Doug Skinner, Author at Colorado Outdoors Online

Author Archives: Doug Skinner

Reservations Accepted at 18 Colorado Public Hunting Areas

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Doug Skinner Leave a comment

There are few things worse than waking up early to be the first hunter at your favorite hunting spot and finding that someone has beat you to it. One way to avoid that frustration is to use Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s new hunting reservation system (hint: the government loves acronyms, so you may see the system identified as HRS). The new hunting reservation system allows licensed hunters to make reservations at 18 different locations around the state. This system is used primarily for waterfowl and small game hunting reservations, but several of the properties will offer turkey hunting reservations as well.

The 2019 Colorado Outdoors Hunting Guide is Now Available!

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Doug Skinner Leave a comment

2019 Colorado Outdoors Hunting Guide cover

Buy your copy today!

This special edition of Colorado Outdoors magazine features articles that will help you make the most of your fall and winter out in the field. Learn how elevated temperatures affect the animals and those who hunt them. Discover small-game hunting tactics for scaled quail and snowshoe hare. And prepare a trophy meal with a venison tamales that are sure to be a hit at your next game dinner. Enjoy these articles and much in the 2019 Colorado Outdoors Hunting Guide. Purchase your copy or an annual subscription today.

10 Tips For Colorado Bear Hunters

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Doug Skinner One comment

Colorado Black Bear — Although called black bears, they can be honey-colored, blond, brown, cinnamon or black.

The fall bear hunting season is quickly approaching and there are still some great opportunities for hunters to pick up a 2019 license. The map below highlights some of the archery, muzzleloader and rifle bear hunting opportunities that were recently available on the Leftover Limited License List and Over-the-counter (OTC) with Caps License List and do NOT require hunters to have a concurrent deer or elk license. If you already have a 2019 deer or elk license, the lists may provide even more options for purchasing a 2019 bear license.

Livin’ the Wildlife: Colorado Mountain Goats

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Doug Skinner Leave a comment

It’s a species that lives in a land of sheer cliffs and perpetual snows. Colorado’s alpine tundra is home to the mighty mountain goat. These natural mountaineers are one of the state’s most unique and cherished species. This video offers an intimate look at the mountain goat in its natural habitat where it spends most of the year at 13,000 feet!

2019 Colorado Big Game Leftover License Tips

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Doug Skinner 39 comments

What and When is Leftover Day?

Leftover day is the day when Colorado Parks and Wildlife makes all remaining big-game hunting licenses available for purchase. This year, leftover licenses go on sale Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 9 a.m (MDT).

At 9 a.m., licenses will be available for purchase online (CPWshop.com), in person at CPW offices and license retailers (sporting goods stores, hunting and fishing supply stores, etc.), and by phone at 1-800-244-5613. While there are no guarantees that you will get a license on leftover day, there is a great deal of opportunity for big-game hunters looking to get a license to hunt in Colorado this year.

A QUALIFYING LICENSE is NOT required to purchase a leftover limited license, reissued license or an over-the-counter license.

2019 Colorado Outdoors Fishing Guide

Posted on July 11, 2019 by Doug Skinner Leave a comment

The 2019 Colorado Outdoors Fishing Guide is now available!

Anglers can fish for rainbow trout in a cool Rocky Mountain stream or troll for walleye on a sunny plains reservoir. With more than 6,000 miles of rivers and some 1,300 lakes and reservoirs, Colorado is an angler’s paradise. This year’s guide features interesting and informative articles geared toward helping you make the most of your time on the water. The 2019 issue includes articles on bass-fishing rigs, perch hot spots, and backcountry adventure for brookies and cutts. From rivers to reservoirs and graylings to tigers, you’ll find all the tips and tricks you need to make the most of your Colorado fishing season.

101 Places (and Ways) to Take a Kid Fishing

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Doug Skinner 2 comments

Getting started is often the toughest part – learning to walk as a baby, learning to ride a bike, driving a car, and yes, even learning to fish. Beginners may think they’ll just go to a sporting goods store or a bait and tackle shop, pick up a fishing rod, and head out to a local pond or stream. But when they get to the store, they are faced with aisles filled with rods, reels, hooks, sinkers, bait and lures in every imaginable shape and color. So many choices can make it seem easier to walk away than face the nearly limitless choices. Sound familiar? If this has happened to you, or you haven’t yet made it to the store for fear that this would be your experience, don’t worry! We are ready to help you get started.

Colorado Big Game Hunting – Post Draw Options

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Doug Skinner One comment

Colorado big game hunter — Photo by © Wayne Lewis/CPW.

The 2019 Colorado big game draw results are now available for elk, deer, moose and bear. And by now, all applicants should have received an email revealing your Colorado big game license fate (results can also be found by logging into your account at CPWshop.com). If you successfully drew your license, you’re probably daydreaming about your upcoming hunt. However, for many of us – me included – luck was simply not in the numbers this year. But fear not! Failing to draw a limit license does not mean that you won’t be hunting big game in Colorado this year. Trust me, there is a lot of positive in that negative-sounding statement.

Not drawing a big game limited license (or didn’t apply) can actually be a good thing. Sometimes the challenge of finding a new hunting area is just what’s needed to add a new sense of adventure to your hunting routine.

Colorado Hunters – Big Game Season Structure Input Needed

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Doug Skinner 3 comments

Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 5-Year Big Game Season Structure is close to being finalized, but there is still time to add your valuable input to the process. Public input is a crucial part of the planning process and up to this point, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has heard from several thousand hunters, both residents and non-residents, who have shared feedback in public meetings, telephone town halls, focus groups, and the initial public comment form. This valuable feedback has aided Colorado Parks and Wildlife in developing recommendations and alternatives for the 2020-2024 Big Game Season Structure. And in July, a 5-Year Big Game Season Structure proposal will be presented to the Parks and Wildlife Commission for final approval. But before that happens, there are still two important opportunities for hunters to participate in the planning process.

Safe Boating Is No Accident

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Doug Skinner Leave a comment

CPW Staff and Volunteer celebrate "Take Your Life Jacket to Work Day." — CPW Staff and Volunteer celebrate “Take Your Life Jacket to Work Day.” Photo by © Mike DelliVeneri/CPW.

Summer’s first big holiday weekend is rapidly approaching. In Colorado, that means ice out at many mountain lakes, boat ramps opening for the season and people all around the state preparing to head to local waters for everything from fishing, kayaking and rafting to stand up paddleboarding (SUP). And while enjoying the outdoors is part of our way of life, it’s important to remember a couple of safety tips that will keep you, your friends and your family safe on the water this season.

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