Dentry: Lion hunters will be put to test

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

The average person might be excused for not knowing that a mature male mountain lion walking in snow leaves tracks with a stride longer than 40 inches. But you would know that if you took an online course that is now mandatory for Colorado lion hunters.

Anyone can take the course for enlightenment into cougar biology and behavior. But in the case of hunters, the lessons are deemed essential to spare female lions and prevent their cubs from being orphaned.

By unanimous vote of wildlife commissioners Thursday in Grand Junction, Colorado became the first state to require hunter education specifically for lion hunters.

The new rule emerged from a seemingly unlikely alliance between an animal protection organization and houndsmen/ hunters, all of whom want lion hunters to be better educated and more selective in taking their quota of fewer than 800 lions a year.

The online lessons and exam help people identify the gender of cougars in the field or bayed in trees, so fewer females with young will become targets.

The course was developed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife with help from the carnivore- protection group Sinapu, the Colorado Outfitters Association and others who believe that good conservation and ethics go hand in hand with a healthy hunting heritage.

Also in support of mandatory lion hunting education were the Colorado Bowhunters Association, Colorado Cattlemen's Association and Safari Club International.

You can study and take a sample test online at Wildlife. State.CO.US. Follow the links of "Hunting," "Hunter Education" and "Mountain Lion Education." The real test goes online after July 1. Mountain lion hunting season is November to March.

DOWN THE HATCH: Every time Arkansas River caddis hatch followers have started to see clearly, rising currents have muddied the waters. The celebrated hatch has gone gangbusters at times, but rain and snow repeatedly have washed out progress.

Caddis will hatch and trout will rise to them on the edges of murky currents. But Monday, the Royal Gorge Anglers in Cañon City declared the river unfishable - partly owing to releases from Twin Lakes. However, those releases were to be brief.

Optimists still hope for clearing currents before actual snowmelt runoff begins. And with good reason.

The Division of Wildlife reports the stretch just downstream from Salida carries 4,500 brown trout per mile, one of the highest densities of fish in Colorado. Stretches upstream and downstream have fewer, but bigger, fish.

DEER SURVIVED BLIZZARD: While pronghorns in southeastern Colorado suffered heavy losses from the devastating late December blizzard, deer have fared so well that wildlife commissioners Thursday actually raised the number of licenses for hunting them this fall.

Because deer gathered in small, protected areas, the eastern plains deer count this year was higher than last year. So a few more licenses will be available.

As expected, the number of pronghorn licenses will drop in game units near Trinidad and Lamar.

Elk hunters will see only a few changes reflecting herd populations related to game managers' objectives. Slightly fewer cow elk licenses will be available for southwestern Colorado, and cow elk license numbers will increase in the northwest.

JOHN MARTIN CLINIC: Anglers who traditionally migrate to southeastern Colorado in May to camp and fish for warm-water species will receive a special welcome Saturday at John Martin Reservoir State Park.

The DOW will host a free, warm-water fishing clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., starting with a presentation at the park visitor center and winding up outside for hot dogs and fishing.

John Martin is 20 miles west of Lamar via U.S. 50, south of Hasty. Visitors need park passes. Those bent on wetting a line must have a valid fishing license.

dentrye@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5481