2009 Guide to Gunnison Country Hunting

2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY

HUNTING '09 Big Game Prospectus The animals are here.

The question is, can you get to them?

The Good Life

'Outdoor Life' calls Gunnison one of the best in the West

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2009 Elk & Deer Season Information License Fees*

Deer Buck/Doe

Resident Adult

$31

Resident Youth

$10.75

Non-Resident Adult

$326

Non-Resident Youth

$100.75

License Fees*

Elk Bull/Either-sex

Resident Adult

$46

Resident Youth

$10.75

Non-Resident Adult

$546

Non-Resident Youth

$100.75

License Fees*

Elk Cow

Resident Adult

$46

Resident Youth

$10.75

Non-Resident Adult

$251

Non-Resident Youth

$100.75

Season Dates

Deer/Elk

Archery

Aug. 29 - Sept. 27

Muzzle

Sept. 12 - 20

1st Rifle

Oct. 10 - 14**

2nd Rifle

Oct. 17 - 25

3rd Rifle

Oct. 31 - Nov. 7

4th Rifle

Nov. 11 - 15

*Over the counter prices. Does not include $3 appllication fee or $5 habitat stamp if applicable. **1st rifle season is Elk only. For more information, visit the Colorado Division of Wildlife at http://wildlife.state.co.us

2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

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EDITORIAL INDEX

2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY

HUNTING

The bow hunting boom ..................................................................page 8 Crested Butte

133

135

'09 Big Game Prospectus The animals are here.

The question is, can you get to them?

55

54

92

ose Montrose

50

Gunnison

50 Cimarron marron

551 67 66

Prospectus: What's the scoop on the basin's big game herds? ................................................................ page 12

The Good Life

'Outdoor Life' calls Gunnison one of the best in the West

Local gear company has plenty to be proud of ................................................................ page 15

About the cover

Scenes from the field ................................................................ page 18

Corey Whinnery, 14 at the time, took this nice muzzleloader bull just inside unit 76 last fall. Corey's dad, Steve, owns Whinnery Ranch Outfitters near Powderhorn. The bull scored near 320 — not bad for a first muzzleloader bull kill.

Proposal afoot to make all local elk licenses limited ...............................................................page 25

.

GCP Gunnison Country Publications, LLC

Publisher Stephen J. Pierotti Managing Editor Chris Dickey Editorial Will Shoemaker Matt Smith Contributors Doug Dillingham Advertising Drew Nelson Production Benjamin Dennee Layout/Ad Design Jennie Wren

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ADVERTISERS INDEX

Air Options.............................................10

Gunnison Shipping................................14

Alamo Saloon ........................................25

Gunnison Vitamin & Health Food Store .................................10

Benson Sotheby's - Karen Redden ......11 Century 21 - Action Realty ...................24 Colorado Adventure Rental .................14 Dan's Fly Shop .......................................27 Dennis Steckel Realtors ........................20

Online

4

www.gunnisontimes.com

H&H Towing ...........................................23 Island Acres Resort ................................11 Kelly Haun..............................................26 Ol' Miner ..................................................3 Powerstop ..............................................13

Fuller Western Real Estate ...................22

Premier Mountain Properties.................9

For more information regarding this publication or other special publications of Gunnison Country Publications, call 970.641.1414, or write ads@gunnisontimes.com

Garlic Mike's ..........................................26

Prois Hunting Apparel ............................2

Gene Taylor's Sporting Goods .............28

Rodeway Inn ..........................................17

GL Computer Service ............................13

Shed City USA ..........................................7

Greatland Log Homes .............................7

Tee'z Me .................................................23

Copyright© 2009 No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers. No part may be transmitted in any form by any means including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without permission of the publisher. Any work (written, photographic or graphic) which the publishers “hired-out” becomes the property of the publisher. Publisher accepts no liability for solicited or unsolicited materials lost, damaged or otherwise.

