The Colorado Wildlife Commission in Denver will consider a proposal today to study how coyotes and other predators impact state deer herds. In Southwestern Colorado, however, DOW officials have said that deer and elk herds are currently thriving. Wild predator populations have generally stayed level in the area. In 1996, voters passed Amendment 14, a state ballot initiative banning the trapping and poisoning of coyotes during all but one month out of the year. Coyotes are legal to hunt throughout the year with the purchase of a small-game license, while black bears and mountain lions are managed through hunting seasons and specific DOW guidelines.
Some counties even offer small bounties for coyote kills.
Larson said he plans to introduce legislation that would increase funding for Wildlife Services, formerly known as Animal Damage Control, an agency within the Department of Agriculture that helps private property owners mitigate predation of livestock and other wildlife damage. According to Susan Wadhams, a spokeswoman for the Department of Natural Resources, if the study is approved, two study areas will be established on the Western slope where deer herds are struggling. The second area would serve as a control group, with no impacts on the predator populations. Everything that DOW does is an attempt at managing herds and making certain animals don t become extinct. The report acknowledges that very little solid information is available on predators and their impact on wildlife.