Colorado May Open New Area for Elk Hunting

Colorado Parks and Wildlife will attempt to mitigate damage done by a local elk herd in Boulder County by potentially opening up hunting on public land near Rabbit Mountain, as the elk have recently killed much of the habitat’s plant life, in turn degrading the land for other wildlife.

Parks and Wildlife area manager Larry Rogstad said, “It’s absolutely essential to manage herbivore population[s]. We’ve been seeing an exponential increase in the elk. These elk are no longer migratory.” He noted that over the course of the last decade, the elk population for the 500-acre plot of land has gone from 50 to 400 head, an eight-fold boom. Rogstad also explained that because these elk are not hunted, the herd is not pressured to relocate to other grazing areas. Plus, it could save the state thousands of dollars in damages per year.

At press time, the county and state planned to host an open forum to hear public comment regarding the proposal.

For more information, go to CPW.state.co.us.