Reasons to Hunt in Colorado

There are many awesome reasons to hunt in Colorado! Hunting has been part of Colorado’s outdoor lifestyle for many centuries, and it plays a critical role in wildlife management and benefits our state in many ways. Whether you’ve been hunting for many years or a beginner that needs a Colorado Hunting Guide, hunting in Colorado is desired by many, not just Coloradans, and by continuing the tradition of hunting in Colorado, it will ensure that Colorado hunting opportunities remain for future generations.

Colorado is home to a large and diverse wildlife population, and as contradictory as it may sound, it’s all because of hunting in Colorado. Did you know when you buy a Colorado hunting license or a Colorado fishing license you are supporting Colorado’s wildlife management efforts? Colorado Parks and Wildlife does not receive general tax dollars to fund it’s wildlife programs, and therefore these projects are paid for mostly by sportsmen. When you buy a Colorado hunting license you help support wildlife management efforts for all of Colorado’s wildlife, including threatened and endangered species programs, wildlife reintroductions, and habitat conservation. In the early 1900s, only 40,000 elk remained in all of North America! Luckily, the conservation programs, funded by sportsmen, Colorado’s Elk population has exploded to more than 264,000 animals. This is one of the things that has made Elk hunting in Colorado possible. As a Colorado Hunting Guide, we notice these efforts and if you enjoy hunting in Colorado, you should be aware of how important these wildlife conservation programs are. Elk is not the only species who have benefited from these programs, and Colorado is lucky to be benefiting from them. If you’re ready to try hunting in Colorado, we would love to be your Colorado Hunting Guide.

This is a good thing! Recreational Hunting in Colorado is the primary method for managing Colorado’s big game population. It is actually stated in Colorado law: “The state shall utilize hunting, trapping and fishing as the primary methods of effecting necessary wildlife harvests.” Hunting in Colorado helps manage elk, deer, and moose populations. Recreational hunting in Colorado can be done on your own, or with a Colorado Hunting Guide, and when you hunt in Colorado you help ensure herds don’t outgrow the capacity of the habitat. Without hunting in Colorado our animals would become overpopulated and more vulnerable to starvation, chronic wasting disease, and other health threats. Elk hunting in Colorado and deer hunting in Colorado helps protect ecosystems and other wildlife. An overabundance of elk and deer herds can degrade habitats, and cause damage to both ecosystems and other wildlife. Hunting in Colorado helps keep wildlife populations controlled without placing additional burdens on taxpayers to fund expensive methods of fertility control.

Hunting provides an alternative to buying meat at the grocery store where the livestock was raised in commercial feedlots. Hunting in Colorado lets people provide truly free-range and organic meat for their families. The health benefits of game meat are also undeniable. Often times hunting can be misjudged solely as a quest for a trophy. Contrary to what you may think or may have seen on TV, Colorado does not allow trophy or sport hunting. Hunting in Colorado is strictly recreational and under law, every game species that is harvested by a hunter must also be processed and consumed. If this law is not obeyed there are stiff penalties and fines. So whether an elk or a deer is being harvested, all edible portions of the animal are to be eaten or you can donate to a local food bank of choice. Although pursuing an elk or deer with large antlers, whether on your own or with a Colorado Hunting Guide, may be part of what motivates some hunters, it is an insignificant part of a much broader and meaningful experience when you hunt in Colorado.

Now you know, when you hunt in Colorado you are doing more than just filling your tag, you are contributing in various ways. If you’re ready to enjoy elk or deer hunting in Colorado, we are ready to be your Colorado Hunting Guide in beautiful Southwest Colorado. Book your Colorado hunting trip today.