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When you’rebattling stumps, ruts and rocks, it canget rough out there. That’s exactlywhy we makeowning the ZFORCE 800 Trail smooth. It’s abrawny side-by-side with an 800ccEFI engine and fullyindependent suspension.Ithas a50-inch wide stance so it’s accessible to almost all the trails. Youalsoget all the goodiesfor off-road fun likeelectronic power steering, a3000lb. winch, aluminum rims, adjustable gas shocks, digital gauge, roof,half doorsand more. With CFMOTO,you get moreso youcan get out and experience moretogether $11, 99 MSRP (Plus freight &setup) ZFORCE® 800 TRAIL HORONMORSTRSOFCORADO 4. 1N93. Sg,Co8 51 h/ olo WARNING: CFMOTOrecreational vehicles areintended for off-road use only,and can be hazardous to operate. Read Owner’sManual and all product labels beforeoperating. Never operate on paved roads. Operators and passengers mustwear ahelmet, eye protection and protective clothing. Operators must be at least 16 years old with avalid driver’s license Passengers, if permitted, must be at least12years old. Always use seat belts, cab netting and doors (if equipped). Never operate under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Avoid excessive speed and sharp turns, and neverengage in stunt driving. Check state and local laws beforeoperating on trails. Take asafety trainingcourse beforeoperating. Contact your CFMOTO dealer for moreinformation,call the ATVSafety Institute at 1-800-887-2887,orgotowww.atvsafety.org. ©2021 ZhejiangCFMOTOPower Co., Ltd. EXPERIENCE MORE TOGETHER 3 2 • AUGUST 31, 2022 • OUTDOORS GUIDE
Fort Morgan Colorado Municipal Airport 23101 State Hwy. 52 (970) 867-8414 Meetpilots&flight instructors Discover theworld of drones and experimental aircraft FL Y-I N FORT MORGAN Saturday September10, 2022 Don't miss sky diving and acrobatic jumps &A IR EX PO Just "Plane" Crazy Free Admission &Open to the Publicheading8AM- 2PMg Food trucks *Skydiving *Flag &field dedication ceremony *Military aircraft *Experimental aircraft &drones *Flying demonstrations/aerobatic planes &MORE! Thank you sponsors &participants: Scott Aviation *City of Fort Morgan *Morgan CommunityCollege *Flight forLife* Morgan County Tourism* Fort Morgan ChamberofCommerce *Skydive Orange Skies *Aims Community College* Wyoming National Guard *ColoradoState University* LostCreek Guide *VFW Post 3551 *PlatteValley Band *JohnWaters *CDOT OutDOORs guIDE • August 31, 2022 • 3
Colorado is now world lations and environmental health. By the 1970s, the Colorado Division of Wildlife had hired a team of biologists to broaden its reach, studying nongame species and important habitats. The department took on the role of caretaker for all of Colorado’s wildlife species. Research efforts also began to zoom in on restoration and recovery of endangered and threatened species. In 1978, scientific efforts began to save the peregrine falcon from extinction. Despite their tricky cliff wall habitat, the project Wildlife and wild spaces are essential to Colorado’s identity, so it’s difficult to believe that there was a time when they weren’t thriving.
Conservation efforts core to Colorado’s identity
Journal-Advocate Publisher:
Wayne D. Lewis / Colorado Parks and Wildlife greater prairie chickens are among the species Colorado Parks and Wildlife has worked to preserve. Content and photos for this publication were provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, except where noted. the Fall/Winter Outdoors guide is a product of these papers: The Fort Morgan Times Publisher: Brian Porter www.fortmorgantimes.com Brian Porter www.brushnewstribune.com Brian Porter www.journal-advocate.com
Project Staff Brian Porter, publisher sara Waite, editor Kent shorrock, production Copyright 2022. Prairie Mountain Media outdoors Guide THE FALL &WINTER OUTDOORS GUIDE is aspecial publication in coordination with Colorado Parks &Wildlife. Prairie Mountain Media wishes to thank Colorado Parks &Wildlife for photos, stories and information provided for republication in this section. Please visit cpw.state.co.us forafull complement of outdoors recreation information. 16740 CO-39, Wiggins, CO 80654 4 • AUgUst 31, 2022 • OUtDOORs gUIDE
renowned for its wildlife and stunning landscapes. Travelers come from all over the country and the world to hunt, fish, bird watch, hike and admire the array of species we continually work to conserve. was successful. The falcons now live throughout the state, and their numbers are growing. Other successful recoveries and reintroduc tions include the Canada lynx, river otters, black-footed ferrets, greater prairie chickens and many others. In 2011, the Colorado Division of Wildlife merged with Colorado State Parks to form Colorado Parks and Wildlife. This union served to create more efficient and effective services while supporting a robust, statewide mission.