Gunnison Brewery ................................14

The Book Worm.....................................12

Gunnison Country Collision .................17

The Last Chance Saloon ........................15

Gunnison Country Guide Service/ West Elk Outfitters................................25

Thompson Creek ...................................12

Gunnison Country Times ......................24

Traders Rendezvous ................................5

Gunnison Outdoors ..............................15

Turquoise Junction ................................27

Timber Sleds ..........................................17

2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

Set your sights before heading to the hills The Gunnison Sportsmen’s Association provides hunters with the opportunity to sight-in their rifles before they head to the hills.

Sight-in days at the GSA’s range just west of town are the following: 1st season — Oct. 7, 8, 9 2nd season — Oct. 14, 15, 16 3rd season — Oct. 28, 29, 30 The gun range is located two miles west of Gunnison on County Road 18. Targets, ear protection and spotting scopes are provided; hunters need only bring their guns and ammunition. The cost to sight-in is $5 per gun – except on the Wednesdays of each sight-in season (Oct. 7, 14, 28), when it’s free.

Hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Contact Steve Bathje at 641.1851 for more information, or visit www.gunnisonsportsmens.com. ■

Hike it in, pack it out Hunting is hard work, as Andy Cochran — who is seen here packing out this beauty from deep in the San Juan Mountains a couple of seasons ago — can attest. But it’s not supposed to be easy, is it? Studies prove that the more time you spend on foot, and away from motorized transportation, the better your odds of bagging a big game animal.

See story on page 6.

Photo courtesy Andy Cochran

HUNTING LICENSES

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Hunters are five times more likely to be successul on foot than they are trying to reach their game by ATV. Photo courtesy of the DOW

Get ‘a head’ this hunting season Walk, don’t ride Did you know that you’re five times more likely to bag an elk hunting on foot than you are on an ATV? A half dozen recent studies show that elk avoid vehicle activity associated with a road or ATV trail. If you’ve been hunting from an ATV or other vehicle and been left wondering where all the game is, now you know why. The noise and smell of vehicles alerts game animals from a long way off, so your chance of seeing game from an ATV or other vehicle is pretty small.

There are other good reasons to access game habitat on foot. First, the same ATV noise and smell that’s limiting your ability to find game is chasing game away from other hunters in your path — which 6

can cause tension between you and other hunters, especially those on foot.

You need all your senses to be a good hunter. When you walk, your eyes can pick up a fleeting glimpse of an antler through the trees; your ears can hear the snap of a twig from moving game; you can see and evaluate fresh sign; you can even smell nearby game. You can’t do any of that in a vehicle.

If ATV users go off an existing road, the disturbance they cause can last far longer than just the day they are there. Creating new, unauthorized roads reduces habitat for the very animals you are pursuing and creates new places that elk and other game avoid. In fact, elk avoid areas adjacent to roads for up to two miles,

depending on how much use the road gets. In addition, a newly created road or trail can subject game to year-round disturbance. When vehicle use during hunting season reaches a certain point, the elk will abandon the area completely and head for inaccessible areas, according to officials with the Bureau of Land Management.

“We want hunters to be successful out there,” said Arden Anderson, recreation and wilderness specialist for the BLM Gunnison Field Office. “It helps us and the Colorado Division of Wildlife cut the big game herd down to manageable levels that are sustainable within the habitat. It also keeps from pushing animals onto private lands and causing problems. De2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

Rules of the road • Know the vehicle regulations for the area you are hunting in and follow them • Stay on existing or designated roads, and don’t take vehicles on single-track trails • Use your vehicle to get within a half mile of your hunting area, and then get off your vehicle to hunt • ATVs are very useful for transporting your game once you get it to an open road or motorized trail. In the Gunnison Basin, it is not permitted to take your ATV cross-country, so get as close as you can on a designated road and drag or carry your animal to your vehicle • Make sure your vehicle is tuned and muffled to reduce noise • When riding an ATV, your firearm must be completely unloaded and in a hard case • Be sure you are on land where it is legal to hunt. In general, all federal lands managed by BLM and the U.S. Forest Service and the Curecanti National Recreation Area are open to hunting. Check out the Colorado Division of Wildlife regulations at http://wildlife.state.co.us/hunting/.

creasing the use of vehicles can help harvest more game, keep the game habitat in good shape and provide a better experience for hunters all at the same time.”

