"It was a particularly hard winter in the Gunnison area this year and under current Wildlife Commission policy we lacked sufficient information to know if we could feed deer if it got more severe. Mild winters for the past few years have kept this from being an issue, but it appears that more regular weather patterns are on the horizon."
By Colorado Department of Natural Resources, [RxPG] The Colorado Wildlife Commission has passed a regulation making Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing mandatory for deer harvested in the Gunnison Basin starting with the 2005 hunting season. The regulations will help determine if wildlife feeding operations can be used to prevent significant die off during harsh winters.
"It was a particularly hard winter in the Gunnison area this year and under current Wildlife Commission policy we lacked sufficient information to know if we could feed deer if it got more severe," said Southwest Regional Manager Tom Spezze. "Mild winters for the past few years have kept this from being an issue, but it appears that more regular weather patterns are on the horizon."
To prevent the spread of disease, current Wildlife Commission policy prevents feeding of big game animals in areas where CWD is known to occur. While CWD has not been found in the Gunnison area, the number of heads submitted for testing in past years has been insufficient to provide a statistically valid biological sample.
Applicants who are successful in drawing a deer license in Game Management Units 54, 55, 551, 66, and 67 will receive a letter explaining the mandatory testing requirement. Because the testing has been made mandatory, the usual $15 fee will be waived for testing of deer heads from those units. Information will also be provided to hunters regarding the procedure for CWD testing and the hours and location of testing sites.
The mandatory testing policy will remain in effect until a scientifically sufficient sample size can be achieved.
While the DOW is permitted to feed wildlife in certain instances, it is important to mention that any other feeding of big game in Colorado is a violation of wildlife regulations and can result in criminal penalties.
Publication:
Colorado Department of Natural Resources
On the web:wildlife.state.co.us
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