Page 39 - October 2020 proof - The Castle Pines Connection

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Elk hunting with a bow By Carin R. Kirkegaard; photos courtesy of Kevin Rants
In 2013, “The Hunger Games” movie and young adult novels by Susan Collins were all the rage – many young girls envisioned themselves as Katniss Everdeen, hair done in braids and a bow and arrow slung over her shoulder. Kinsley Rants, 16 years old at the time, was no exception. Fortunately, she had a dad who supported her and her new found passion.
Kevin Rants, bow hunter and Castle Pines councilman, did what any supportive dad would do – he found a place that offered archery lessons. Serendipitously, he discovered an af nity for archery himself. After Kinsley’s rst lesson, he left with two bows of his own.
Born in Colorado, Rants grew up in Los Angeles, and didn’t hunt with a bow until elk hunting season in 2013. Big-game hunting, which includes deer, elk, pronghorn, bear and moose starts in September and archery season is the rst take available, followed by muzzleloader and then ri e hunting.
Hosting the world’s largest elk herd, Colorado is a hunter’s paradise. While the changing aspen leaves are a de nite draw for many to pick up a bow and hunt during the height of the fall foliage, the Colorado Wildlife Protection agency says that cooler weather and snow help in a successful hunt.
Rants says that typically a bow hunter takes seven years to harvest their rst elk. While he has become a pro cient marksman, he has yet to make his rst kill with his bow. “All my success has been with a ri e,” said Rants. That success has all been hunting deer and antelope in the southwestern part of the state – never an elk.
Working with a bow has all been self-taught, from his rst purchase to building his own arrows. Rants even constructed a shooting range in the third stall of his garage for target practice. While his trips to hunt antelope and deer all involve family and friends, his elk hunting trips are solitary. Rants takes
a journal and records his successes and mistakes. He says his elk hunting trips are an opportunity for him to reset and refocus mentally.
Filling his family’s freezer with meat is Rants’ goal when he heads out on a trip. “You can’t nd a more clean organic source than taking it from the side of the mountain,” said Rants.
Did You Know?
For those whose hunting
opportunity may be impacted by the Pine Gulch, Grizzly Creek, Williams Fork and Cameron Peak res, revised refund policies are now in place. If you hold a deer, elk, bear, turkey or sheep license for an upcoming 2020 hunting season in units impacted by the res, you may be eligible for a refund and restoration of preference points if you choose to return your license.
For more information, visit Colorado Parks & Wildlife at https://cpw.state.co.us/.
Hunting: A key component to wildlife conservation
By Carin R. Kirkegaard; information provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife
For tens of thousands of people in Colorado, hunting season is one of the best in the state. In addition to providing food for the table and an outdoor recreational experience, hunting is an important wildlife management tool.
“Wildlife management covers a wide range of issues,” explained J.T. Romatzke, northwest regional manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). “We look at wildlife populations, winter range protection, human/ wildlife con icts, law enforcement and more.”
Colorado’s wildlife was decimated in the mid to late 1800s when the state was ooded with people seeking opportunity and fortune with the gold and land rush. Many game animals, birds and sh were nearly wiped out by the market hunters and pioneers who hunted
to provide food for survival. Fortunately, conservation-minded hunters helped to pass wildlife laws that restricted hunting and shing.
In 1870, the Colorado Territorial legislature passed the rst wildlife protection law – banning the use of nets for taking sh from rivers and streams. Then in 1879, the rst wildlife protection agency was established. The legislature was able to set seasons, methods of hunting, bag and possession limits and in some instances bans on a particular species. With a law-enforcement agency in place, populations of deer, elk, trout, wild turkeys, pronghorns, bighorn sheep and many others were restored.
The efforts paid off. Today, Colorado is renowned for its wildlife. Hunters come from all over the country to hunt in the state’s picturesque landscape. Rivers and streams attract anglers from around the world, and birders travel to witness sage grouse, sandhill cranes and hundreds of other species that call Colorado home.
“Now we can examine important biological issues such as over-population, health of winter range and diseases,” Romatzke says.
Biologists work with CPW on various research projects designed to maintain healthy wildlife populations. Managers do on-the-ground work that is enhanced with computer modeling, software and GPS- collar technology to monitor reproduction, survival rates, migration patterns, habitat and nutritional needs. The data gathered is used to establish trends and help determine solutions to problems.
Wildlife management is costly. Fortunately hunters and anglers are willing to fund this work through annual purchases of hunting and shing licenses. The license revenue in Colorado covers 75% of all the agency’s wildlife activities.
“In Colorado we have a great heritage
of wildlife conservation and hunting tradition. The work at CPW ensures that it will continue,” said Romatzke.
October 2020