Just 150 years ago, the future of Colorado’s wildlife was uncertain. Overhunting and water pollution had a harsh impact on deer, elk, pronghorn, buffalo, bear, birds and fish and many feared that some of these species would never recover. For a few forward-thinking hunters and conservationists, that fear prompted action. In 1870, the Colorado Territorial Legislature passed its first wildlife protection laws, and in 1879, the first wildlife protection agency was formed. The Colorado Division of Wildlife worked to set and enforce limitations, including banning the use of nets for fishing, setting season and bag limits, and even prohibiting hunting of pronghorn and bighorn sheep for over 50 years. These calculated efforts from both scientists and hunters yielded the prosperous wildlife and oppor tunities we enjoy today. In the 1960s, as the status of Colorado’s wildlife became more healthy, many scientists and members of the public recognized the correlation between wildlife popu-
Brush News-Tribune Publisher:
Conservation
A variety of management methidentify and respond to infections in
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2021 Mandatory CWD Testing Summary In 2021, CPW tested its 14 highest priority elk herds, with special emphasis on those that overlap high-prevalence mule deer herds. Eckert said the testing helped CPW learn that: • CWD in elk is still relatively low in elk herds statewide.
“Not only were we interested in generating reliable estimates of CWD infection rates in elk, but we also wanted to analyze relationships of CWD infection rates among mule deer and elk harvested in the same areas,” Eckert said. “If management actions prescribed in our most infected deer herds successfully maintain or reduce CWD, those same actions taken for deer may also affect CWD See Review, pg. 6 to 6-year-old bucks tend to have the highest infection rates)
• Resulting data will continue to inform the management actions CPW takes to lower disease infection rates. “Overall, the decision to commit to annual mandatory testing has been resoundingly important to understanding the status of this disease in Colorado,” Eckert said. “It’s helped us in acquiring ods have already been utilized around the state since mandatory testing began. When infection rates are greater than 5%, wildlife managers have utilized tactics such as: • Reducing population or density • Reducing male/female ratio (males tend to have double the infection rates of females)
• Geographic patterns of high infection level areas generally overlap for elk and deer.
• Detection of infected yearling elk is higher than expected.
herds
Big Game Mandatory chronic wasting disease testing results reviewed 5-year cycle helps CPW
Colorado Parks and Wildlife / Courtesy photo Colorado Parks and Wildlife has focused mandatory testing for chronic wasting disease on deer herds for the past five years because deer have the highest disease infection rates and greatest need for disease management.
• Changing the age structure (4At the May CPW Commission meeting in Sterling, CPW Terrestrial Programs Supervisor Matt Eckert provided an update to the Commission on the agency’s chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing efforts. Eckert summarized the agency’s findings from mandatory CWD testing for the 2021-2022 hunting season as well as lessons learned over the first five-year rotation of mandatory testing (2017-2021 hunting seasons). From 2017-2020, CPW focused mandatory testing on deer because deer have the highest disease infection rates and greatest need for disease management. During this time, CPW examined CWD levels across all 54 deer herds. CPW focused on elk in 2021, which provided the first reliable infection rate estimates for elk since the mid-2000s. In 2022, CPW will restart the five-year rotation, shifting its attention back to deer
and communicating reliable infection rate estimates and laying a foundation to assess herd-specific management actions to combat CWD. We are now taking management actions in 27 of our 54 deer herds.”
