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Outdoor Life

In CPW switching its big-game draw, hunters with preference points are short-changed
Outdoor Life, State

In CPW switching its big-game draw, hunters with preference points are short-changed

By Natalie Krebs | Outdoor Life The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted Thursday to update the way Colorado awards most of its big game tags. It’s the latest in a years-long policy review that has received plenty of public commentary and criticism. The draw changes, which take effect in 2028, are designed — in part — to combat point creep. Now, hunters who have already racked up preference points in Colorado are facing a moving goalpost. The biggest change to the annual application process is the elimination of Colorado’s hybrid draw system. CPW is replacing it with a split-draw model for all elk, deer, bear, pronghorn, and turkey tags. The available tags for each hunt will be divided evenly between two pools of applicants: Fifty percent will be distributed under a familiar ...
Colorado’s wolf reintroduction has cost taxpayers double what they expected when they voted to approve it
Outdoor Life, State

Colorado’s wolf reintroduction has cost taxpayers double what they expected when they voted to approve it

By Dac Collins | Outdoor Life Bringing wolves back to Colorado has cost the state at least $4.8 million so far, according to a new financial analysis by The Denver Post. This is within the total amount appropriated by lawmakers, the Post reports. But it’s more than double the estimate that was given to Colorado voters during the 2020 election, when voters narrowly passed a ballot measure initiating wolf reintroduction by a margin of less than 1 percent. The Post’s analysis is based on a spending spreadsheet from Colorado Parks and Wildlife that was obtained through a public records request. The document breaks down all the expenses associated with CPW’s wolf reintroduction program, including the high cost of transporting and surveilling gray wolves. READ THE FULL STORY A...