The bottom line for hunters is that the proliferation of roads and the persistent use of vehicles during hunting season is cutting down your chances of getting an elk this year, and degrading habitat which could impact your chances next year as well.

In some areas, regulations have been established that limit ATV use to certain times of day and then only to retrieve harvested game. Some groups — including hunting groups — are asking for a total ban on ATV use during hunting season. In order to avoid further regulation, and enhance your hunt, there are tips for reducing the impact of ATVs and vehicle use during hunting season (see inset).

Following these guidelines can go a long way toward avoiding further regulation, and ensuring that this year, your hunting season is a successful one. ■ 2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

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7

The bowhunting boom

by Doug Dillingham

The winds of change are blowing across Colorado’s hunting landscape. Many of you may be participating in this change and not even realize it.

I’m talking about the fact that despite overall hunter numbers dwindling in Colorado over the last several years, the number of men and women heading afield with a hunting bow has been steadily climbing for the last decade-and-a-half.

Bowhunting is booming in Colorado.

According to the Colorado Bowhunter Association (CBA), bowhunter numbers in the Centennial State have increased from 23,000 to 44,000 from 1993-2007.

Surveys indicate that these additional bowhunters are made up not only of new hunters, but also former firearm hunters who switched to a bow.

Why are so many hunters intentionally handicapping themselves, forsaking firearms in favor of a much more limiting weapon? The answer to that question has as many answers as there are bowhunters, but what follows are some very commonly heard reasons.

First, Colorado archery seasons are generous. Elk, deer and antelope seasons are nearly a month long. On the Eastern Plains, the archery season for deer lasts even longer. A hunter wielding a “stick and string” can hunt much longer than the five-to-nine days that most firearm seasons allow. Bowhunters have the luxury to savor a hunt and enjoy many more days afield than most other hunters.

Along those same lines, the archery season for elk and deer in the mountains of Colorado, including in the Gunnison Country, occurs during late August and throughout much of September — which is easily the most pleasant and beautiful time to be enjoying God’s vast creation.

The hills and forests ring with a symphony of bugles. Aspens blaze in a hodgepodge of fiery hues. And the temperatures 8

Hunting doesn’t get any more exciting than bugling for bull elk during archery season.

Courtesy photo 2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

continued page 10 2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

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Craftsman style home built with great care and love. This 3 bedroom, 2.5 baths has ample storage, large, warm attached 2 car garage is the perfect family home. Private cul-de-sac location is just a short walk to fishing on the Gunnison River and minutes from downtown.

Hideaway on the River

Fish, recreate and relax on the Gunnison River in this park like setting with mature landscaping! Both parcels located on County Road 11. #129; 1 bed/1 bath cabin, .49 acre .....$249,500 #127; 2 bed/1 bath cabin, .51 acre........$317,000 #125; .51 acre........$197,500—SOLD!!!!

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Charming 3 bedrooms, log cabin with garage at 114 East River Lane. No HOA covenants or fees on .79 acres gives options for expansion. Fishing on Gunnison & Taylor Rivers! Deeded warm spring in the back yard! Bring the horses.

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This 3,616 sq. ft. post and beam home features an open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, multiple living spaces with protected 360° mountain views. Oversized 2 bay attached garage with a caretaker apartment.

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are unbeatable this time of year — as the mornings are cool, not too cold, with pleasantly mild afternoons. Most firearm seasons occur too late for hunters to partake in these wonders and comfortable hunting conditions.