More information on prion diseases is available on CDPHE’s website.
infection rates in elk over time. “We would not be able to determine this relationship and response to disease management efforts in deer without knowing the infection rates in both deer and elk in overlapping herds,” Eckert said. “Additionally, we retested six mule deer herds to increase the number of harvest submissions used to estimate infection rates in those herds.”
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What is CPW doing to address CWD?
Read the complete CWD update to the Commission online at https:// bit.ly/3QPBYG7.
review from page 5
CWD is a prion disease that affects Colorado’s deer, elk and moose. The disease course generally lasts 2-3 years in deer and is always fatal. Although there has been no evidence that CWD has transmitted to a human, the Center for Disease Control, CPW and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment all recommend that hunters not eat the meat of a CWD-infected animal.
More information about CWD is available at https://cpw.state.co.us/ learn/Pages/ResearchCWD.aspx.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife / Courtesy map Map of CWD infection rates in harvested adult male deer in Colorado, 2017-2021.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife / Courtesy map Map of CWD infection rates in harvested adult and yearling elk in Colorado, 2017-2021.
CPW is working to ensure the longterm health of deer, elk and moose herds. Over time, this means minimizing the number of animals that get infected and die from this disease. To date, management actions have been prescribed for 27 deer herds that intend to reduce infection levels to below 5%. More information about our plan to manage CWD is available in the Colorado Chronic Wasting Dis ease Response Plan. The CWD Response Plan establishes a compulsory management threshold, which means when infection rates exceed 5% in adult (older than 2 years) male deer, then some form of management actions will be taken to reduce infection rates until they fall below the 5% threshold. CPW identifies various management actions in the plan that are available to local managers to prescribe in herd management efforts, all of which have the potential to help reduce infection rates in deer herds.
What are the health risks to humans?
• Use artificial light to hunt wildlife. Having a firearm with car tridges in the chamber or magazine, or loaded with powder or a ball, or a strung, uncased bow while trying to project artificial light into an area where wildlife can be found is prima facie evidence of a violation.
• Shoot from or use a motor vehicle, motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, snowmobile, or aircraft to hunt, harass, or drive wildlife.
• Carry firearms (except handguns) on an off-highway vehicle (OHV) during deer, elk, pronghorn, and bear seasons unless they are unloaded in the chamber and magazine. Firearms (except handguns) and bows carried on an OHV must be fully enclosed in a hard or soft case. Scabbards or cases with open ends or sides are prohibited. This regulation does not apply to landowners or their agents carrying a firearm on an OHV for the purpose of taking
• Not make a reasonable attempt to track and kill an animal you wounded. If the animal goes on private property, you must contact the landowner or person in See Hunting, pg. 8
Hunting Important reminders before hunting FortMorgan,Colorado Perfectfor a “METIME” Escape Spacetoexplore •Space to enjoy •Spaceto re-charge- just ashort distance from Denver. •RiversidePark600+acres& trailsalong the South Platte River • 18-hole championshipQuail DunesGolf Course • TwoDiscGolf Courses • Forthe adventurous skydiving with Orange Skies. IMCA Division I-76 Speedwayracing sport mods,stock cars, hobby stocks,& modifieds • ThursdayNight Live SummerConcert Series • Historymuseum(40,000+items) with special GlennMiller &Native American collections • Annual Fly-in& AirExpo(September10, 22) • Fall Harvest Car Show 3rdweekendof September • GatewaytoPawneeButtesNationalGrasslands &a State HistoricScenicByway • Third Thursdaydowntown artwalks • 4-plex Cover4 movie theatre • Nearby winery& tastingroom • Cute shops, great food,& small town charm Discover more at: Www.cityoffortmorgan.com Request atravel guideCall (970) 542-3924 OutDOORs guIDE • August 31, 2022 • 7
• Use dogs or bait to hunt bears, deer, elk, pronghorn, or moose. Bait means to put, expose, deposit, distribute, or scatter salt, minerals, grain, animal parts, or other food so as to constitute a lure, attraction, or enticement for big game on or over any area where hunters are attempting to take big game.
