PERMFILE120146 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

• EARLY AND REGULAR RIFLE ELK SEASONS Elk licenses were not required from 1897 through 1902. Then in 1903 the elk season was closed and remained closed until 1929. During the early part of that period, the elk population in Colorado probably numbered between 500 and 1,000 animals. By 1929, there were enough elk to hold a season and 895 bulls were harvested. The elk population continued to increase to the point that cows and calves could be taken starting in 1940. The first accurate mea- sure of the number of elk hunters occurred in 1931 when 3,386 licenses were issued. These license holders harvested 773 elk for 22.8 per cent license suc- cess. The elk population increased faster than the number of hunters increased as evidenced by the fact that in 1942 and 1945, success was 55.2 per cent and 44.7 per cent respectively, highest on record. From 1948 through 1956, the num- ber of elk hunters fluctuated. Then a rather steady growth in the number of hunters began to occur. As the number of hunters increased, the supply of har- vestable elk also increased as evidenced by 30.7 per cent success in 1957 when • there were 26,589 hunters compared to 30.1 per cent success in 1969 when there were 69,280 hunters. An all time low of 14.1 per cent success was reached in 1971 when the deer and elk season was separated, season length was reduced, spike elk were protected and cow licenses were reduced in number by 25 per cent from the previous year. In 1972, hunters in seven elk areas were required to take animals having at least four points on one antler. Elsewhere, any antlered elk could be har- vested and the 25 per cent reduction o.t cow licenses was lifted. As a result, hunting pressure and success increased to 80,934 and 23.3 per cent, respectively. In 1973, the regular elk season opened 15 days after the start of the gen- eral statewide deer season. In addition, there were three days of no big game hunting between the closing of the deer season and the opening of the regular elk season. The three new specified areas were: T, JJ-1 and SS. In these areas, as well as in early season areas XX and Y, a hunter could participate only if successful in acquiring a license through application and public drawing. Almost all other elk habitat was open to bull hunting (antlered elk were legal with no 4-point minimum restriction), for regular elk license holders. • A designated number of antlerless licenses were issued through public drawing for the hunting of cows and calves in 51 areas. Elk hunting was not allowed in