Today's Strategy, Tommorow's Wildlife January 1983 Third Edition

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SPORT GAME i? f OVERVIEW AND HISTORY Colorado is the home of some 113 species of rep- tiles, birds and mammals that are commonly pur- sued or harvested for sport. They are addressed by the Division's sport game effort. Twenty -three species or groups of species constitute the major effort of the Division and are discussed on the following pages as separate programs. In addition to these 23, the Division of Wildlife devotes some effort to managing all other sport game species. Among these are the long- haired furbearers— badger, fox, skunk and others; short - haired furbearers like marten, mink and weasel; the coot, snipe, crane, bandtailed pigeon and other migratory shore and upland game birds; and additional small game species includ- ing chukar partridge, Gambel's quail, mountain sharp- tailed grouse, snowshoe hare, Abert's squirrel and red squirrel. The magpie, jackrab- bit, crow, porcupine and other varmints also are considered. All sport game species are identified in the Wildlife Species List found at the back of this book. These species provide a wide variety of public recreational uses which include sport hunting, trapping and nonconsumptive uses like photog- raphy, observation and nature study. Furbearing species also provide income for hunters and trap- pers. Suitable habitat is the critical factor that determines sport game population leve .s. In some cases this habitat needs to be preserved in its present condition; in other cases the habitat needs to be enhanced. Colorado's land use policies affect the wild- life resources. Competition for space by a variety of interest groups will continue to have a signi- ficant effect on game populations and how many our people can harvest. Important habitat con- sistently is being lost to water storage projects, housing developments, ski areas, energy develop- ment and changes in agricultural practices. MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES The Division will continue to manage wildlife habitat in the face of this competition. Our job is to provide as much sport game as possible regardless of obstacles. Habitat will be pre- served by acquisition through agreement, lease or purchase, promotion of good landowner -user relationships and educational programs which demonstrate to landowners the value of wildlife habitat. We will add to our knowledge of the wild- life resource and will improve the management techniques we use now. We will develop new ideas and translate them into management tools. Efforts to inventory animal numbers and to mea- sure and evaluate the adequacy of habitat will be stepped up. Compliance with wildlife laws and regula- tions and a fair distribution of sport game to all hunters and trappers are important elements in the total sport game management picture. Objectives for each of the 23 programs appear in the pages that follow. 15