The
2011 Colorado Big Game Brochure has hit the mailboxes, license vendors, and Division of Wildlife (DOW) offices! The brochure brings with it a new look for 2011 thanks to our Publications Manager, Amy, and with it a new sense of anticipation for the thousands of resident and non-resident hunters who want to experience the wonders and challenges of a Colorado big game hunt.
Our first efforts at providing new insights, techniques and concepts for hunting the "Monarch of the Rockies" hit the mark—Elk Hunting University (EHU) pages were viewed more than 400,000 times in fewer than 12 months! Responses to and comments about EHU's time- and field-tested wisdom, tips, and advice from the contributing Hunter Outreach Huntmasters and DOW field officers and biologists have been very positive.
The concept of the University will not change for our sophomore year—we intend to provide our "students" with new information and advice about hunting elk in Colorado, building on what we began last year.
The challenge of creating a program such as EHU lies in finding new, useful, and informative topics that need attention, then crafting them into articles our students will find helpful in building a quality skill-set for hunting elk. So, over the late winter, we asked readers and Huntmasters to recommend some topics we should address this year; what you will read in the coming weeks is the result. (Have a suggestion? Comment? Send it to jim.bulger@state.co.us.)
We want to take the 2011 lessons beyond the basic level of what big game hunters should know, to focus on some of the finer points of hunting elk in Colorado.
Watch for lessons on "Planning a Drop Camp Hunt", "Hunting High-pressured Elk", "Advanced Shooting Skills for Elk Hunters", "Shot Placement for Rifle and Archery" and other topics.
The first year's series of lessons remains available, of course, for new and returning students; we will add topics and concepts, and go into more detail about some previously presented. This includes more entries to Class Notes!
The articles in advance of the April 5, 2011, big game limited license application deadline will be concerned primarily with the application process, tips on exploring some options for hunt code selections, and some strategies to make the best use of the limited draw process. After we pass the limited license application deadline, we will work toward building on the skills, tactics, and techniques to help students prepare for the coming season. Then, as we get into the fall and winter semester, we will provide pertinent "class notes" and respond to student questions and comments about specific hunting information.
Our hunter and student support has moved forward into some exciting and challenging actions this year. A look at the new format of the printed 2011 Colorado Big Game Brochure that Amy crafted will bring a smile to the seasoned hunter who has been used to the old format brochure. (To request a brochure, read the right-hand column of the Big Game Brochures page.) Page 1, for example, highlights new information and features for 2011; important dates, new hunting options, an icon key that will lead you to online videos that enhance and illustrate the subject.
And, speaking of online, the publications staff has produced an online, interactive version of the big game brochure using FlipSeek so you can leaf though the brochure at your desktop. In the upper left corner of inside front cover, the Video Features page, you will find a video tutorial that goes step-by-step through the application, and introduces another new effort to assist students, the Hunt Planner service. (Click on the link, "DOW hunt planners can help you plan your trip", under the Video Index, for an introduction to this service.) A team of dedicated professionals, Hunt Planners work with students to guide them through the planning process for license applications and help them make good choices for having a positive hunting experience in Colorado. Give them a call if you need some "tutoring" for class.
Read the new brochure cover-to-cover. Don't head right to the elk section look at hunt codes! Discover how to qualify for more than one elk or deer license; discover that the new format shows the list type, right next to the hunt code; and you can sign up for the DOW Insider so you do not miss an EHU assignment in the coming months.
We hope you will enjoy the second year of Elk Hunting University. The Colorado Division of Wildlife understands you make a big commitment of your time to participate in a hunting adventure in Colorado, and we want your experiences to be as positive as they can be—before, during, and after the hunt.
Our lessons are not written by professional writers, but by fellow hunters, field officers and biologists who seek to give you tools you can use. These are folks who have been there! The Director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Tom Remington, provided us with a conceptual model of participation for outdoor enthusiasts, hunters, and anglers, to direct our efforts in helping EHU students. Through building an "electronic classroom", we are providing education and information, building essential skills, and mentoring present and future hunters. These are key elements of the model and are the intentions of Elk Hunting University. So . . . study, ask the tough questions, plan, and enjoy the course!
If you print this page, these are the links used in this article:
>>> Want to be notified each time a new EHU article is published? Sign up to receive DOW Insider, an e-news service that delivers announcements from the Division of Wildlife directly to your inbox. Be among the first to know! (Check the 'Hunting' option and any other topics of interest to you.) <<<