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Gary Buffington
Director
Larimer County Parks and Open Lands
1800 S. County Road 31
Loveland, Colo. 80537
January 5, 2004
Dear Director Buffington,
During the winter and early spring of 2004, the Colorado Division of
Wildlife will be conducting chronic wasting disease management
activities in the northeast portion of Colorado. These activities are a
continuation of previous management activities of the past two years
that have focused on addressing the disease in areas where infection
rates are above average. The goals of Division of Wildlife’s disease
management program in these areas are to remove infected animals, ensure
that highly infected herds do not grow in number and work to reduce the
spread of the disease. In many areas, these efforts are undertaken by
public hunters, through disease management licenses and extended
seasons. However, on properties not accessible to public hunters, the
Division of Wildlife – in cooperation with public and private land
managers and owners – has taken on the task of removing animals from
highly infected herds.
As you are aware, many of Larimer County’s Parks and Open Lands
properties provide habitat for deer herds that possess high infection
rates of chronic wasting disease. During the past two years, the county
and Division of Wildlife have worked cooperatively to manage the disease
in these herds. In doing so, we have been effective in removing diseased
animals from these highly infected areas.
Below is a summary of the Division of Wildlife’s removal activities on
Larimer County properties. The percentages listed are approximations and
apply only to the sample of deer taken from each property. Infection
rates of herds on Larimer County properties or surrounding areas should
not be extrapolated from these results. For reference, infection rates
in hunter-harvested deer in similar areas of Larimer County range from
approximately 6.5% to 7%.
During the past two years, the Division of Wildlife has removed deer
from four known chronic wasting disease hotspots on Larimer County Parks
and Open Lands properties: Redtail Ridge, Devils Backbone, Horsetooth
Mountain Park and Eagles Nest. Results are as follows:
Redtail Ridge: 27 deer removed, 5 infected for a sample infection rate
of approximately 18%.
Devils Backbone: 7 deer removed, 4 infected for a sample infection rate
of approximately 57%.
Horsetooth Mountain Park: 9 deer removed, 2 infected for a sample
infection rate of approximately 22%.
Eagles Nest: 14 deer removed, 4 infected for a sample infection rate of
approximately 28%.
In 2004, the Division of Wildlife wishes to continue its cooperative
effort with Larimer County in working to manage chronic wasting disease.
Specifically, the Division asks permission to remove 25% to 30% of the
deer inhabiting the Red Tail Ridge property, 12 deer from the Devils
Backbone property, 8 deer from Horsetooth Mountain Park and 12 deer from
the Eagles Nest property.
If you have questions concerning this request, please contact me.
Thank you.
Fred Quartarone
Northeast Region CWD Field Coordinator
Colorado Division of Wildlife
317 W. Prospect Road
Fort Collins, Colorado 80526
(970) 472-4437, 472-3337
fred.quartarone@state.co.us |