two greater scaup on a Colorado lake on a cloudy day with a sliver of early morning light illuminating the ducks.

Antero Reservoir slated for draining

CPW, Denver Water cite drought conditions for decision

In response to ongoing drought conditions on the Front Range, Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced Friday it would drain Antero Reservoir.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife honors 2 Steamboat Springs employees

Colorado Parks and Wildlife honored employees during an awards banquet in February in Colorado Springs. Among the winners were two Parks and Wildlife officials based in Steamboat Springs: aquatic biologist Bill Atkinson and property technician Steve Baumgardner.

Antler hunting prohibited at Dinosaur National Monument

As antler collectors travel the backcountry in search of fresh sheds this spring, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials are asking them to avoid stressing wildlife still struggling to survive the cold weather and the lack of forage.

Turkey hunting class available in Grand Junction

Colorado Parks and Wildlife will offer a class on turkey hunting in Grand Junction on March 20. The class, called “Turkey Hunting 101,” will be a one-night affair taught by veteran turkey hunters about one of the fastest-growing hunting activities in the U.S. over the past couple decades.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife offering guided youth turkey hunts near Meeker

Colorado Parks and Wildlife will be hosting guided youth turkey hunts April 26 to 28 on private land near Meeker. The opportunity is available to three hunters as old as 18.

Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service launch bighorn sheep study

During the past 10 to 15 years, two of the three bighorn sheep herds in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area have experienced population declines possibly resulting from bacterial pneumonia, according to a Parks and Wildlife news release.

BLM: Keep vehicles on roads when antler hunting

Spring marks the beginning of a different type of hunting in Northwest Colorado. But the Bureau of Land Management’s Little Snake Field Office in Craig is reminding shed-antler hunters that it’s illegal to travel off existing roads on public lands in Moffat and Routt counties.

New app geared to hunters, anglers

How to prepare game or fish is a question every hunter and angler faces, whether it’s in the field or back at the cabin. A new interactive application, from the designers of FishMate and HuntMate, aims at making those preparation decisions a little easier.

Parks and Wildlife accepting limited license big-game hunting applications

Applications for deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, sheep, goat and bear are due April 2, according to a Parks and Wildlife news release.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife commission meeting Thursday in Greeley

Stream improvements, falconry regulations on agenda

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife commission is scheduled to meet at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in Greeley to discuss regulations for state park and wildlife area use, updates about stream habitat improvement efforts and new falconry regulations.

Meeker outfitter sentenced in U.S. District Court

Rodebaugh to serve 41 months in prison for six Lacey Act violations

A Meeker resident convicted of six felony violations of the Lacey Act was sentenced last week in U.S. District Court in Denver. Dennis Eugene Rodebaugh, 72, owner of D&S Outfitters in Meeker, was sentenced to serve 41 months in federal prison, pay $37,390 in restitution to the State of Colorado, and forfeit two all terrain vehicles and a trailer used in the commission of his crimes, according to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife news release.

High Plains Snow Goose Fest slated for later this month in Lamar

Hundreds of bird species migrate through eastern Colorado each year, but the migration of tens of thousands of snow geese makes for a dramatic sight. Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Lamar Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to celebrate the migration with the 11th annual High Plains Snow Goose Festival.

Report hits on hunters' economic impact

Data released in a new report by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) attempts to underscore the significance of hunters and anglers to the Colorado and national economies. Information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2011 National Survey of Fishing Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation was used in the CSF report, called “America’s Sporting Heritage: Fueling the American Economy.” According to the report, the outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen of Colorado spent $1.3 billion and supported nearly 19,000 jobs in the state.

Learn to ice fish

Parks and Wildlife hosting ice fishing outing in Pine

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is hosting a learn to ice fish outing in Jefferson County. The event, open to families and novice anglers, takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at Pine Valley Ranch Park located on Jefferson County Road 126 in Pine, according to a news release from the agency. The event is free but limited to the 20 participants. Ice fishing equipment will be provided. To register, email wildlife.neoutreach@state.co.us or call 303-291-7804.

Ute Mountain Utes, Colorado update game agreement

(AP) — Colorado officials and the Ute Mountain Ute tribe have signed a memorandum of understanding updating an agreement on how wildlife will be managed in part of southwest Colorado. The 1874 Brunot Agreement ceded Ute lands to the U.S. government but preserved the right of Indians to hunt there.

Affidavit: Boulder cop told others he planned to kill elk

(AP) — A court document alleges that a Boulder police officer charged with poaching an elk and tampering with evidence told other officers a week beforehand that he planned to kill the animal. The Boulder Daily Camera reported Sunday (http://tinyurl.com/b9spk2k ) that an arrest warrant affidavit accused officer Sam Carter of mentioning a plan to kill the elk during a routine shift briefing on Dec. 26. The elk was shot on Jan. 1.

More than just a hunter

Chris Jurney recognized as 2012 Colorado Outfitter of the Year

Some say it takes a lifetime to perfect a craft. And although Craig resident Chris Jurney, owner of Chris Jurney Outfitting, has no intention of slowing down anytime soon, the Colorado Outfitters Association cited a lifetime of achievements when the organization last weekend in Grand Junction named Jurney its 2012 Outfitter of the Year. The annual award is bestowed upon a COA member who demonstrates a commitment to the outfitting industry, wildlife and wildlife management, and the ideals of the organization

120-acre donation provides public land connectivity in California Park

Private landowners gave the property to the U.S. Forest Service at the end of 2012. Forest Service officials say they'll now be able to more effectively manage wildlife species such as native cutthrout trout that live in some of the streams in California Park.

Parks and Wildlife Commission finalizes 2013 big game hunting regulations

Youth elk hunting program, mountain lion season modified for New Year

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission last week met in Denver to finalize big game hunting regulations for 2013. Among the more significant changes is a modification to the late season youth elk hunting program. Originally developed to address overpopulations of elk on agricultural, private lands in western Colorado, the program is transitioning to allow young hunters with an unfilled 2013 cow or either sex tag to hunt late seasons in the general area of their original license, according to a Parks and Wildlife news release.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife accepting applications for 2013 recreation grants

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is accepting applications from individuals, organizations and local governments for grants that benefit outdoor recreation activities in Colorado. The agency announced this week it would distribute up to $1.7 million in matching grants in 2013 for Colorado projects that benefit fishing, shooting ranges or boating.

Tipton applauds passage of Endangered Fish Recovery Act

Measure helps restore populations of four species in the Colorado River

Last week Congressman Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, of the 3rd Congressional District of Colorado, lauded the U.S. Senate’s recent passage of the Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Extension Act of 2012. Tipton was an original co-sponsor of the bill, which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. It passed the Senate un-amended and with unanimous consent, according to a Tipton news release.