CPW Commissioner’s Meeting, March 14, 2024
2025-2029 Big Game Season Structure (BGSS) Preliminary Alternatives & Staff Recommendations
This meeting took place today and below are my notes on the key items discussed.
2025-2029 Big Game Season Structure (BGSS) Preliminary Alternatives & Staff Recommendations
This meeting took place today and below are my notes on the key items discussed.
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The BGSS planning process is a critical component of big game management and big game hunting regulation development and determines 1) what, when, and where various types of big game hunting opportunities are available and 2) how the timing of these opportunities are divided among hunters. The current BGSS expires at the end of 2024.
The BGSS on-going planning process:
1) Preliminary Recommendations (Today)
2) Additional Meeting to allow further Public Comments (April)
3) Draft Recommendations (May)
4) Final Approval (June)
Discussion Topics/Recommendations:
(Reminder … these are only Preliminary Recommendations, NOT decisions.)
1) Early Seasons
Recommendation: Status Quo (all early seasons begin 2 Sept) plus an additional Optional stand-alone limited archery antlered deer season. This would be a new Archery Deer season from 15 Aug - 1 Sept which would be separate from Elk (it will use a portion of current archery licenses …. not additional licenses).
2) Regular Rifle Seasons (Deer & Elk west of I-25 + GMU 140)
**Recommendation: Revert to the Previous 2015-2019 BGSS for season dates and longer seasons (1st season: 5 days, 2nd: 9 days, 3rd: 9 days, 4th: 5 days). This provides a second weekend during 3rd season and deconflicts Thanksgiving from 4th season. This only allows a 2-day gaps between seasons.
Rationale: The current 2020-2024 BGSS seasons are shorter and overlap Thanksgiving with larger gaps between seasons, which makes deer and elk too vulnerable therefore is not sustainable.
3) First Rifle Deer Season
Recommendation: Create optional, limited deer hunting during the first rifle season when necessary to meet biological objectives and/or social management objectives (hunt deer & elk together). Not statewide, would be optional and determined on a herd-by-herd basis (DAUs).
4) Second Rifle Pronghorn Season
Recommendation: Create a second (currently there’s only 1 season) 9-day rifle pronghorn season starting the 3rd Saturday in October. Not statewide, would be optional and determined on a herd-by-herd basis (DAUs). Would distribute current license allocations between both seasons, not add additional licenses. It would probably only be used East of I-25.
5) Limitation of Over-the-Counter Elk Licenses: They only considered units which are currently OTC.
A: Limitations of OTC Archery
**Alternative 1: (Recommended) Limit ALL resident & nonresident archery licenses (limited licenses are available through the Draw). (No more OTC
Archery). Note: These is the least preferred option by resident hunters.
- Alternative 2: Limit only Nonresident archery licenses (limited licenses are available through the Draw). Status quo OTC for residents.
Note: Nearly ALL of the resident (and even nonresident) Public Comments adamantly supported this option and request the Commissioners
support resident hunters.
- Status Quo: No Change
B: Limitations of OTC Rifle
- Alternative 1: Limit ALL resident & nonresident rifle licenses (limited licenses are available through the Draw).
- Alternative 2: Limit only Nonresident rifle Licenses (limited licenses are available through the Draw). Status quo OTC for residents.
- **Status Quo: (Recommended) No Change
6) Administrative Changes – Cow Moose
Recommendation: Optional Late Cow Moose Season that is additional to the regular October 1-14 moose rifle season and is valid for all regular rifle deer and elk seasons when necessary to meet management for moose.
7) Administrative Changes – PLO Black Bear
Recommendation: Modify the existing language to clarify that PLO rifle bear licenses are not required to be unlimited OTC for every population/DAU (managers could still choose an unlimited PLO OTC strategy).
8) BGSS Cycle Length
Recommendation: Status Quo, maintain the current 5-year cycle length.
