Keep dogs away from wildlife, CPW warns

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is issuing a warning that your dog chasing wildlife is illegal and dog owners may be cited for it. The warning comes after two separate incidents in unincorporated Jefferson County where dogs mortally wounded deer.

Whether it is your dog attacking wildlife, or a dog chasing wildlife, both actions are illegal and hefty fines can come with it.

“People may forget that their pet dog is a predator and they can injure and kill wildlife if not properly controlled,” said Wildlife Officer Joe Nicholson. “Dog owners are liable for the damage they cause to wildlife.”

Dog owners can be cited for negligently allowing their dog to harass wildlife, which carries a $274 fine, including surcharges. If a dog attack leads to the death of wildlife, the owner can be cited for illegal take. The fine associated with the illegal take would be $959 for deer and $1,370 for elk, including surcharges.

The two incidents in Jefferson County involved dogs mortally wounding doe (female) deer. In one of the incidents near Evergreen on Oct. 20, the dog owner was cited for both illegal take of the deer and for negligently allowing their dog to harass wildlife. The second incident also involved a dog mortally wounding a deer, but that dog and its owner have not been identified.

Dogs that chase wild animals can cause them extreme stress and injuries from bites. If that occurs in late winter, many big game animals susceptible to dog harassment are pregnant females. As they run to escape, deer and elk expend crucial energy that can lead to an increase in the mortality rate of the animals or their unborn calves and fawns.

Dogs that chase or harass wild animals are a serious concern any time of year; however, it is during wintertime when the consequences become more harmful for many big game animals.

"By winter, deer and elk are just trying to survive the snow and lack of forage," Nicholson said. "If dogs chase them, they quickly expend their already limited fat stores, leading to poor health and eventual death from starvation. That is what we are trying to prevent."

Wildlife managers say that although it may be legal to let dogs run free in some recreation areas, they strongly recommend keeping pets on a leash whenever encounters with animals are likely.

"The stress and injuries caused by dogs are concerns, but so are conflicts," said Area Wildlife Manager Mark Lamb. "Each year, we investigate numerous incidents in which a person is injured by a wild animal. A common factor in many of these situations is that the victim's dog first approached or harassed the animal."

Lamb adds that because moose see dogs as a predatory threat, the large ungulates will aggressively try to stomp any dog that approaches it, often chasing it back to its owner who then becomes the target of the angry moose. There have been at least four moose attacks this year in Colorado - three of which had dogs involved - that resulted in injuries to humans.

In addition, Lamb warns that mountain lions, bears or coyotes can easily make a meal of a dog.

"Predators do not differentiate between their natural prey and a dog," said Lamb. "You don't want to be in a situation where you watch your pet being eaten. The best way to keep this from occurring is to either keep the pet close to you on a short leash, or leave it at home if you are heading to an area where you might encounter wildlife."

In addition to keeping dogs on a leash or at home, CPW has other suggestions for viewing and enjoying wildlife in a safe and ethical manner.

"Watch wild animals from a distance with binoculars, a camera lens or a spotting scope," Lamb said. "Remember, if the animal reacts to you or your dog, you are definitely too close."

To report any instance of dogs chasing wildlife, the public can call their local Colorado Parks and Wildlife office or Colorado State Patrol. CPW’s Denver office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and can be reached at 303-291-7227.


Jeff
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Winter Pile Burning Operations Announced For Both Sides Of Park

Fire managers from Rocky Mountain National Park plan to take advantage of any upcoming wet or winter weather conditions to burn piles of slash generated from several fuels reduction projects and hazard tree removals. Slash from these projects has been cut and piled by park fire crews and contractors over the last two years and are now dry enough to burn.

When fighting the East Troublesome Fire in 2020, firefighters were able to take advantage of previous and existing prescribed fire and hazardous fuels treatment areas that provided a buffer between the fire and the town of Estes Park. Prior hazard fuels projects aided considerably in stopping the fire from jumping Bear Lake Road and Trail Ridge Road. Years of hazardous fuels reduction projects and bark beetle tree removal on the west side were instrumental in the successful burnout operations around the town of Grand Lake and helped minimize structure loss in the main park housing area.

Pile burning operations will only begin when conditions allow. The piles are in a variety of locations including areas near the boundary of the park with Allenspark, near Lily Lake, west of Deer Mountain, near Moraine Park Campground, in the Willow Park area off Old Fall River Road and on the west side of the park.

The fuels reduction projects are designed to reduce significant accumulations of forest fuels that can generate extreme or problematic fire behavior adjacent to wildland urban interface. By reducing the potential fire behavior the wildland fire risk to firefighters and the public is significantly reduced. However, these projects are not designed as a stand-alone defense against wildfires nor are they guaranteed to hold a wildfire in the worst of conditions.