“Large-capacity magazine” means: (I) A fixed or detachable magazine, box, drum, feed strip, or similar device capable of accepting, or that is designed to be readily converted to accept, more than fifteen rounds of ammunition; (II) A fixed, tubular shotgun magazine that holds more than twenty-eight inches of shotgun shells, including any extension device that is attached to the magazine and holds additional shotgun shells; or (III) A nontubular, detachable magazine, box, drum, feed strip, or similar device that is capable of accepting more than eight shotgun shells when combined with a fixed magazine.
• Have a loaded (having a round in the chamber) rifle or shotgun in or on a motor vehicle. ’Motor vehicle’ includes motorcycles and ATVs. Similarly, muzzleloading rifles cannot be primed (cannot have a percussion cap on the nipple or powder in the flashpan) while in or on a motor vehicle.
• Use aircraft to hunt, to direct hunters on the ground, or to hunt the same day or day after a flight was made to locate wildlife.
• Use poison, drugs, or explosives to hunt or harass wildlife.
• Sell, transfer, possess, or use a large-capacity magazine, defined below, unless the user has owned and possessed it continuously since 2013.
• Operate or ride on a snowmobile with a firearm unless it’s completely unloaded and cased; bows must be unstrung or cased. Compound bows must be cased, not unstrung.
• Hunt under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance.
Before heading out on a hunt, keep in mind that it’s unlawful to:
• Leave an unattended fire that is not completely extinguished.
• Hunt carelessly or discharge a firearm or release an arrow in a manner disregarding human life or property
depredating wildlife on property owned or leased by them.
• Killing and abandoning big game wildlife. Taking big game, removing only the hide, antlers, or other trophy parts and leaving the carcass in the field.
• Shoot from, across, or on a public road with a firearm, bow, or crossbow. People firing a bow, rifle, handgun, or shotgun having a single slug must be at least 50 feet from the centerline of the road.
• Fail to use wildlife meat for human consumption. Internal organs are not considered edible portions.
• Selling, purchasing, or offering to sell or purchase big game.
• Interfere with hunters. That includes, but is not limited to, alarming, distracting, or frightening prey; causing prey to flee by using light or noise; chasing prey on foot or by vehicle; throwing objects; making movements; harassing hunters by using threats or actions; erecting barriers to deny access to hunting areas; and intentionally injecting yourself into the line of fire. Violators face criminal prosecution and may have to pay damages to the victim, as well as court costs. Learn more on this topic by reading the Hunter Harassment page.
charge before pursuing it.
• Party hunt, which means to kill someone else’s game or allow someone to kill your game.
• Soliciting someone to illegally take big game for commercial gain or providing outfitting services without required registration. If convicted of these violations, you may face a life-time hunting license suspension in Colorado. Refer to the Big Game Brochure for additional, important information and laws, rules, and regulations You can download this and other regulations brochures from our Brochures page.
Violations that are felony offenses
Hunting
Wayne D. Lewis / Colorado Parks and Wildlife
• Not wear at least 500 square inches of solid daylight fluorescent orange or solid florescent pink material above the waist on an outer garment while hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, or moose during a muzzleloading or rifle season. Part of the fluorescent orange must be a hat or head covering visible from all directions. Camouflage orange or camouflage pink does not meet this requirement. Mesh garments are legal but not recommended. Bowhunters are not required to wear fluorescent orange during archery seasons. Colorado Parks and Wildlife strongly recommends wearing daylight fluorescent orange or florescent pink clothes in the field even if you’re not hunting. For details about the florescent pink alternative hunter safety color approved in 2016, please read the Authorized Fluorescent Pink fact sheet
Colorado Parks and Wildlife recommends unloading firearms when you're crossing streams and fences or walking on unstable, steep or rough terrain. from page 7
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BREAK SOME CLAYS OPEN YEAR ROUND LONGMEADOW Colorado's Premier Clays Club ASHOOTERS' PARAISE! 9AM OutDOORs guIDE • August 31, 2022 • 9
Contest participants must follow all applicable Colorado hunting regulations; this includes possession of all appropriate licenses. Employees of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and their immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such employee, are not eligible.
