Many wildlife, born and raised on private lands, are enjoyed by landowners and recreationists. However, the association between farmers, ranchers, recreationists and wildlife has not been as positive as it can be. Some landowners treat wildlife and recreationists as assets while others consider them to be negative. A business needs a supply of products and a demand to use them. Elk have increased in Colorado since the turn of the century and have become the state's number-one generator of hunting revenues.
Deer have their ups and downs.
Pronghorn antelope maintained a relative static level due to management goals of keeping numbers within tolerable limits on private lands. If landowners want more antelope, the population can increase. Hunters want more antelope and they usually must wait to accumulate preference points before being awarded a license. Table 1 contains a few past, present and future target population levels of the three species. This will be the basic supply that landowners and hunters can work with in the future.