Please do your part and complete wildfire mitigation on your property. To learn more about wildfire mitigation around your home visit www.firewise.org

Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality and other environmental regulations are continually monitored as a part of any fire management operation. Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health.


Jeff
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Trail Ridge Road Closes For The Season To Through Traffic

Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park officially closed for the season to through travel yesterday. Many popular driving destinations for this time of year including Bear Lake Road, Moraine Park, Horseshoe Park and the section of Trail Ridge Road along the Kawuneeche Valley, are all open.

Trail Ridge Road is not designed to be an all-season road, with 11 miles above 11,500 feet, few guard rails and no shoulders. Winter conditions of drifting snow, high winds and below- freezing temperatures occur above 10,000 feet. Weather permitting, Trail Ridge Road will remain open to Rainbow Curve on the east side of the park and to Milner Pass on the west side of the park. Eventually, those closures will move down in elevation for the winter season to Many Parks Curve on the east side and Colorado River Trailhead on the west side.

Trail Ridge Road normally opens the last week in May, weather permitting. This year Trail Ridge Road opened on May 29.

Old Fall River Road closed for the season to vehicles on October 4. Trail Ridge Road and Old Fall River Road will remain open to bicycles and leashed pets through November 30. Leashed pets and bicycles are only allowed on the road, not on side trails. On December 1, both of these roads will revert to "winter trail status" which means that bicycles and leashed pets are no longer permitted beyond the closed gates but pedestrians, snowshoers and skiers are.


Jeff
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Tips for understanding mountain lion behavior as sightings increase

As more people move to and recreate outdoors across Colorado, the more they cross paths with wildlife. Following that trend, there has been an increase in reports of mountain lion sightings this year in southwest Colorado.

Southwest Colorado is prime mountain lion habitat, as indicated by 107 mountain lion sightings already this year across the counties of Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan, which make up Area 15 of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Of the 18 areas in the state, that number is by far the most, with the next highest of 67 reported in Boulder County. The 107 sightings in the southwest corner have already surpassed the total of 72 reported in 2020

Still, of all the sightings reported to CPW’s Durango office this year, only five have been for lions displaying aggressive behavior.

“Mountain lions are rarely seen but are common throughout western Colorado,” said CPW senior wildlife biologist Jamin Grigg. “They prey primarily on deer and elk and are likely to be present anywhere deer and elk are abundant. They are generally shy around humans but are also very curious, similar to house cats.”

Technology has also contributed to more reported mountain lion sightings, with video doorbells picking up images that before went unseen.

While sightings are increasing, attacks are not. Mountain lion attacks are relatively rare. There have been 23 known attacks of a mountain lion on a human since 1990 in Colorado.

Often, protective behavior by a mountain lion can be mistaken with predatory behavior. Grigg said mountain lions are ambush predators, meaning they rely on stealth and secrecy when hunting.

“If a lion allows you to see it, it’s likely not acting in a predatory manner,” he said.

What has been observed more commonly is protective behavior by mountain lions when they make an effort to direct a human away from a food source or its young kittens. Protective behavior can include bluff-charging – an act in which the lion will behave aggressively by walking toward a person and gesturing with its paws while vocalizing.

“When you see that, a lion likely has a kill or kittens nearby and is simply trying to encourage you to leave the area,” Grigg said. “Bluff-charging is a protective behavior.”

Human interactions with mountain lions will continue to rise as more people move into lion habitat and use hiking and running trails. That is paired with a presumed increase in lion numbers across an expanded range. It is always best practice to remain alert while recreating outdoors and to refrain from using headphones when hiking and running.

While there have been fewer than a dozen fatalities from mountain lion attacks across North America in the last century, CPW recommends a few tips for mountain lion encounters. One of the most important is to keep dogs on a leash. Many mountain lion encounters happen after a dog off leash discovers a lion’s cache of food or gets too close to kittens.

It can also be helpful and provide peace of mind to carry bear spray when traveling in the backcountry.

If You Encounter a Mountain Lion:

* Go in groups when you walk or hike in mountain lion country, and make plenty of noise to reduce your chances of surprising a lion. A sturdy walking stick is a good idea; it can be used to ward off a lion. Make sure children are close to you and within your sight at all times. Talk with children about lions and teach them what to do if they meet one.

* Keep dogs on leash.

* Do not approach a lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.

* Stay calm when you come upon a lion. Talk calmly and firmly to it. Move slowly.

* Stop or back away slowly, if you can do it safely. Running may stimulate a lion's instinct to chase and attack. Face the lion and stand upright.

