Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is seeking public input about its draft 10-year plan to manage the Arkansas River bighorn sheep herd that ranges from near Buena Vista and Salida to Cañon City and Pueblo West. Big game populations are managed by CPW biologists to achieve population objectives established for various herds. Typically, decisions are made based on a management plan written and revised every 10 years.
This plan is for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in CPW’s Data Analysis Unit (DAU) RBS-9, which covers parts of Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Park and Pueblo counties. The area within RBS-9 is broken into smaller Game Management Units (GMUs) including S-47 (Browns Canyon), S-7 (the Arkansas River), S-49 (Grape Creek) and S-79 (Pueblo West).
“This plan reflects CPW’s efforts to balance the biological capabilities of the herd and its habitat with the public’s demand for wildlife recreational opportunities,” said Bryan Lamont, CPW terrestrial biologist based in Salida.
“The final plan will guide CPW officials as we decide how many bighorn sheep should exist in each GMU and the entire herd management region. The plan will also help CPW decide the proper average age of harvested rams over the next decade. With this herd, we’re targeting an average age of 4 to 6 years for rams.”
Population goals drive important decisions including:
* How many animals must be harvested to maintain or move toward the objectives.
* What types of hunting seasons are required to achieve the harvest objective.
Now that the draft is complete, CPW staff requests the public review it and offer comments and suggestions. To review the proposed management plan, visit the CPW website. Comments can be sent directly to Lamont at Bryan.Lamont@state.co.us. Comments must be received by July 3.
Jeff
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