Lion Season to Open Again on Uncompahgre Plateau

Email to a Friend  Print this Article

MONTROSE, Colo.--For the first time since 2004, hunting season for mountain lions will open again this year in a special study area west of Montrose.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife closed mountain lion hunting on a portion of the Uncompahgre Plateau in order to conduct research that will eventually provide new information on mountain lion population dynamics. 

"The study is designed so that the DOW can examine the lion management structure and biological assumptions used for managing lions with sport hunting throughout Colorado," said Ken Logan, the DOW researcher on the project.

Information being gathered includes: lion abundance, sex and age structure, reproduction, survival and causes of mortality during periods without and with sport-hunting. The study started in 2004 and will continue through 2014.

The research area includes the southern portions of Game Management Units 61, 62 and the northern portion of GMU 70.

For the study, lions are captured, fitted with radio collars and tracked remotely. Capturing the lions allows researchers to study lion population structure. The radio collars enable researchers to quantify reproduction, survival, causes of mortality and movement patterns. 

Hunters interested in the research area must be aware of some special regulations. The hunting season in the research area is Nov. 16 through Jan. 31 -- unless the harvest quota of eight animals is reached before Jan. 31. The objective of the harvest on the research area is to manage for a stable to increasing population just as the DOW manages most GMUs in Colorado to achieve a healthy self-sustaining population. Adult and independent sub-adult lions can be harvested. Hunters are prohibited from killing cubs or females that are followed by cubs. 

Besides a regular mountain lion license, hunters must obtain a special permit to hunt on the research area. The permits are free and unlimited, and each is valid for 14 days. A hunter who does not take a lion within the 14 days can pick up another permit to continue hunting so long as the season is still open. Permits can be picked up starting on Nov. 2 at the DOW's Montrose Service Center at 2300 S. Townsend Ave. 

As in all other areas of the state, hunters must report harvest within 48 hours after the animal has been killed and the animal carcass must be shown to a DOW agent within five days of harvest. Hunters must check daily to see if the research area is still open by calling 1-888-940-LION (5466).

Hunters in the research area also are being asked to fill out a voluntary survey that is attached to each permit. Questions include: location of hunt, length of time hunted, description of lion tracks, descriptions of lions seen or harvested and other questions about lion hunting.

The surveys will provide important information about the lions in the population that hunters encounter and about how hunters hunt lions in Colorado. Hunters are asked to provide accurate information in the surveys to help the DOW improve lion management.  

Regulations for this area and the entire state can be reviewed in the DOW's 2009-10 Mountain Lion Hunting brochure which is available at all DOW offices, license agents and online athttp://wildlife.state.co.us under the Rules/Regs section.

For more information about hunting in the research area, call the DOW's Montrose office at (970)252-6000.

Reader Comments

Would you like to comment?

Sign up for a free account, or sign in (if you're already a member).