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WOODLAND PARK, CODEER MANAGEMENT TASK FORCE

HARVEST PLAN

Mule Deer Task Force Harvest Sub-Committee:

This Harvest Plan was created by an all volunteer member committee. With well over 200 hours of extensive and exhaustive research going into creating an a safe, cost effective, ethical and long term management approach to the mule deer in Woodland Park, CO.

Implementation of the deer management program will require involvement of City staff, community volunteers, and State Wildlife Agency personnel. The program will also include the use of Veterans as hunters in the program through the Freedom Hunters. The Freedom Hunters is a 501C3 organization that has worked on private property hunts across the country and in Colorado Springs.

This plan was reviewed by the wildlife managers and biologists at Colorado Parks and Wildlife, in order for this plan to be approved by CPW, Woodland Park must first approve the plan.

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MDTF Harvest Sub-Committee

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ABOUT FREEDOM HUNTERSFreedom Hunters is a 501(c)3 military outreach program dedicated to honoring those who protect our Freedoms. Our mission is to salute the noble work of our courageous men and women of our Armed Forces. Freedom Hunters reflects the outdoor community’s appreciation to our troops by taking: select active duty and combat veterans, families of fallen heroes, children of the deployed, as well as those wounded or injured, on outdoor adventures. Empowered by help from conservation groups, outfitters, corporations, government agencies, and landowners, Freedom Hunters honors individuals from all branches of the military. It is with immense pride and enthusiasm that Freedom Hunters carries on the American tradition of hunting, fishing, and shooting.

MDTF Partnership with Freedom Hunters

History:This Task Force was formed under the premise that there is an overabundance of mule deer within the city limits of Woodland Park. In recognizing that there are negative consequences associated with an overabundance of mule deer; than naturally something must be done to reduce the population of mule deer.

Problem Statement: Woodland Park has exceeded the Social-Cultural Carrying Capacity of the for mule deer within city limits and something must be done to reduce the mule deer population.

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Mule Deer Task Force History & Problem Statement

Social-Cultural Carrying Capacity Definition: “The deer population level at which the local human population can tolerate or accept the problems associated with a deer herd.”

-This number should be defined through the stakeholder process. The appropriate measure to define is the level of problems local residents are willing to tolerate. In the case of Woodland Park, some numbers that have been considered include deer-vehicle collisions, number of calls to police department and/or number of times the police department has to respond to deer injuries, economic costs of deer damage.

-Herd health is frequently mentioned as a goal for urban deer management. Since the social carrying capacity for deer is likely below the ecological or biological carrying capacity, managing for the social carrying capacity will likely improve the herd health.

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MDTF Social-Cultural Carrying Capacity

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MDTF Bottom Line Up Front

Solution to the Problem (Bottom Line Up Front): A safety focused ,well-regulated, and cost conscious archery hunt is the best long term solution to managing the mule deer population in Woodland Park.

The Following Hunt Plan our task force has created will actively work to reduce the number of conflicts between mule deer and automobile accidents, WPPD calls, and a reduction in risk with respect to the local populace and economy. The Safety of the residents of Woodland Park is the number one priority of this plan.

Our guiding principles in creating this plan were:-Safety of the community-Cost to the community-Long-term approach to a sustainable management plan driven by measurable results-Mitigating risk to the community and the local deer population (ie automobile accidents, disease spread, habituated deer behavior)-Sensitivity of the community towards a managed and restricted archery hunt

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MDTF Roles and Responsibilities

City Staff -City Administration

1. Presentation of the program to the City Council and facilitation of public input processes. 2. Facilitation of any necessary regulatory changes within City ordinances. 3. Oversight of the program and program coordinator during implementation.

-Chief of Police 1. Assist in the development of the program and advise the City related to any changes in City ordinances to ensure public safety is addressed. 2. Provide oversight of the program and assist with enforcement of legal issues that arise during implementation of the program. 3. Assist with name badges of hunters and background checks of hunters.*Additionally the city of WP will require all hunters to pass a criminal background check*

Volunteer Positions -Program Coordinator / Assistant Coordinator-

-Joe Kraudelt: a local resident of Teller County and an active volunteer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife has agreed to be the Program Coordinator for the public hunters

-Marty Trujillo will be the Program Coordinator for the Freedom Hunters. Licenses will be distributed with the intent that 50% of hunters will be public hunters and 50% of the hunters will be Veterans or Veterans with disabilities.

