DENVER (KDVR) — Coloradans might notice low-flying helicopters in the coming months.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists will be conducting wildlife research projects and population surveys, for which helicopters are a key tool, CPW said in a release Friday.
Wildlife researcher Nathaniel Rayl said they do this research in the winter because lower temperatures and snowfall make better conditions for capturing animals.
“Elk, moose, deer and pronghorn prefer cooler temperatures and are actually less stressed than if we were to capture in the summer when they may overheat and die. The deeper snow cushions the animal and helps prevent injuries, and they don’t run as far, making capture easier and quicker,” Rayl said.
Here are some of the research plans CPW has laid out for this winter.
Big-game species classification
Starting this month and lasting through February, CPW will conduct classification flights across the state for big-game species like deer, elk and bighorn sheep.
This allows CPW researchers to generate population estimates and assess young animal recruitment within a population. CPW said survey flights have little impact on the wildlife, only causing a disturbance that lasts a few minutes.
“The classification flights will be critical to help us understand how last winter’s weather conditions may have affected birth rates and survival of elk calves and fawns last summer,” said Brad Banulis, CPW Northwest Region senior wildlife biologist.
Researchers use that data to help CPW manage robust and healthy big-game populations, as they are always on the lookout for animal welfare, according to the release.
Radio collars on deer in southwestern Colorado
CPW plans to put radio collars on 30 doe mule deer in La Plata County and San Juan County. The collars help researchers to understand survival rates and cause-specific mortality, which CPW said benefits multiple studies.
Depending on weather conditions, CPW plans to do this on Dec. 20.
Radio collars on deer, elk across Western Slope
Through this winter, CPW plans to do more monitoring along the Western Slope.
Researchers will put collars on deer and elk around Gunnison, Montrose, Meeker and Kremmling.
“Collecting survival rates and understanding cause-specific mortality is essential work for our wildlife biologists,” said Jamin Grigg, CPW senior wildlife biologist.
GPS collars on elk calves, pregnant cow elk
CPW plans to put GPS collars on 75 elk calves and 120 pregnant cow elk during March when the animals are early in the gestation period so there will be no effect on the cow or calf.
This will include the Bear’s Ears herd in northwest Colorado, the Avalanche Creek herd in the Roaring Fork Valley and the Uncompahgre herd west of Montrose.
They capture elk calves with net guns. CPW said that once captured, the collar is placed and the animal is quickly released. As for pregnant elk, CPW researchers use the helicopter to transport elk to a nearby processing area, where they are given a CPS collar and an implant.
CPW does this to track the elk’s pregnancy and calf survival, which helps researchers understand survival and cause-specific mortality in different areas of the state.
“The data we collect from these efforts is critical to help us proactively manage elk populations in the state,” Rayl said.
CPW said they would not do captures or classification flights if they were harmful to the animals.
“We appreciate the public’s understanding of why they may be seeing helicopters throughout the state. If you see a low-level helicopter surveying wildlife, know that it’s CPW biologists out surveying the herds and getting out these important radio collars or tracking changes to our wildlife populations,” Grigg said.
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