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• REGULAR RIFLE DEER SEASONS <br />Deer hunting licenses were first required in Colorado in 1903, costing <br />$1.00 for residents and $25.00 for nonresidents. The 1903 season experienced <br />a 15 per cent success ratio, with 2,278 deer harvested. Deer seasons continued <br />through 1912, then were closed until 1918. Mule deer populations were relatively <br />low in Colorado until an appreciable increase began in the 1940's, and either <br />sex seasons became commonplace beginning in 1940 when 24,248 deer were harvested. <br />The all-time high occurred in 1963 with a kill of 147,848 deer, and then declined <br />to a low of 40,749 in 1971 when the season was antlered only, was shortened, and <br />was separate from and following elk season. 1971 was the first statewide ant- <br />lered only regular deer season since 1939. <br />In 1972 and 1973 the deer season was again separated from, but preceded the <br />elk season. However, instead of following the opening date of the third Satur- <br />day in October for deer season, as had been done from 1961 through 1970, opening <br />day was set as the second Saturday in October to accommodate the opening of elk <br />season on the third Saturday, so as not to have it delayed too late into winter <br />weather hazards. <br />In 1974, 1975 and 1976 the sequence of opening was reversed, with elk sea- <br />son opening on the first Saturday after October 9th, and the deer season opening <br />on the third Saturday after October 9th, which were the opening dates established <br />by the Wildlife Commission in 1974, effective for the period 1974 through 1976. <br />The 1974 season was relatively conservative, with most of the west slope <br />antlered only, except for either sex seasons in the Paonia and Montrose areas, <br />and along the Colorado River from Gore Canyon to the Utah line. The Front Range <br />was antlered only, with limited either sex licenses, and the plains area was <br />limited either sex hunting solely. <br />The 1976 regular season was the most conservative since the statewide ant- <br />lered only season of 1971, and was more restrictive than the 1974 regular season <br />in that all either sex areas were limited with a total of 10,540 either sex <br />licenses. <br />With the increasing deer herds, either sex limited licenses have been increased <br />from the 10,540 low in 1976 to 19,125 in 1977 and further increased to 36,580 in <br />1978. After the computer selection and over-the-counter sales of these licenses, <br />• 7,867 either sex licenses remained unsold in 1978. <br />