Another attractive aspect of bowhunting is that archery tags are generally much easier to obtain than muzzleloader and rifle tags. For instance, are you a resident who wants to hunt muley bucks in unit 55 with a rifle during the third season? In 2008, you’d have needed at least five preference points. This same bowhunt would have only cost you two! What about a unit 67 rifle antelope hunt? In 2008, you would have needed 11 points, but only four points with a bow. That’s a big difference.

Also, even with the increasing number of archers in the woods, the bow season is relatively uncrowded when compared to most other hunting seasons. Many places in Colorado, the unlimited rifle seasons — and, to a lesser extent, the muzzleloader season — have the look and feel of a military occupation. Many hunters grow frustrated as they arrive at their favorite hunting spot only to find themselves awash in a sea of orange and camouflage.

Because of the quiet and unobtrusive nature of bowhunting, archery season still has a “wilderness� feel to it. Often, you will not see another hunter, and for many hunters, that very solitude is what hunting is all about.

Furthermore, another compelling reason that hunters are choosing archery tackle in increasing numbers is the extreme challenge that bowhunting presents. Firearm hunting certainly has its own difficulties, but bowhunting takes these challenges to the highest level.

Even the most advanced compound bow is a very short range weapon. Many bowhunters who shoot recurves or longbows limit their effective range even more. This necessitates that a bowhunter get within a mere spitting distance of their quarry before loosing an arrow. Having a heavyantlered buck or bull that close can turn even the most veteran hunter’s mind to mush and legs to quivering jelly.

Paul Navarre, a CBA member and one of only a few bowhunters to take all eight of Colorado’s big game species with a bow, puts it this way: “It is all about the challenge of getting within bowhunting range and the comfort zone of an animal that is wild full-time, while most of us are only part-time hunters.�

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It is exactly this up-close and personal, intimate interaction between hunter and prey that accounts for the biggest reason bowhunter numbers are climbing. Put simply, bowhunting is as exciting and thrilling as hunting can be.

Just being within bow range of a bull elk, near enough to hear him breathe, or so close to a monster muley that you can see the flies pestering him in his afternoon bed, produces an unequaled adrenaline rush and a memory that lasts a lifetime. And for some fortunate bowhunters, watching an arrow arc towards an animal’s boiler room and hearing the tell-tale thud of a broadhead striking bone and hide is simply heart-stopping.

It is a rare hunter indeed, who picks up a hunting bow and doesn’t become captivated for the rest of his or her life with the

intimacy and excitement that bowhunting offers. No other form of hunting demands so much from a hunter, yet is so gratifying when success is finally realized.

Almost a decade ago, I knelt down beside my first bowkill, a beautiful velvetantlered mule deer buck. My feelings at that moment do not easily lend themselves to words, but it was without question the most proud and fulfilling moment that I have ever known as a hunter.

If you are looking for a change, and want to experience the increased season duration, ease of obtaining hunting tags, less crowded venue, unparalleled challenge, intimacy, and knee-knocking thrills that archery hunting so readily provides, do what so many other folks are doing and join the bowhunting boom. You’ll never be the same hunter again. ■ 2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

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Exceptionally beautiful custom log home in a completely private valley. On a 160 acre inholding surrounded by the Gunnison National Forest this 2,752 sq ft custom log home is comfortable in design and top quality construction throughout. Tile floors; in floor heat; granite counters; two-sided stone wood burning fireplace; great room with vaulted ceiling and huge windows; plus each of 3 bedrooms offer a private bath. This home is designed for living and entertaining friends on your private ranch. Sub-irrigated valley floor produces nice grass for horses - ride out the door for hours or days. Deer, elk, eagles, this has it all. Seasonal access on paper, but private plowing completed for year round access. $1,800,000.00

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Huge views of the north Gunnison / Ohio Creek Valley floor. Year round access on 52 acres adjacent to public land. Bring you horse, ATV or hike out the back door for miles. Very nice 3 bedroom home, built in 2005, stainless steal appliances, silestone counters, and wood floors. Did I mention huge views! Seller has relocated – must sell and price reduced to $449,000.00

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2009 BIG GAME PROSPECTUS

Deer on the rebound, elk as bountiful as ever

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CRESTED BUTTE OFFICE 120 Elk Avenue, Suite #3 Crested Butte, CO USA 81224 Tel: (970) 349-7525

The current situation between deer and elk in the Gunnison Basin is black and white. Completely opposite, in other words.

