New 2017 big game brochure details changes for hunting this year.
Every year in mid-to-late February, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) releases its yearly hunting brochures. These booklets outline the rules and regulations for hunting and fishing here in the Centennial State in a given year. Each new edition brings its own changes, so it is important to review the 2017 Big Game catalogue before planning your hunt in order to stay in compliance. The full 2017 catalogue is available for anyone to view. You can also pick one up at any retail location licensed to sell over-the-couter hunting licenses. If you want to know some of the biggest changes that were made, we’ve got you covered. Fluorescent Pink Big game hunters in Colorado are required to wear at least 500 square inches of fluorescent “blaze” orange. This can be a vest, a backpack, a hat, or any combination of different articles of clothing.
This is a safety provision to make sure that hunters can spot one another. Large game animals like deer or elk cannot see colors like blaze orange. You could be out in the woods wearing a clown suit and it wouldn’t make much of a difference to the animal.
In 2016, the Colorado Legislature passed Senate Bill 16-068. This legislation added “fluorescent pink” as an alternate hunting safety color. Previously, “blaze orange” was the only hunting safety color approved in Colorado.
Colorado State Senator Kerry Donovan said at the time that the bill was designed to accommodate female hunters.
“I want to send a message that women belong in hunting,” Donovan said, going on to explain that fluorescent pink is just as safe as blaze orange.
Colorado became the second state in the country to authorize pink as an alternate safety color. There has not been sufficient research to determine whether it is equally as safe as the classic blaze orange. Because of this, there is no set standard within the law for which shade of pink is best or even which shade is approved.
While it is now legal to mix pink in with blaze orange, Colorado hunters are encouraged to use their best judgment when choosing their clothing. They are also encouraged to reach out to CPW if with any questions about fluorescent pink.
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Goodbye Paper Applications
Starting in 2018, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will go paperless.
This change will help CPW streamline its application process and better utilize its resources. The new portal will integrate a paperless hunting permitting process alongside pre-existing portals for campground reservations and vehicle registration to create a mobile-friendly website for all your on-the-go hunting and recreational needs.
Paper applications will still be accepted for 2017 big game permits, but next year all big game license applications will be digital.
Bait Hunting
The regulations concerning hunting over bait have now been expanded.
Baiting an animal means to “put, expose, distribute or scatter salt, minerals, grain, animal parts, or other food as an attraction for big game.” This includes scent sticks that smell like food.
Previously, it was illegal for hunters to bait big game animals. However, the law was unclear as to whether hunters were responsible for bait placed by others.
Starting this year, it is illegal to hunt over bait regardless of who placed the bait. Hunters are required to ensure that the animals they harvest are not illegally baited into an area.
The exemption for bona fide agricultural purposes remains on the books. Salt or mineral blocks used for horses or livestock, as an example, are not considered baiting.
Drones
Many people received remote controlled drones for Christmas this past year. The more advanced drones on the market today include high-resolution cameras and are capable of flying long distances. Some even have infrared or night vision cameras.
CPW reminds hunters that it is still illegal to use a drone or any type of remote technology to hunt big game in the state. Hunters must be physically present in the immediate vicinity while hunting.
While the law explicitly prohibits the use of remote controlled aircraft while hunting, it does not directly address the technology’s use for scouting out hunting locations, either in or out of season.
If you have any questions about the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for scouting hunting locations, contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Game Management Unit Changes
At the conclusion of each big game season, CPW studies the wildlife populations to determine whether changes are needed for the next year.
Harvest totals are compared to herd and population estimates. If a species was over-harvested, CPW can intervene and restrict hunting in certain game management units (GMUs). If wildlife populations are increasing despite the harvest, then they can increase the number of permits approved in certain areas.
These GMUs change every year. Even if you have been hunting the same GMU for years, it is important to read through all of these changes before planning a hunt in order to remain compliant. For example, this year the boundaries of Units 16 and 27 (East of Steamboat) have been changed.
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Important Dates to Remember
This year, the deadline for submitting 2017 big game license applications is April 4. Draw results will be posted online on June 1 and licenses will hit the mail on June 23.
Starting July 25, both limited and unlimited over-the-counter licenses will go on sale online, by phone (800-244-5613), or at CPW locations and licensed agents.
Leftover limited licenses will go on sale starting August 1.
For a full calendar of Colorado’s 2017 big game seasons, you can refer to the catalogue or the CPW 2017 Big Game Hunting Planner.
