Colorado Hunting News

Welcome to the dog days of summer. Temperatures have been rising across the state, rain has become a precious commodity and fish and fishermen alike are seeking some relief from the heat.

For fishermen, that might mean a trip to the high country. While the lowlands are sweltering, high-lakes fishermen still might shiver a bit when the sun dips below the peaks. Cutthroat trout are the main attraction in most Alpine lakes. Though the fishing may run hot-or-cold, the setting in itself, complete with nature’s version of air conditioning, makes the trek worthwhile.
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The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) is asking for anglers to abide to a voluntary fishing closure on the Yampa River through the town of Steamboat Springs. The voluntary closure has been initiated in order to protect trout populations from high water temperature conditions and low stream flows.

The closure is in effect for the section of river between the upstream boundary of the Chuck Lewis State Wildlife Area to the west city limit boundary for the town of Steamboat Springs. The DOW will continue to monitor the river conditions and will inform the public as soon as conditions return to the point where a lifting of the closure is warranted.
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Wildlife and public lands managers are urging campers and anglers to be vigilant to prevent bears, skunks, rodents and other wildlife from being attracted to campsites and fishing areas in Colorado.

Recently, at Haviland Lake north of Durango bears have been attracted to piles of fish guts, bait, food and trash left on the bank by anglers and other people using the lake. If fish are cleaned on the bank of a lake or river, anglers should dispose of the waste at the campground dumpster or at home. No trash of any kind should be left on the ground in forest lands.
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Water temperatures are warming on many lakes and reservoirs, sending trout and kokanee salmon into deeper water for longer periods of time. Consequently, fishing for trout has become more of a morning-and-evening routine on many popular lakes.

The same pattern also applies to warm-water fishing. While walleyes, white bass, wipers and other species remain active, many fish have distinct feeding times, with notable lulls between peak periods. Early mornings and late afternoons also are the best times for fishing on warm-water lakes, and wipers and catfish often are most active after dark.
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On Tuesday, July 2, the Colorado Wildlife Commission approved regulations pertaining to feral hogs, including the adoption of a definition of “feral hogs” and provisions for legal take of such hogs. Feral hogs can cause significant wildlife habitat damage and have been declared by the Wildlife Commission to be detrimental to Colorado’s wildlife. Many other states are trying to control or eliminate feral hog populations and Colorado wildlife and agriculture officials now have methods to curtail the expansion of these invasive animals into the state.
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The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) has extended the public comment period for the Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse Draft Plan by 30 days to August 31.

Additional information about the plan and the plan itself are available to the public on the DOW Web site at: http://wildlife.state.co.us by clicking on wildlife species, species of concern, birds, greater sage-grouse and greater sage-grouse statewide conservation plan on the left hand side of the screen. The DOW has received several requests to extend the comment period on the draft plan due to the size of the document and the amount of detailed information to review. Comments in electronic format are preferred and can be e-mailed to pam.schnurr@state.co.us.
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The “Walk-in Access Program” sponsored by the Colorado Division of Wildlife to provide hunters access to private land to hunt small game is expanding to western Colorado.

Property owners who participate in the program are eligible to earn from $1 to $5 per acre depending on the amount of property available for hunting and the species. In southwest Colorado the DOW is asking property owners to consider providing access for spring turkey hunting, small game hunting and waterfowl hunting. In some cases, enrolling waterfowl hunting land can result in a significantly higher rental payment.
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