Laserfiche WebLink
1~1 <br />`J <br />uring the regular deer season. The 1975 deer season represented the first <br />time in Colorado's history of wildlife management that such constraints on deer <br />hunting were imposed to regulate the taking of antlerless deer so that the mule <br />deer populations could make a more rapid comeback than they could under the <br />types of seasons held previously, but still allow an adequate harvest in select- <br />ted units where deer populations were up in relation to limited winter range, <br />or because of crop damage. This management philosophy was again applied to the <br />1976 deer seasons. <br />The relatively light snowfall during the winters of 1975-76 and 1976-77 has <br />resulted in lower than normal fawn mortality through winter losses. This reduced <br />mortality, coupled with the restricted types of seasons in 1975 through 1977, has <br />assisted the deer herds in most areas of the state in increasing to more desirable <br />population levels. <br />The 1977 deer season represents the first year of the separate and combined <br />rifle deer season structure. This concept was adopted in an effort to maximize <br />the harvest of excess animals and to spread hunting pressure between two dif- <br />• ferent seasons, thereby reducing hunter crowding. This approach served to give <br />the deer hunter a choice which was never before offered in Colorado. The manage- <br />ment of the species was also enhanced by allowing the manager more flexibility <br />in pinpointing needed pressure, or reduction in pressure over two seasons. An <br />increase in deer numbers coupled with this season structure accounted for a <br />rifle season harvest of 58,853 deer, the largest since 1973. Hunting pressure <br />was better distributed due to the two deer seasons (separate and combined) and <br />as a result, hunter reaction to the season was very favorable. <br />The 1978 deer season was the second year of the separate and combined season <br />structures. An increase in deer herds and more liberalized seasons created a <br />corresponding increased hunter demand and accounted for a total estimated harvest <br />of 78,428 deer. The continued one and only hunt concept implemented in 1974 and <br />the splitting up of the deer seasons distributed the 171,449 deer hunters with a <br />maximum of 88,106 hunters in the field at any one time. The maximum occurred <br />during the separate deer season. Another 70,140 deer hunters participated in the <br />combined season. <br />