Category Archives: Outdoor Adventure

15 Items For A Colorado Big Game Hunt

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It may be the crunch of dry leaves or sensing movement out of the corner of your eye that elevates your heart rate and turns a day out in nature into a hunting trip. While it’s easy to relax and become absorbed in nature, most of us are out there to put some healthy, free-range meat in our freezer. And as any successful big-game hunter will tell you, the real work begins after you’ve harvested your animal. No matter how you look at it, that statement is always true. If you hiked a couple of miles to locate your elk or deer, hiking back out with the meat, while rewarding, is going to be harder. Having a well-stocked big game backpack will help you through long days in the field and guarantee that you make the most out of your harvest. Read more

Burrowing Owls

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Every year is ‘year of the bird’ for CPW raptor specialist April Estep. Photo by © Bill Vogrin/CPW.

YOTB_stacked_KFrom the passenger seat of a pickup truck going 60 m.p.h. down a southeast Colorado highway, April Estep scanned the landscape using her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding dawn sun.

Estep, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) wildlife biologist and raptor expert, was staring intently, searching for prairie dog colonies in passing fields. Read more

Grouse Hunt Reveals Elk Hunting Strategies

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Even the best-laid plans sometimes go wrong. As hunters, when heading into the field, we attempt to control as many variables as possible. Exploring Colorado’s backcountry requires knowledge of the terrain, proper nutrition and hydration, functional equipment and an appetite for adventure. And while we can control most of these variables, there’s one factor that is always out of our control – weather. This doesn’t mean hunting should be tabled until the weather is ideal; it simply means we need to adjust our strategies and approaches to work around what we cannot change. Read more

THE 2018 COLORADO OUTDOORS HUNTING GUIDE IS AVAILABLE NOW!

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2017 Hunting Guide Cover

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. Discover where species and hunting seasons align to create opportunities for multispecies hunts. Learn tactics for locating early season mule deer. And protect your investment with gear care tips and much more.  Purchase your copy or an annual subscription today. Read more

Long-term efforts saved Colorado wildlife

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Bowhunter. Photo by © Vic Schendel/CPW.

In Colorado 150 years ago wildlife faced a dire future.

To provide food for miners and settlers streaming west during the gold rush and land rush of the mid- and late-1800s, market hunters slaughtered deer, elk, bear, buffalo, bighorns, pronghorn and any type of bird that could provide meat. Fish fared no better as nets and even dynamite were set in rivers and streams. Polluted water flowing from mining operations also devastated hundreds of miles of rivers and streams. Read more

High-altitude Survival

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Every year, more than a few hunters must be rescued from the wilds and high country of Colorado. Hunters get trapped by snowstorms, injured in various types of accidents or simply get lost in the woods.

Hunters must remember that altitude can affect their health and their ability to move easily. And in the Rockies, weather can change quickly with fast-moving storms dumping a couple of feet of snow in just a few hours. Read more

Colorado’s Passport to Adventure

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Some people swear by calendars, others are list makers. But to consistently get outdoors, you need to be looking forward, planning and prioritizing time in your busy schedule. We all know that spending time in nature is good for our mind and bodies. We feel the benefits of exercise. We even feel the stress slip away as we challenge ourselves on bike rides, hikes, kayak adventures…you name the activity. Even researchers are starting to compile mountains of evidence supporting what we all believe to be true – the simple fact that getting outdoors is good for us and provides long and short-term mental and physical health benefits. Yet, many of us fail to commit to this beneficial time. Me included. Read more

FLY FISHING BASICS – PART III: CASTING

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Our fly-fishing series has walked you through the basics of picking fly-fishing gear and making the correct fly selection. So now it’s time to put it all together and learn some basic casting techniques. In this segment, Howard Horton, Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Angler Outreach Coordinator, demonstrates basic casting techniques that you can practice and perfect in the backyard and then use on the majority of Colorado’s waters.

Part One

Part Two

Other Fly Fishing Basics Videos

 

Big Game Hunting – Leftover License Update

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Archer big game hunting in Colorado

Colorado big-game hunter. Photo by © Vic Schendel/CPW.

The official leftover big game limited licenses list for deer, elk, bear and pronghorn is now available on the CPW website. These remaining limited licenses provide hunting access on specific Game Management Units (GMUs) and offer Colorado big-game hunters some great opportunities this big game hunting season. The leftover licenses go on sale Tuesday, August 7 at 9:00 a.m (MDT). NOTE: at 9:00 a.m. licenses will be available for purchase online (CPWshop.com), by phone at 1-800-244-5613 , in person at CPW offices and at license retailers (sporting goods stores, hunting and fishing supply stores, etc.).

There are more than 50,000 big game hunting licenses available on the leftover list this year.

  • Bear – more than 4,900 limited licenses available
  • Deer – more than 8,400 limited licenses available
  • Elk – more than 29,100  limited licenses available
  • Pronghorn – more than 7,400 limited licenses available

Read more

Fly Fishing Basics – Part II: Fly Selection for Colorado

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Picking the right flies for your first fishing trip can be an intimidating experience. And while most local fly fishing shops will be happy to guide you through your first purchase, there’s something to be said about being an informed buyer. Howard Horton, Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Angler Outreach Coordinator, takes the mystery out of filling your fly box by revealing a combination of flies that will work in a range of waters, from Colorado’s mountain streams to the reservoirs. Howard discusses basic fly selections, including dry flies, nymphs and streamers – walking you through setups like the dry-dropper that are sure to increase your confidence and success on your next outdoor fishing adventure.

Fly Fishing resources mentioned in the video:

For more fly fishing information, watch Fly Fishing Basics – Part I: Gearing Up and learn exactly what you’ll need to get out on the water without breaking the bank.

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