Colorado game and Fishing hunting

I was hunting with my dad on public land in the Flat Tops Wilderness. We backpacked in and hunted hard every day. We saw several elk that were running or were too far away, called in a young bull moose and even saw a big bull moose grunting at a cow only about 20 yards from us. On the third day we got up before 4 a.m. and hiked to a high-elevation meadow where we saw a few elk feeding. I crawled on my stomach through rocks and brambles, up to a small rise where I made a 170-yard shot on a feeding cow elk with my 7mm-08. It ran 20 yards before falling perfectly on flat ground with her head resting on a rock.

Conservation is at the heart of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s mission. And no other scientific principle is more responsible for creating Colorado’s enormous abundance of fish, wildlife and its world-class outdoor recreation. Yet, despite its importance to our state, conservation—in the context of wildlife management—is a concept that’s often overlooked and misunderstood.

Whether you’re a hunter, angler or just someone who enjoys Colorado’s wildlife and wild places, here are six things you should know about wildlife conservation:
1. What is Wildlife Conservation?

Although conservation is a term that’s commonly used when discussing resources like water and energy, it can be challenging for many people to understand how conservation applies to wildlife. Simply stated, conservation is defined as the “wise use” and active management of wildlife, where biologists manage wild animals, fish and their habitats in order to achieve specific and measurable outcomes. This includes regulating overabundant or depleted wildlife populations, protecting threatened and endangered species, reintroducing native animals and raising/stocking fish. In addition, a critical component of conservation is recognizing that wildlife is held in the public trust (wildlife is a public resource). Therefore, fish and wildlife must be managed for the benefit of all citizens, providing people with the opportunity to enjoy and experience the natural environment through fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and a variety of other outdoor pursuits. Read more