Wildlife managers are attempting to manage deer in the basin for recovery after one of the worst winters in recorded history (2007-08). The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW), on the other hand, is still trying to get a handle on the burgeoning local elk population — especially in the northern game management units of the basin, where elk numbers are well above population objectives.

Deer In the last decade, the Gunnison Basin has become a hot spot for mule deer hunting, offering up some great trophy muleys. But Gunnison Basin deer are still recovering from the harsh winter of ’07-08 — and will be for years to come.

Originally, it was estimated that 30 percent of deer in the basin died as a result of the harsh winter. Wildlife managers revised that estimate this spring. Now, they’re putting that figure closer to 40 percent.

2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

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More than a quarter of the total deer tags available last year in the Gunnison Basin were not made available this year.

And last year, licenses were slashed by well more than half as a result of the harsh winter. Those who were lucky enough to draw a tag last year noticed that mature bucks were few and far between. They were among the first to succumb to the elements, noticeably reducing the buckto-doe ratio.

That said, there should be good numbers of 3- to 5-year-old bucks to chase, for the folks who drew tags this year.

Still, recovery to the quality of animals seen prior to the ’07-08 winter will likely take several years.

“Hunters should come in with some realistic expectations,” said Brandon Diamond, terrestrial biologist with the DOW in Gunnison. “This is a herd that’s recovering.”

Elk Elk — which tend to be heartier animals — were generally not affected by the winter of ’07-08 to the degree that deer were. Then, statewide success rates

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66, 67

255

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Cows

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Above are licenses distributed this year through the state’s annual lottery process.

While licenses for elk are fully limited in game management units 66 and 67, bull or either sex licenses for this year are still available over-the-counter in units 54, 55 and 551.

for elk harvest last year were lower than recent years.

“It was one of those tough years where we had a lot of feed throughout deer and elk range,” explained Diamond. “And because we had such hot, dry weather, there wasn’t any snow pushing them down to the lower elevations.”

All in all, that means more elk will be available to hunt this year. The abundance of elk in the north — especially game management unit 54 (West Elk Mountains) — are still considered a problem by many. The DOW has increased the number of elk tags this year in the northern units (54, 55 and 551) in an attempt to address that issue.

In the southern units of 66 and 67 (draw-only units), the population is much closer to set objectives. As a result, the DOW scaled back tags in the south this year. But for public-lands, do-ityourself hunters who didn’t draw a tag this year, look north for a good chance of getting into a whole lot of elk.

“There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity right now in the northern units, and there’s potentially more to come — especially in unit 54,” said Diamond. ■ 2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

Gunnison company goes worldwide ‘Pride’ is right, and this w woman oman has reason to show w itit

by Will Shoemaker

Prois. The name is fitting in more ways than o one. ne.. Tr ne T Transran ansan s lated, it means “pride” in Gaelic. men me n are arre in n There’s pride from the fact that more women o llonger onge on nggeeerr the field than ever before. Pride that they no esir es ired ir ed ed. d. have to don men’s duds that leave much to be desired. to be b And Prois founder Kirstie Pike has a whole lot to continued pagee 16 6 Kirstie Pike in her Prois office in downtown Gunnison. s n so n..

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proud of herself, considering the growth the company has seen in the last year.

Pike started the company with her husband Steve, officially launching the product line in February 2008. Around that time, the former nurse and ER director quit her job to manage Prois. The Gunnison Valley native has taken the company worldwide in the last year, with a store in Australia now selling the clothing and hopes to introduce Prois across the Atlantic through another store in Norway. Pike has opened a new office in Gunnison, after starting the company out of the family’s ranch home west of town.

