Public input is being sought by Colorado Parks and Wildlife about how it manages the Haswell pronghorn herd over the next 10 years.
CPW staff has spent months drafting a proposed management plan for pronghorn in the Haswell herd, which spans Game Management Units 120, 121, 125 and 126 in Bent, Otero, Crowley, Lincoln, Kiowa and Cheyenne counties.
The draft plan, now available online, reflects CPW’s efforts to balance the biological capabilities of the herd and its habitat with the public’s demand for wildlife recreational opportunities.
The final plan will guide CPW officials as they decide how many pronghorn should exist in each GMU. The plan will also help CPW decide the proper ratio of males to females over the next decade.
The selection of population and sex ratio objectives drive important decisions including:
- How many animals must be harvested to maintain or move toward the objectives.
- What types of hunting seasons are required to achieve the harvest objective.
For the development of the Haswell Herd Management Plan, CPW conducted pronghorn population surveys, a landowner survey and a hunter survey. Based on that feedback, CPW is recommending an increase in population objectives to 3,500 pronghorn, which reflects the current population level.
To review the draft Haswell Herd Management Plan, follow this link: http://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/HerdManagementPlans.aspx
Public comments on the draft must be received by CPW by Jan. 2. To submit a comment, follow instructions on the website. Comments will be used to further develop the draft plan that will be presented to Colorado’s Parks and Wildlife Commission.