Prizes
To be eligible to enter: Hunters must commit to mentorHunting
ing an eligible new or former hunter in Colorado on at least three separate occasions The occasions may involve any part of the mentoring process including scouting, testing/purchasing hunting gear, sighting in/practicing with hunting firearms/archery equipment, or game processing and game cooking. At least one occasion must be taking the mentee hunting. Mentor and mentee must be at least 18 yrs of age. Mentors must: • hold a valid 2022 Colorado hunting license • have held a Colorado hunting license in at least 3 of the last 5 years (2017-2021).
‘Take a Friend Hunting’ contest back for fourth year
Colorado Parks and Wildlife / Courtesy photo Erin Crider (mentor) and Ashley Lozano (mentee) spent a hunting season together hunting waterfowl, upland game birds and turkeys. they submitted their story and photos to the take a Friend Hunting contest and received gift cards to scheels.
Hunting has several barriers that can make getting started difficult. Equipment can be expensive and knowledge is hard to obtain. Taking your friends hunting can reduce those barriers by allowing you to share equipment and pass on the knowledge that only experience can teach. For new hunters, getting started can seem over whelming. Encouraging a hunter to take you with them and show you the ropes can help you get started. With CPWs Take a Friend Hunting Contest, you can win a variety of prizes that will help you in future hunts. How it works If you are a hunter, take a friend hunting! If you want to learn to hunt, encourage a hunter to take you with them! Then submit a photograph and brief story of your time in the field for a chance to win a variety of hunting related prizes. Submissions will be judged by their ability to inspire and are due by Feb. 28, 2023.
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Mentees must either have:
Prizes will be awarded at the end of March to winners of the photo/ narrative competition. There will be multiple winners selected for a variety of prizes. Prizes include: binoculars, headlamps, butcher kits, game calls, gift cards and more. All prizes are non-transferable. No substitution may be made except as provided. The winner is responsible for all taxes and fees associated with prize receipt and/ or use. Please check the CPW website for more details and an updated list of prizes! To learn more, see the official rules at https://woobox.com/ gjwvdw/rules.
For the fourth consecutive year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is encouraging hunters to take a friend hunting. As a reward for hunters sharing their expertise and love of hunting, CPW created a contest for mentors who take the time to pass on their knowledge, with prizes for the mentor as well as the mentee.
“I often run into people wanting to hunt but they just don’t know how to start. Most of them just need a mentor to help out,” said CPW Hunter Outreach Coordinator Bryan Posthumus. “It is so easy to ask your friends, co-workers, or family if they want to hunt and help them get started. Quite a few started out small game hunting. Many of the hunters last year are planning on hunting with their new hunting buddy this year.”
• never had a hunting license until 2022, • only had a hunting license in 2021 (e.g., a second-year hunter) or • not had a hunting license in the past five consecutive years (i.e., since 2017).
Hunters who do not have a HIP number may be warned and then ticketed for non-compliance with the program. The fine is $70.52 and, in addition, 5 points will be assessed against your hunting privileges.
• If you will hunt small game (including migratory birds and furbearers) in Colorado during the 2022-23 seasons, you must get a HIP number before hunting.
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Hunting Small game hunters need to be HIP
OutDOORs guIDE • August 31,
• If you will not hunt small game (including migratory birds) in Colorado during the 2022-23 season, you do not need to participate in HIP.
Logan County’s only home owned bank 2022
OF
• Spring turkey hunters do not need to get a HIP number.