Prois now scatters the gear through specialty stores and large distributors alike — such as Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and Sheels stores. (The gear can be purchased locally at Gene Taylor’s Sporting Goods.)

But the rewards haven’t been without work. Pike and family have hit numerous media, dealer and consumer events in the last year, stopping off for more shows than a touring circus, all while expanding the company’s reach.

Now, all of the company’s on-line sales through their Web site, www.proishunting.com, are shipped out of the local office. Shipping to the distributors, however, takes place through the company 16

Prois products have to have “a purpose and a function.” And, there’s no pink, no underwear or lingerie.

Photos by Will Shoemaker

that manufactures the clothing, C&A Apparel in California. Pike admits it’s been a challenge keeping manufacturing in the states.

“It is more expensive, on some levels, although I think that’s flipping now,” she explains. “The wages in China are going up, so it’s not as inexpensive. The minimums are huge, which just pile under a small company like us. Cost of shipping’s gone up probably 15 percent since we started. Really you’re not saving a lot anymore.”

She also recognizes that a company’s reputation can change entirely when production is moved overseas. “I think

now you gotta stick to it more than ever, with the job market being what it is,” she says.

There’s another sort of reputation, however, with being able to locate a company like Prois in a world-renowned outdoor epicenter like Gunnison. It’s given the company some legitimacy.

“Rather than saying we’re from downtown New York, we actually are from the West Elk Wilderness,” Pike offers. “My goal is to get the idea of Gunnison in front of more people. Through the business we’ve done we have a number of associates and media coming and doing some hunts locally that might be able to help us get a little more in the limelight.”

Pike expects to more than double sales from the company’s first year.

Prois specializes in high quality clothing that’s form-fitting and full of features that most men hunters will envy. For example, the company’s long-sleeve garments have thumb-holes, the products use magnetic closures and a few include drop pockets for hand warmers. The clothing is also silent, a plus for all hunters.

Prois’ “Pro-edition” line still tends to be the company’s best sellers, followed closely by the new “Eliminator” line of rain gear. An “Extreme” line of heavy insulat2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

ed garments with a waterproof/breathable shell will be sold next year. The company is in the process of producing a “range,� or shooters’, line, as well as possibly a few more lines that Pike would only say are a “surprise.� “Our whole marketing side is that it’s gotta be intense and extreme and have a purpose and function,� Pike declares. “But not everybody wants camo — rightfully so.�

Through trade shows and other networking, so far, Prois’ products have been an overwhelming success. “A lot of women are really grateful and happy that there’s nothing pink in the line,� Pike laughs. “It’s not pink camo, it’s not gonna be. There’s no underwear or lingerie in there.�

The best part so far? That’s easy. “Everybody wants to hunt with you,� says Pike. “It doesn’t pay your bills but it’s a little perk of the game.�

At the time this article was written, Pike had just gotten back from a British Columbia bear hunt — having bagged a 600-pound bruin — and was readying to jump ship for a Louisiana ’gator hunt.

This fall, she says she’ll “definitely be hunting locally, but we’ll see what else opens up.â€? â–

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2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

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641-2235 2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

Gunnison dubbed one of 'Best Towns for Sportsmen' Even though criteria favored larger cities

by Matt Smith

The rankings are arguable, to say the least, although Gunnison was included among the top 200 “Best Towns for Sportsmen” in the June/July 2009 edition of Outdoor Life magazine.

Rankings were based on a list of more than 20 criteria which included “outdoor” and “quality of life” factors. Factors were weighted — giving more emphasis to “outdoor” aspects — and then compiled to come up with overall rankings.

Taking the top pick by the magazine’s calculations was Lewiston, Idaho, located on the Washington state border. Gunnison checked in at 129th, as the 11th town listed from the state of Colorado.

