Fall hunting seasons are in full swing around Colorado.
Turkey season is open on the Eastern Plains until later this month; Waterfowl seasons will open and close intermittently over the coming months; and hunters can chase after trophy elk and deer through the end of the year.
Joey Livingston with the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said a lot of work goes into keeping hunters safe and informed.
“This is that time of year when hunters start getting excited and start getting that urge to get outdoors," Livingston said. "So it's an exciting time of year for us—busy time of year at CPW, with a lot going on.”
Livingston said to expect a mostly safe fall season for the major diseases associated with wild game. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is forecasted to be at an average level, although avian flu is significantly elevated in birds of all kinds. Hunters should take great care to cook any foul to a temperature of 165 degrees—and never harvest an animal that looks sick!
Some hunters have already gotten lucky this season. Henry Ferguson, chairman of the Colorado Bowhunters Association, has already been out in the field.
“I actually already shot my deer this year. It was an archery hunt in September, and I got a real nice buck that I'm pretty happy with,” Ferguson said.
His wife and son will soon be out rifle hunting deer, looking to fill their own tags. Ferguson said he had a much better season this year than last—but that may not be the case for all hunters, he cautioned.
"There's no guarantees. I mean, we went into it pretty positive and confident last year and came out of it with a couple of elk tags still on our pockets, so it wasn't ideal," Ferguson said.
He said he's not overly worried about Chronic Wasting Disease, either. Ferguson has had several deer tested over the years, and not one has come back positive.
"I was worried about it 20 years ago, when they first started really talking about it. And then, the more we looked at it, and the more, the more deer we've had tested...it's just not something that I worry too much about," Ferguson said.
Nevertheless, hunters should be aware of the level of CWD in the region they're hunting in. Testing is available for hunters concerned about diseased game. Most Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices have testing available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and some offices even have expanded hours for the season.
Hunting seasons vary radically from county to county, for different species, and even week to week. Anyone considering hunting should take great care to ensure they're following the law. You can always check the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website if you're unsure of the regulations.