* Do all you can to appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you're wearing one. If you have small children with you, protect them by picking them up so they won't panic and run.

* If the lion behaves aggressively, throw stones, branches or whatever you can get your hands on without crouching down or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly. What you want to do is convince the lion you are not prey and that you may in fact be a danger to the lion.

* Fight back if a lion attacks you. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back. People have fought back with rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools and their bare hands successfully. Remain standing or try to get back up!


Jeff
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How National Parks Are Dealing With Crowds

This news feature ran on CNBC last night. It's sad that our national parks have come to this, but I think they're probably doing the right thing here in order to deal with the overcrowding problems in our parks. To think just a few short years ago the National Park System, as well as states like Utah, ran advertising campaigns to attract visitors. No doubt Covid and the closures imposed on travel and recreational activities has driven some of this increase. Will this surge subside after the country and the world gets back to normal?




Jeff
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One year later: Partners reflect on East Troublesome Fire recovery

One year ago this week, firefighters responded to a smoke report in the East Troublesome area of the Arapaho National Forest north of Hot Sulphur Springs. Fighting the fire in extraordinarily difficult terrain amidst shifting winds and historically dry and warm conditions with limited resources created enormous challenges, and the fire grew rapidly, repeatedly crossing containment lines as it grew east toward Colo. Highway 125.

One week later, exhibiting behavior unlike anything scientists and fire managers had ever seen, the fire crossed Colo. 125 and made a 20-mile run across northern Grand County, burning 589 homes and structures and taking two lives before jumping the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park and heading toward the Town of Estes Park.

A winter storm Oct. 25 brought very cold temperatures and snow, resulting in a dramatic drop in fire behavior with smoldering and reduced fire spread on both sides of the Continental Divide. The fire was declared contained on Nov. 30, 2020. At 193,892 acres, East Troublesome is the state’s second largest fire in history. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

As Sheriff Brett Schroetlin reflected on the firestorm and resulting devastation from the East Troublesome Fire, he shared, “I am humbled by the strength of the people that make up the Grand County community and their resilience to persevere through the last twelve months of their very personal recovery.”

In the 12 months since these devastating events, recovery teams, land managers and water providers have turned their attention to post wildfire emergency response and recovery efforts. A collaborative stakeholder group continues to meet monthly to discuss priorities, challenges, and successes; and to protect their critical source water infrastructure. This collaborative recovery group includes Grand County, Northern Water, the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain National Park, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Office of Emergency Management, and Bureau of Reclamation among others.

Aerial mulching, water monitoring, utility infrastructure protections, and stabilizing and reopening trails and roads has been a critical part of the work.

“In the weeks and months following the East Troublesome Fire, Northern Water recognized the significant impacts the fire would have on the Upper Colorado River watershed, which is the source of water for more than 1 million residents in Northeastern Colorado,” said Esther Vincent, Director of Environmental Services for Northern Water. “That’s why we partnered with Grand County to be the local sponsors for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.”

Using funds through the federal EWP Program, matched with money from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Northern Water and Grand County have worked with private landowners and other public agencies to develop projects that would protect human life and property in the burn area. To date, this effort has focused on more than 5,000 acres of aerial seeding and mulching and installing debris booms to protect key water infrastructure during summer monsoon events. More work is planned in 2022, and the effects of the fire on the watershed will be felt for years to come.

“A vast portion of the burned area was Arapaho National Forest lands that are a critical part of the Grand County tourism and recreation economy,” said acting Sulphur District Ranger Kevin McLaughlin. “Our focus has been on reopening as much of our road and trail system as we safely can.”

Forest Service and Rock Mountain Youth Corps crews spent the summer working with partners, collaborators, and hundreds of volunteers coordinated through Grand Lake Trailgrooming Inc. and Headwaters Trails Alliance to cut more than 10,000 burnt, broken and fallen trees from 120 miles of trails. Crews also dug hundreds of drainage bars to prevent trail washouts and hundreds of miles of roads were reopened after road crews worked to stabilize them.

“This has been a truly massive undertaking to this point and there is an incredible amount of work yet to be done,” McLaughlin said, noting that an estimated 50 to 70 bridges, boardwalks and turnpikes burned in the fire and all need to be replaced next year in addition to various campground infrastructure that burned and roads that were impacted by the monsoons this summer. “We wouldn’t have been able to make the progress we have without our partners, and we look forward to continued collaboration on fire recovery in the years to come.”

The Grand County Board of Commissioners released this statement: “On the anniversary the worst disaster in recent Grand County history, the Commissioners would like to extend our deepest appreciation to the emergency agencies, volunteers, organizations, and companies that helped our community survive, recover and rebuild. While there is still recovery work to be done, we have no doubt the strength and resilience of our Grand community will see us through.”