Furbearer Hunters Hunters that pursue furbearers are still required to register with HIP. Additionally, furbearer hunters that hold a furbearer permit may also be contacted to complete the furbearer harvest survey. Data from the furbearer harvest survey will be used to gain a better understanding of the number of Colorado requires all small game hunters to sign up with the Harvest Information Program (HIP), to help Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) better estimate harvest for species that are difficult to address through a general small game survey HIP is a joint U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)/CPW program designed to improve small game and migratory bird harvest estimates. In 1998, state wildlife agencies asked the USFWS to develop a nationwide sign up program for all migratory bird hunters. State biologists were concerned that federal harvest estimates were not providing adequate harvest information using the traditional survey methodology HIP for the 2022-2023 Season
Scott Willoughby / the Denver Post
Currently, you may sign up online by going to the Colorado HIP website, http://www.colohip.com/. Please write your 202223 HIP number in the space provided on your license. Make phone registrations by calling and speaking with a live operator, from 7 am to 10:30 pm, with the exception of Thanksgiving day, Christ mas day and New Years day, at 1-866-COLOHIP (265-6447).
THE
will enjoy greater collaboration with CPW. As another aid to tracking harvest numbers, the Fur Harvester Log is available to hunters. Fur harvesters may photocopy or print multiple copies of this form to record their hunts and harvests throughout each season. these types of animals that are harvested each year. The efforts to closely track furbearer harvest will help CPW biologists maintain self-sustaining furbearer populations and allow CPW to continue to provide hunters with diverse opportunities for recreational har vest and the state’s fur harvesters not get a 2022-23 HIP number until 7 a.m., April 1. Hunters planning to use their small game license to hunt or trap (not just as a qualifying license for the big game draw) will need to obtain their 2022 HIP number through the Colorado HIP website or by calling and speaking with a live operator at 1-866-COLOHIP (265-6447) before they can legally hunt. Although 2022 small game licenses go on sale March 1, HIP numbers for 2022 are not available until April 1.
• Annually, on April 1, a new HIP season begins. Hunters can-
ST
tim Brass of Fort Collins works his duck call at sunrise during a morning duck hunt near Jackson Lake state Park in 2013. FLEMING FIRST NATIONAL BANK Your community bank. 970-265-2555 www.fnbfleming.com
Irrigated areas can be good or bad. Some ideas for finding pheasants in irrigated agriculture lands include: Don’t expect many pheasants where irrigated alfalfa dominates the landscape. Transition areas where centerpivot corn irrigation mixes with dryland wheat production often produce our highest pheasant populations. Pheasants nest in the wheat fields, raise chicks in standing corn and, once the corn is har vested, the birds go back into nearby wheat stubble or CRP to roost, returning daily to forage in ally rely on adjacent lands to provide brood habitat and food sources. The key is to find mature fields with switchgrass and yellow Indian grass (look for orange and red colored grasses), next to crop stubble.
Rarely will a wise rooster or covey of scaled quail flush when they can run into good escape cover. Pay attention to how they beat you (they will) and devise ways to cover escape routes next time.
Strategy Once you have found an area that holds pheasants or quail, the hunting strategy you use will probably be the largest factor in your success. These suggestions come from our observation of hunters in the field.
• The height and density of cover in the field Generally, the more cover, the better potential for the field.
Some fields offer birds every thing they need and can be hunted from daylight until dusk, but nor mally, pheasants and quail use different fields to meet their daily requirements.
• Stubble height 15- to 30
• Weed growth in the stubble is equally important to stubble height. Look for fields that offer sunflowers or kochia.
• Poor quality CRP can be productive, as some pheasants prefer to night-roost in thin cover.
Move Quickly and Quietly Prepare to execute your hunt plan quickly and quietly. Too often hunters pull up to a field, slam the doors, let the dogs out, then talk about how to hunt the field. That works with young birds on opening day, but after a few shots have been fired, wary birds will be implementing their own escape strategy as soon as they are aware of your presence.
Whether you are a pheasant hunter making plans for a fall hunting trip, or a landowner planning your next habitat project, one of the keys to success is a basic understanding of the various types of habitat that pheasants use throughout the year. Throughout their range, pheasants are associated with cropland habitats.