More than 250 towns were taken into consideration for the rankings, including the top 200 from the Outdoor Life’s 2008 rankings. The best ranking for a Colorado town was Carbondale, which was picked 11th.

Colorado Springs (19th), Fort Collins (28th), Montrose (46th) and Grand Junction (78th) are included in the towns listed higher than Gunnison. The town of Dur-

ango came in 90th.

These cities have better access to the outdoors and hunting opportunities than Gunnison? Hardly.

“Outdoorsmen want world-class hunting and fishing, but like everyone else, they also want to have a high quality of life,” said Todd Smith, editor of Outdoor Life. “The towns on this list offer the best of the outdoors as well as decent homes and schools and good-paying jobs. They are truly dream towns for sportsmen.”

The biggest hit that Gunnison took in the rankings were among “quality of life” factors. A projected median household income of $28,760 and unemployment rate of 9.2 percent could have been reasons for the snub.

While local gun laws ranked high, a nine on a scale of one to 10, both “fishable species” and “trophy potential” scores only registered sixes on a similar scale.

For more information about Outdoor Life’s top 200 “Best Towns for Sportsmen,” see the full details at www.outdoorlife.com. ■

Outdoor Life’s Gunnison Rankings (scale of one to 10) Population — 5,406 Growth Since 2000 — -1.2 Median Household Income (2007) — $28,760 Median Home Value (2007) — $192,889 Cost of Living Index (2008) — 95.5 Unemployment Rate (2007) — 9.2 Mean Commute Time — 14.1 minutes Amenities — 5 Gun Laws — 9 Fishable Species — 6 Huntable Species — 8 Proximity to Public Access — 8 Trophy Potential — 6

2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

21

Lake trout targeted for removal Too many big fish eating too many kokanee in Blue Mesa

by Will Shoemaker

Just as the Gunnison Basin is known for its monster mule deer and abundant elk population, Blue Mesa Reservoir is well known for its large lake trout â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including the current 50-pound state record. But theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come at a cost to other fish in the reservoir; namely, kokanee salmon.

The number of lake trout (also called mackinaw) in Blue Mesa are threatening the reservoirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population of kokanee.

As a result, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) is stepping in with a plan to help reduce the number of continued page 23

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Concern over kokanee salmon, seen here, is the primary reason for the lake trout netting operation.

Photo courtesy of the DOW

mackinaw there.

This fall, the DOW expects to begin a process of catching small-to-intermediatesized lake trout via â&#x20AC;&#x153;selective netting.â&#x20AC;? They hope to net approximately 5,000 fish. New angling tournaments could be used to reduce the population as well.

Gunnison-based DOW aquatic biologist Dan Brauch indicated that the DOW expects the captured fish to be given away to the public.

The process will not target trophy-size lake trout. In fact, any lunkers netted in the process will be released. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to do everything we can to restore our kokanee numbers,â&#x20AC;? Brauch explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The work weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done to this point hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t included a removal component. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re concerned that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to see the collapse of the kokanee fishery if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do something additional.â&#x20AC;?

The DOW has seen an 80 percent decline in both kokanee and rainbow trout caught by fishermen since 1993, according to data from the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s angler surveys.

Also, Brauch said that the DOW saw a noticeable reduction this past spring in lake trout condition â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or general â&#x20AC;&#x153;fatnessâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; among all sizes of the fish, further indicating that the predator-prey relationship is out of balance.

The DOW is still encouraging anglers to do their part by harvesting the lake trout they catch. The agency will be looking at fishing regulations at Blue Mesa next year to see how they might craft rules more conducive to harvesting more lake trout, Brauch said.

This year, the DOW increased the number of kokanee introduced into the reservoir from 2.9 million to 3.3 million, by bringing fish from other waters to Blue Mesa on top of the annual release of 2-inch salmon from Roaring Judy Hatchery.

Kokanee are a prime source of food for

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Each year, wildlife officials rely on the spawn of salmon to keep Blue Mesa, and several other reservoirs, stocked with the popular (and tasty) fish.