Jeff
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Wildlife officers remove tire that was around a bull elk’s neck for over two years

An elk with a tire around its neck for at least the last two years was finally freed of the obstacle Saturday evening when Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers were able to tranquilize the bull and remove the tire. Wildlife officers Dawson Swanson and Scott Murdoch had to cut the antlers off the bull elk in order to remove the tire. That occurred Saturday around 8 p.m., roughly one mile south of Pine Junction on private property off of County Road 126.

Wildlife officers aged the bull as a four-and-a-half year-old weighing over 600 pounds and had five points on each of its antler beams.

“It was tight removing it,” Murdoch said of pulling the tire off the bull’s neck, even after cutting its antlers off. “It was not easy for sure, we had to move it just right to get it off because we weren’t able to cut the steel in the bead of the tire. Fortunately, the bull’s neck still had a little room to move. We would have preferred to cut the tire and leave the antlers for his rutting activity, but the situation was dynamic and we had to just get the tire off in any way possible.”

Once the tire was off, wildlife officers Swanson and Murdoch were surprised to see the condition of its neck after having that tire on it for over two years.

“The hair was rubbed off a little bit, there was one small open wound maybe the size of a nickel or quarter, but other than that it looked really good,” Murdoch said of the bull’s neck. “I was actually quite shocked to see how good it looked.”

It was the fourth attempt wildlife officers had made in the last week to try to tranquilize this bull. Saturday evening, officer Swanson was in a neighborhood looking for this elk that was reported in the area earlier in the day. He found it in a group of elk and maneuvered into a location where he thought it was going to cross. Swanson was able to successfully tranquilize the bull. Murdoch arrived to aid in the removal operation before the two set him free, many pounds lighter.

Swanson and Murdoch estimated that the bull elk dropped roughly 35 pounds between the removal of the tire, his antlers and the debris that was inside the tire.

“The tire was full of wet pine needles and dirt,” Murdoch said. “So the pine needles, dirt and other debris basically filled the entire bottom half of the tire. There was probably 10 pounds of debris in the tire.”

This bull elk has spent the past couple of years traveling back and forth between Park and Jefferson Counties. He would disappear for long periods of time, particularly in the winter, and was acting as expected from a wild animal, not wanting to be around human presence. That is much different than some of the resident elk people often see in towns such as Evergreen or Estes Park.

At the end of May and into June 2021, four attempts were made to catch up with this bull in the Pleasant Park area of Conifer. Sightings of him picked back up in September and early October near the town of Pine. Murdoch felt the rut (breeding season) played a helpful role in catching up with the bull.

“In the winter we weren’t getting any reports of him,” Murdoch said. “In the springtime, we would get an occasional report or see him in a little bachelor herd. The rut definitely made him more visible. There was a bigger bull in the group he was with on Saturday, but he is getting to be a decent size bull.”

The first time wildlife officers became aware of this elk with a tire around its neck was in July 2019. While conducting a population survey for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goats in the Mount Evans Wilderness, wildlife officer Jared Lamb saw the bull through a spotting scope. At the time the bull appeared to be a younger one, likely two years old. “Being up in the wilderness, we didn’t really expect to be able to get our hands on the elk just because of the proximity or the distance away from civilization,” Murdoch said. “It is harder to get the further they are back in there and usually the further these elk are away from people, the wilder they act. That certainly played true the last couple of years, this elk was difficult to find, and harder to get close to.”

Since the original sighting by wildlife officer Lamb, a handful of other sightings came in over the following year. A trail camera near Conifer picked up the bull with the tire twice in 2020, first on June 5 and later on July 12. A separate trail camera also captured it on Aug. 12, 2020.

The saga of this bull elk highlights the need for residents to live responsibly with wildlife in mind. That includes keeping your property free of obstacles that wildlife can get tangled in or injured by. Wildlife officers have seen deer, elk, moose, bears and other wildlife become entangled in a number of man-made obstacles that include swing sets, hammocks, clothing lines, decorative or holiday lighting, furniture, tomato cages, chicken feeders, laundry baskets, soccer goals or volleyball nets, and yes, tires.

This elk would have gotten the tire around its antlers either when it was very young, before it had antlers, or during the winter when it shed its antlers. It could have been a big stack of tires that the elk stuck its head in, wildlife officers have also seen it where people feed animals who come in and put their heads in things that they then walk away with.

CPW recommends that if you see wildlife entangled in something or with debris wrapped around it, that you report it immediately to wildlife officials. That can be accomplished by calling CPW’s Denver office at 303-291-7227.


Jeff
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