Conservation Reserve Program Fields
The Conservation Reserve Program, commonly known as CRP, is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. Landowners offer their land for enrollment, and when accepted, agree to establish cover for the life of the agreement, in return for an annual rental pay ment. CRP fields, when seeded to beneficial cover, can be critical habitat for many species of wildlife. CRP Fields are the most predictable habitat, as they provide areas for nesting, brooding and wintering pheasants. Cover quality in CRP fields can be extremely variable, depending on the age of the field, the grass mix planted and impacts of recent droughts and/or management prescriptions. Keys to Pheasant Abundance in CRP
• New CRP fields that are planted next to a sorghum cover crop, or young stands of CRP still dominated by annual weeds, are nor mally the most productive fields for hunting pheasants.
Timing Matters Hunt fields at the right time of day. In the morning and evening, birds will be moving from roosting sites towards food. Put yourself and your hunting party between the birds and their food source, and hunt towards the roosting areas, or vice versa when birds are leaving feeding areas in the afternoon.
• Mature grass stands can be great for pheasants, but birds usu Hunting
Pheasant habitat is commonly found in cropland.
12 • AUGUST 31, 2022 • OUTDOORS GUIDE
• Pay attention to adjacent crop field for food sources and alternative roosting cover, in addition to woody cover. Non-irrigated Cropland Non-irrigated cropland is often the wild card in Colorado pheasant hunting. When conditions are right, dryland crop fields can support excellent numbers of pheasants. When conditions are poor, populations quickly decline. For fall pheasant concentrations, wheat stubble and milo stubble (in southeast Colorado) are most important. Some things to look for include:
Don’t Get Pushy Avoid pushing birds to other good quality fields if possible.
Tips and tactics for a successful pheasant hunt Record file photo
corn fields.
A good strategy for hunting running pheasants is to push them towards thin cover, forcing some of them to hold. Scaled quail, how ever, can be pushed towards.
• As grass begins to take over a field, pheasant abundance generally declines but can be very good if weeds and alfalfa are present in the field. Expect pheasants to leave these fields to feed in adjacent fields, but to return at night to roost and to loaf during the day.
Daily
inch stubble is optimal for pheasants and hunting.
Irrigated Areas
Please see the Waterfowl Stamp Winners and Artists page at https://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/WaterfowlStampWinners.aspx for more information about Dan Andrews and about all previous Colorado Waterfowl Stamp artists and stamps.
The 2021 stamp is by Denver artist Dan Andrews and is entitled “Water’s Edge Cinnamon Teal.”
Conservation Waterfowl Stamp program key to Colo. wetland conservation Conservation efforts of the Waterfowl Stamp Program improve habitat for ducks, geese, and more than 500 other species.
OPEN COME ON IN OR TAKE OUT NE Colorado’s “FinestCafé& Coffee Shop” 423 North3rd Street Sterling,CO (970) 522-3625 J&LCafé OutDOORs guIDE • August 31, 2022 • 13
Courtesy photo / Colorado Parks and Wildlife the 2021 Colorado Waterfowl stamp is by Denver artist Dan Andrews and is entitled "Water's Edge Cinnamon teal."
Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s contest is an annual artist invitational. For information, please email Mindy Blazer at mindy.blazer@state.co.us.
The Colorado Waterfowl Stamp program was implemented in 1990 and provides funding to conserve wetlands for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife. The program is designed to conserve wetlands for waterfowl and water birds. All revenue generated from the sale of the hunter version of the Waterfowl Stamp is used to fund wetlands projects throughout the state. Several thousand acres of wetlands have been protected with Waterfowl Stamp funds. Participation in the Waterfowl Stamp Program by hunters and non-hunters alike is an effective way to contribute to the conservation of this precious resource. Wetlands conservation efforts of the Waterfowl Stamp Program improve habitat for ducks, geese, and more than 500 other species of shorebirds, songbirds, amphibians and reptiles. Learn about the history, accomplishments and challenges of the waterfowl stamp program in the “Colorado Waterfowl Stamp” article from the 2010 Colorado Out doors magazine Hunting Guide, which can be found at https:// bit.ly/3PMaNuD.
