Lets Have A Talk About Hunting Season
Hunting season is upon us, and many residents of Northern Colorado will be excited about the 2021–2022 season. As many know hunting has different dates for when you can use rifles or archery, and also which animals you can hunt. As of October 1, 2021, the current restrictions are set to plains deer, East of I-25 by archery until the end of the month, and moose by rifle until Oct. 14. For more information on specific dates and restrictions look here.
John Livingston, a public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife answered some questions about this year’s hunting season.
Q: Let’s start with a background on who you are, what you do, what you like about working for CPW, and anything you would like to share about yourself?
A: I grew up in Colorado Springs and always enjoyed hiking, being outside, and observing wildlife. I eventually became an avid fly fisherman and have found myself fascinated by trout and habitat restoration projects around the state, especially as they pertain to cutthroat trout, the native trout to Colorado. I went to the University of Colorado in Boulder (don’t hate me for that) and graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in political science.
After graduating from CU Boulder, John went on to work for The Daily Times Newspaper in New Mexico as the online editor then moved to the sports department editor. Following that he moved to Durango, Colorado to work at The Durango Herald and covered NCAA Division II sports and world-class athletes in skiing, snowboarding, running, and cycling.
“Newspapers are an always shrinking industry, and in my early 30s, I knew I needed to make some kind of career change before I was too old if I was going to be able to continue to call a mountain town like Durango home. I had long admired the work done by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and knew the previous PIO who was set to retire. When he did, I jumped on the opportunity to interview and was fortunate enough to be hired by this great agency where I am surrounded by brilliant people doing fascinating work every day.”
As more and more hunters go out and get their licenses here is what to expect when they go out to the field.
Q: With hunting season already started, what steps does CPW take to ensure the hunters follow regulations?
A: We make sure to put out year-round messaging to our hunters, whether it is about hunter education, any changes in herd management plans and any changes to license allocations, etc. Additionally, we host sportsperson roundtables to meet face to face with members of the hunting and fishing communities. Each region typically does that once or twice a year to make sure any necessary messaging is being shared. Also, our team of District Wildlife Managers are busy in the field this time of year doing hunter contacts. When they come across hunters, they will check their licenses and make sure they are hunting when and where they are supposed to, etc.
Now that many hunters know what to expect about interactions with game officers and other opportunities to stay informed, where are some popular spots to go hunting?
Q: I know Fort Collins is not in your region but is there any places that you would recommend in Northern Colorado to go hunting?
A: Most hunters will head pretty from west of I-25 during the season. In the Northwest region there is some really good hunting in the Routt National Forest near Steamboat Springs and the Upper Yampa Basin. It isn’t northern, but people from that area also often hunt around Gunnison and Crested Butte where there is a greater deer and elk population.
North and east of I-25, there is some limited pronghorn hunting. Of course, waterfowl hunting is popular everywhere in Colorado, too.
For more details on where to hunt here is an interactive map.
Q: Lastly, anything else you would like to add to get people to go out and visit Colorado parks or participate in anything related to the parks and wildlife service?
A: We are all lucky in Colorado to have an abundance of natural resources and an agency like CPW that is committed to the conservation of those resources. We have 42 state parks around the state and growing as well as 350 state wildlife areas covering more than 684,000 acres of land. We can all enjoy those natural resources and play a part in working together to conserve those for future generations.