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Participants will be required annually to demonstrate their marksmanship proficiency prior to being permitted by the City to actively participate in this management program.

Minimum criteria for selection: - Archery equipment only (no crossbows as Colorado Statute classifies crossbows as a firearm)- Shooting a minimum draw weight of 50 pounds with arrows weighing a minimum of 380

grains (points included) - Previously licensed to hunt in Colorado. Those with more than 5 years’ prior big game

hunting experience in Colorado are preferred. (Disabled Veterans exception may be granted) - Possessing or able to obtain a hunter education card for participation in the season - Shall have no big game hunting related violations in Colorado in the five years prior to

applying and have never been suspended from hunting in Colorado.- Shall have no felony convictions- Physically able to lift a 100lb sack to a height of 3 feet high and/or drag dead weight of 100-

130lb a distance of 50 yards. (Disabled Veterans Exception may be granted)

The City/ Program Coordinators will solicit applicants meeting the above criteria to participate in the deer management program and if necessary implement a random drawing to narrow the pool of applicants who will be invited to a marksmanship proficiency test.

MDTF Harvest Plan: Participant Selection Criteria

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Invitees will arrive at the testing area prepared as though they are going on a hunt. Using only the equipment they bring with them they will be required to shoot Broadhead tipped arrows from multiple shooting positions to simulate expected field conditions at targets placed up to 30 yards away.

Proficiency Test:-3-D targets will be available for use and a standardized scoring template and system will be used to evaluate shooting accuracy. -In addition to 3D targets, participants must place 4 out of 5 arrows in a 5 inch diameter circlefrom distances out to 25 yards be considered for program participation -The number of selected archers will be determined by their accuracy, demonstrated safety, and other attributes shown during the testing process.-Additional archers may be selected as “on call or back up” participants should members of the core group become unavailable. -The Qualification Test will be held on the Teller County Shooting Society Range at Gillette Flats near Cripple Creek. - The Program Coordinator will have the final approval authority for “qualifying” an archer for selection into the program.

MDTF Harvest Plan: Participant Proficiency Test

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Program Participation Policy and Rules: Participants will read and sign a statement acknowledging their understanding of, and desire to adhere to the rules of the program. The following rules will be implemented:

- Participants must sign a waiver releasing the City of any liability for their personal injury or damage to their personal property used in the execution of the program. *additionally, Freedom Hunters carry their own liability insurance for their participants*

- All participant activities will be directed by and subject to the discretion of the Program Coordinator(s), City Police Chief or his designee, and / or the City Administrator or his designee.

- Program activities will only occur in areas delineated within the program as relayed by the Program Coordinator(s).

- No participant shall engage anyone who is harassing them related to or during the activities of this program. Any such harassment shall be reported to the Woodland Park Police Department and the Program Coordinator(s).

- Participants will abide by all State hunting rules and regulations. Participants shall have on their person an appropriate hunting license while participating in the program.

MDTF Harvest Plan: Program Participant Policy/Rules

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Program Participation Policy and Rules Continued:

- Maximum shooting distance will be 30 yards. Throughout the program participants may be required to demonstrate their proficiency via practice sessions where their effectiveness at this range may be re-evaluated for continued participation.

- When feasible stands elevated at least 5 feet off the ground may be implemented. Use of stands will be determined in advance based upon activity location, back stop, etc… All stands will be portable and will not cause permanent damage to the trees. Use of all standard safety equipment while in an elevated stand is required. In situations where stands are not feasible ground blinds may be used to determine shooting location, shooting lanes, etc…

- Archery Shooting Restrictions are in place to ensure the safe and ethical harvest of deer:- No shots will be taken at moving (walking or running) animals. - No shots will be taken at animals that are leaving the delineated management area. - Deer shall not be driven to the delineated hunting area to provide shot opportunities. - Shots will be limited to either broadside or slightly quartering angles.