The Waterfowl Stamp Program is part of the larger Colorado Parks and Wildlife wetlands conservation effort. Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Wetlands Program seeks to conserve wetlands through voluntary, incentivebased, means. Visit the Wetlands Program page for additional information. Art Stamp Contest
• Keep your upper body above water. Keep your head and upper body as far out of the water as reasonably possible to conserve heat.
There’s lots of outdoor fun to enjoy in Colorado, but please do so carefully. No one can guarantee you that the ice is safe. The decision to go onto the ice is personal and should be made only after tak ing all the precautions to reduce the risk.
• Never go onto the ice alone. Having someone with you means your partner can call or send for help if you fall in.
• Remember Reach-ThrowGo. If you are with someone who falls through the ice, use this approach. If you can’t reach the person from shore, throw them a floatation device or rope. If you still can’t help the person quickly go for help. Never attempt to walk out onto the ice to rescue your friend because you may also fall through the ice.
14 • AUGUst 31, 2022 • OUtDOORs GUIDE
Beware if venturing out onto icy lakes this winter
• Conserve heat. Expect a progressive decrease in your strength and ability to move. Make any dif ficult maneuvers quickly, while you still can.
• Don’t panic. Try to remain calm to conserve as much energy as possible. Try to get your arms onto the ice and kick as hard as
a life jacket or personal flotation device (PFD) over winter clothing. Life jackets can provide excellent flotation and protection from hypothermia.
Outdoor recreation opportunities abound in all seasons in Colorado. But the arrival of winter and freezing temperatures doesn’t always mean that lakes, ponds and streams are ready for winter activity. At a state park, you can check with staff about ice thickness before heading out for a winter adventure. Here are some other basic safety rules to follow when enjoying winter adventures on the ice. These and many more tips are available on the CPW website at cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/IceFishingSafety.aspx.
First, always assume that unsafe ice conditions may exist. Ice thickness changes with location and is determined by water depth. Look for clear blue ice. Always check ice conditions. Drill test holes to measure thickness. Four inches of ice is generally considered safe for people for ice fishing and ice skating. However, off-highway vehicles, or OHVs, need at least six inches of ice thickness. Cars generally need no less than eight inches to a foot of ice. Medium-size pickup trucks require 12-15 inches of ice, mini mum. Whenever there is any question about thickness or conditions, stay off the ice. Look for signs of unsafe conditions, including ice of different colors, water on top of the ice, cracks, pressure ridges, open water and bubbles in the ice Also, beware of ice covered with snow. Sometimes the snow serves as insulation, keeping the ice from melting. Oth er times, the snow has the opposite effect, insulating the surface from freezing. Also be aware that water levels can fluctuate in reser voirs which can affect ice stability Safety
• Avoid alcoholic beverages. Alcohol increases your chance for hypothermia, which is the loss of body temperature. It can also lower your inhibitions, increasing the likelihood that you might take risks you might not otherwise take.
travis Duncan, pub lic information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, uses a hand augur to drill a hole in the ice at Eleven Mile state Park in south Park Courtesy photo Colorado Parks and Wildlife
• Always keep your pets on a leash. Never allow your dog to run out onto the ice and never walk your dog near a frozen lake or pond without a leash. If your dog falls through the ice, do not attempt a rescue. Go for help. If the ice couldn’t support the weight of your animal, it can’t support you. If you do fall through the ice, remember the following:
• Do not swim. Swimming will cause your body to lose heat much faster than if you stay as still as possible.
If you do choose to venture onto the ice, remember the following ice safety tips:
• Assemble a personal safety kit. Always wear a safety kit on your body when going out onto the ice. Safety kits should include an ice pick, rope and a whistle to call for help.
• Wear a life jacket. Always wear
you can with your feet to help lift you onto the ice, and then roll to safety. If you can’t get out of the cold water by yourself, take the following appropriate actions to extend your survival time while waiting to be rescued.
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