Photo courtesy of the DOW

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mid-to-large-sized lake trout. Other fish that the DOW manage in Blue Mesa include brown and rainbow trout.

However, neither rainbow trout nor kokanee self-reproduce in the reservoir at a significant enough level to sustain their populations.

And while lake trout began reproducing in the reservoir in the early ’90s, the DOW currently only has the ability to manage the species through setting fishing regulations.

As a result, kokanee, as well as rainbow trout (also a food source for lake trout), are at their lowest levels in Blue Mesa Reservoir since 1992, while lake trout are at their highest.

DOW experts say a 40-pound lake trout eats 50 pounds of fish annually.

While the lake trout bag and possession limit is fairly liberal, the DOW has found that as many as half of the lake trout being caught are released. Due to a special regulation, licensed fishermen are allowed to catch and keep eight lake trout in a day (four more than trout statewide) from Blue Mesa, with an allowable total possession of eight fish.

Still, lake trout only comprise about 5 percent of the total catch at the reservoir.

The local kokanee population provides eggs for other fisheries throughout the state. It’s estimated that kokanee fisheries provide $29 million annually to the state’s economy — and more than $5 million for Gunnison County alone, primarily through “destination” anglers, many of whom come from out of state.

The DOW expects to continue monitoring the population. It’s possible the netting efforts may have to continue on an annual basis, until that “prey-predator balance” is restored. ■

(Will Shoemaker can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or will@gunnisontimes.com) 2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

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THE GUNNISON COUNTRY GUIDE SERVICE In a nutshell, this is one of the reasons why ranchers want the local elk population reduced to herd objective.

Photo by Dan Cress

Draw-only elk hunting in Wildlife Commission’s sights Too many elk? Sounds great, right?

Well, for a variety of reasons, it’s not. A proposal to convert the entire Gunnison Basin to draw-only elk hunting was born early this year. A similar concept was turned down by the Colorado Wildlife Commission — the group that sets hunting policy statewide — five years ago.

But this year, the Gunnison County Stockgrowers Association — a group of local ranchers — proposed limited continued page 26 2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

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licensing in the northern units of the Gunnison Basin (GMUs 54, 55 and 551) in an attempt address an over-objective elk population — about double the target population in unit 54.

The basin’s southern units of 66 and 67 became limited for elk hunting in 2000. Those who support limitation point to what’s happened with herds down south since they became drawonly. For one, the elk are now quite close to population objective, but an added bonus is that bulls have tended to grow bigger. The bull-to-cow ratio is also higher.

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For out-of-state and in-state hunters alike, it would mean that planning the fall’s hunt would have to begin back in spring, like it does currently for deer.

Hunters would have to enter the state’s lottery system to try to draw a bull tag.

’

On the other side of the issue, sportsmen dread a decrease of opportunity, from fewer licenses being sold and the prior planning necessary to actually draw a tag. Local businesses have also lamented the loss of revenue that could be a result of limiting tags.

For out-of-state and in-state hunters alike, it would mean that planning the fall’s hunt would have to begin back in spring, like it does currently for deer.

Hunters would have to enter the state’s lottery system to try to draw a bull tag.

The Wildlife Commission was expected to make a final decision on the limited elk hunting proposal at its Sept.

10 meeting — after this publication was printed. To follow the issue, tune in to the Gunnison Country Times coverage at www.gunnisontimes.com. For a hardcopy subscription, call 970.641.1414. ■ 2009 GUIDE TO GUNNISON COUNTRY HUNTING

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Our specialists in all fields of recreational sports would like to help you with your camping, fishing and hunting needs.

Gene Taylors thanks everyone for spending time with us in the heart of the Rockies.â&#x20AC;?

201 W. Tomichi Ave., Gunnison â&#x20AC;˘ 970-641-1845 Normal Hours: 8-6 Monday - Saturday, 9 - 4 Sunday, extended hours before each season