- Time periods for harvest and hours for hunting will be determined by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, City Police Chief and the Program Coordinators and may vary seasonally as needed.

MDTF Harvest Plan: Program Participant Policy/Rules

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Program Participation Accountability:

- Each participant will be assigned a program ID badge and number that will be obtained from the Woodland Park Police Department. The badge and cost of the background check will be covered by the City of Woodland Park ($1 per badge, $7 for each background check).

- The badge shall be with the participant at all times while conducting program related functions within the City. This will include a vehicle badge to be placed in view inside the vehicle while actively participating in the program. This badge should not be on display outside of active participation times.

- Participation in this program is a privilege not a right and participants are subject to removal from the program at the discretion of the Program Coordinator(s), City Police Chief or his designee, and / or the City Administrator or his designee.

- Participants will report to the Program Coordinator and, if necessary, provide written statements regarding any violations they observe of either program rules or other hunting laws and regulations.

- Each participant will provide a half dozen of their arrows to be crested with a highly visible crest that will be marked sequentially 1-6 and each will be marked with the participant’s ID number (Same as badge number).

- These arrows shall be submitted for inspection upon demand. Any lost or missing arrows that have not been reported may be cause for removal from the program.

Program Participant Accountability

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Program Participation Accountability:

- As mentioned prior, Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease found in deer, elk and moose. Chronic Wasting Disease is of increasing concern in Colorado. All deer harvested will be tested through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Currently mandatory testing is required in the Game Management Units in which Woodland Park is located. Providing this data will give researchers and biologists important information on the prevalence and spread of the disease. Testing will be done by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and information on testing locations, times and procedures can be found on the CPW website

Program Participant Accountability

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Leave No Trace Policy

- This policy is designed to respect the values of individuals within the community who may be sensitive to or emotionally affected by elements inherent to the Deer Management Program.

- Participants will move to and from hunting locations with their bow either cased or disguised so as not to be recognizable. (This requirement may be waived in the event that a specific ingress/egress to the management area has been designated that provides an adequate level of discretion.)

- All hunters are encouraged to use tree stands whenever possible and the hunter shall provide those stands.

- Upon entering the Stand or Blind location the participant shall adorn such camouflage as is appropriate to minimize or eliminate detection and impact to the public.

- Use of an area by the participant is subject to use by other members of the community. If other people are in the vicinity of the Stand/Blind area the participant shall abandon the management action until such time as others are not in the area.

Leave No Trace Policy

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Leave No Trace Policy

- All attempts will be made to remove any sign (such as blood trails) of the management activity from areas of public access. To facilitate this, Stand locations on or near publicly used areas may be equipped with water and a scrub brush either at the participant’s vehicle, the stand/blind site, or other convenient location.

- All harvested animals will be field dressed off site in a time suitable to provide for the human consumption of the animal. Nearby US Forest Service land shall be acceptable locations for field dressing.

- All harvested animals will be concealed during transport both from the field and while in a vehicle. Field transport generally should be facilitated by use of a covered wheelbarrow, tarp or something similar.

Leave No Trace Policy

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Program Proposed Season Dates:-The proposed season dates for the implementation of this program would be December 15, 2019- January 30, 2020 with a total of 30 licenses available to hunters.

- The proposed season dates coincide with the CPW hunting regulations. At the prescribed times, fawns have already been weened off the does and are capable of surviving on their own.

MDTF Harvest Plan: Proposed Season Dates

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MDTF Harvest Plan: Utilization of a Resource

ELKS Veterans Leather Program:-Hides from deer harvested in this management hunt may be donated to the local Elks Lodges who will in turn donate them to the Veteran’s Leather Program. The Veterans Leather Program relies on the charity of hunters across the nation to donate hides so they can be turned into leather used for therapy programs for recovering veterans. Leather is also used to provide professionally-crafted gloves for veterans in wheelchairs, which are distributed at veteran’s adaptive sports clinics and gatherings throughout the country. Local Elks Lodges that participate in this program are listed below and is detailed in Appendix VII.

