DOW PLANS AERIAL HELICOPTER SURVEYS DURING FEB AND MARCH ALONG FRONT RANGE

DOW biologists will use helicopters to make aerial surveys of deer and elk along the Front Range. These surveys are for observation only; no animals will be trapped, netted or handled.

Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) biologists will be using helicopters to count and classify big game animals in February and March. Residents in Game Management Unit (GMU) 20 (Southern Larimer County and Northern Boulder County) and GMUs 29 and 38 (Gilpin County, Northern Jefferson County, Southern Boulder County) Golden, Black Hawk, Nederland, and Ward) may notice the helicopter fly-overs for elk classifications totaling about 12 hours during February. Biologists will also be flying helicopters to count deer in GMU 20 for about 30 hours in February and March.    Using helicopters for aerial surveys of deer and elk is one tool biologists use to assess the status of Colorado’s big-game herds. During elk classifications, wildlife managers record the number of cows, calves and bulls to determine age and sex ratios. These ratios are expressed as the total number of calves or bulls per 100 cows. During deer counts, the total numbers of deer on randomly selected subunits called “quadrats” are recorded.

The surveys provide wildlife biologists with specific data about the dynamics of deer and elk herds. This data is used in computer models to develop population estimates, which are used to determine how many hunting licenses to issue in specific units.   “This is the way we estimate herd numbers and monitor population trends of our big-game animals in Colorado,” said Janet George, senior terrestrial biologist for the DOW’s northeast region.

Biologists prefer to fly on calm days following snowfall, when it is easier to spot animal tracks from the air, and when the animals themselves are easier to see because their dark bodies contrast clearly against the white snow.  Pilots flying the helicopters—which do not bear the DOW insignia—are instructed to stay 500 feet away from occupied structures, and are careful not to chase deer and elk herds into fences or across roads during the surveys.

State wildlife officials said public awareness is an important aspect of the annual surveys.   “It’s not unusual for us to get phone calls. People see a helicopter flying around a group of elk and they want to know what’s going on. If people see a helicopter pursuing deer or elk and they are concerned, they should contact their local DOW office,” George said.   As part of the public information process, the DOW works with sheriff’s departments and other local agencies to field public inquiries.   ###

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