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Despite CWD, state is in the hunt
Number of those interested in deer, elk licenses is up
By Gary Gerhardt, Rocky Mountain News
July 30, 2002
The number of elk and deer hunters applying to be part of the drawing for a license is up nearly 25,000 compared with last year, despite fears that chronic wasting disease would scare them away from Colorado.
Last year, there were 174,000 applicants to participate in the drawings; this year, there's 198,000, according to state Division of Wildlife statistics.
"Last year, hunting season came right after September 11, and that may have had a lot to do with people canceling their plans," said John Smeltzer, division supervisor.
"This year, there is drought, flooding, CWD and a sour economy, yet things are up so far."
The health of the hunting season was a major concern for the 10-member Governor's Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force that met Monday.
The Colorado Elk Breeders Association told the task force that about half their members have dropped out of the industry because of CWD and that more will leave if state agencies adopt a proposed plan to deal with the crisis.
"The number of breeders has dropped from about 160 to less than 100 today," said Lloyd Riddle, an Colorado Elk Breeders Association board member from Larkspur.
Riddle and other elk breeders opposed a plan that would require ranchers to construct two 8-foot-high, woven-wire fences around their elk herds - at costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per ranch in some cases.
Much of the discussion Monday turned toward a federal budget proposal that would pump $32 million into CWD research during the next two years.
Mike King, the wildlife division's CWD liaison, said about half the money would go to the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to administer the federal CWD control program, and the rest would be split among states where the fatal brain disease has been found.
Without knowing how much Colorado's share of the federal dollars would be, it is impossible to set up specific programs.
But state Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament said it was important to establish a list of proposed programs.
Items for discussion about using the federal money included:
• Should it be spent to help game ranchers or hunters?
• What can be used for public relations?
• Should the money be used in the state's program to cull wild deer and elk?
• Should the money be spent on incentives for landowners to allow possibly infected animals to be shot on private property?
• How much should go toward research for tests that wouldn't require killing the animals, rapid brain tests and the possibilities of CWD jumping to humans?
Number of those interested in deer, elk licenses is up
By Gary Gerhardt, Rocky Mountain News
July 30, 2002
The number of elk and deer hunters applying to be part of the drawing for a license is up nearly 25,000 compared with last year, despite fears that chronic wasting disease would scare them away from Colorado.
Last year, there were 174,000 applicants to participate in the drawings; this year, there's 198,000, according to state Division of Wildlife statistics.
"Last year, hunting season came right after September 11, and that may have had a lot to do with people canceling their plans," said John Smeltzer, division supervisor.
"This year, there is drought, flooding, CWD and a sour economy, yet things are up so far."
The health of the hunting season was a major concern for the 10-member Governor's Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force that met Monday.
The Colorado Elk Breeders Association told the task force that about half their members have dropped out of the industry because of CWD and that more will leave if state agencies adopt a proposed plan to deal with the crisis.
"The number of breeders has dropped from about 160 to less than 100 today," said Lloyd Riddle, an Colorado Elk Breeders Association board member from Larkspur.
Riddle and other elk breeders opposed a plan that would require ranchers to construct two 8-foot-high, woven-wire fences around their elk herds - at costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per ranch in some cases.
Much of the discussion Monday turned toward a federal budget proposal that would pump $32 million into CWD research during the next two years.
Mike King, the wildlife division's CWD liaison, said about half the money would go to the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to administer the federal CWD control program, and the rest would be split among states where the fatal brain disease has been found.
Without knowing how much Colorado's share of the federal dollars would be, it is impossible to set up specific programs.
But state Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament said it was important to establish a list of proposed programs.
Items for discussion about using the federal money included:
• Should it be spent to help game ranchers or hunters?
• What can be used for public relations?
• Should the money be used in the state's program to cull wild deer and elk?
• Should the money be spent on incentives for landowners to allow possibly infected animals to be shot on private property?
• How much should go toward research for tests that wouldn't require killing the animals, rapid brain tests and the possibilities of CWD jumping to humans?