Colorado Springs Elks Lodge- (719) 633-1727Cripple Creek Elks Lodge- (719) 689-2625Victor Elks Lodge- (719) 689-2974

Harvested Mule Deer Consumption:Hunters that harvest a deer, may keep the meat obtained themselves for consumption or may donate the meat. Donated meat should be taken to Crippen’s Processing in Lake George Colorado (38199 Highway 24, Lake Gorge, Colorado 80827, 719-748-5450) to be processed. Processing of a mule deer base cost is $125. Hunters that wish to donate their meat to a Public Food Pantry may do so at:

Marion’s House Little Chapel Food Pantry14 W. Bijou Street Divide, Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903 (719) 322-7610(719) 475-7314

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Recommended Harvest for 2019-2020

Recommended Harvest for 2019-2020

Colorado Parks and Wildlife propose an iterative adaptive management approach for determining the number of licenses. The goal of this management plan is to reduce the number of deer or change deer behavior to reduce conflicts.

This management approach allows for change and is based on data. It is easily illustrated as a cycle throughout the year in a four step process:

1. Data on these conflicts are collected.

2. An assessment will then be made relative to management goals.

3. Harvest numbers are based on past success rates, access tolerance of hunters, availability of state and volunteers to run a hunt.

4. Harvest is then conducted.

After a harvest is conducted, the cycle starts again with data being collected. Then another assessment is made based on management goals and so on.

Given the current conditions, and biological assumptions, the recommended harvest goal for the 2019-2020 season is 30 antlerless deer. Colorado Parks and Wildlife Managers and Biologists set the harvest limit at 30 for the first year.

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Program Measures of Success

Measures of Success The implementation of the program is designed to address many areas of concern; some of these concerns have been brought forth proactively and may be difficult to measure. At minimum measures of success for the program include:

1. No human safety issues arise due to program implementation.

2. Motor vehicle accidents involving deer decline. The baseline measure of these accidents is primarily anecdotal so this may be a measure of perception post implementation vs. pre implementation.

3. Density dependent diseases are limited or nonexistent within the local deer herd.

4. Survey count decline and trending towards a population level where it is deemed more desirable.

5. Wounding or loss of deer is less than 10% of animals harvested. (with a goal of 0% loss of deer)

6. Venison from harvested deer is utilized for human consumption and benefit those in need.

7. Financial costs to the City are reduced and minimized.

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Long-term Sustainability and Management

Long-term Sustainability:This management plan will use an adaptive management approach based on long-term goals. The long-term goals for the City of Woodland Park are:

-Decrease in the number of vehicle deer collisions by 20% in the next 5 years

-Decrease in the number of deer conflict calls by 5% in the next 1 year

-Decrease in the number of sick/injured deer calls by 10% in the next 5 years.

*The Volunteer Program Coordinators will evaluate the plan at the conclusion of each hunt and provide recommendations and an updated plan to the Woodland Park City Council and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to review and take action as needed.

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Management Activity Areas and Boundaries

The City Manager in consultation with the Police Chief, Program Coordinator and Colorado Parks and Wildlife

may approve additional areas for program use. This may entail seeking permission on properties other than

those owned by the City but within or adjacent to City limits. Hunters will be required to have written permission

from the landowner if it is private property.

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MDTF Harvest Locations

Harvest Locations:

- Harvest locations will include thousands of acres of National Forest Service

Property

- We anticipate hundreds of acres of private land owners allowing harvesting

to take place on their land.

- City property included in the harvest plan only represent a very small

percentage of total acreage available for program harvest participation.

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Additional Recommended Actions

-Currently there is no efficient tracking method for City of Woodland Park Police to utilize to track vehicle wildlife collisions, wildlife calls, etc. A system or method to easily track these incidents by staff needs to be implemented. An online database and webpage on the current City of Woodland Park webpage can easily be created and publicized to allow citizens to report wildlife incidents and conflicts. Additionally, Woodland Park Police Officers and Staff can utilize the system to report conflicts, incidents, etc.

- Flashing deer crossing warning signs need to be installed on stretches of Highway 67 and Highway 24 in Woodland Park where vehicle collisions are common. Sullivan et al. studied the effectiveness of these signs and found them to be efficient in reducing collisions when used in conjunction with other active management strategies. (Sullivan et al, 2019)

MDTF Hunt Plan: Additional Recommendations

Questions / Comments

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