Episode 12 - Colorado Mule Deer – Marty Holmes and Andy Holland

This week, Steve and Jodi talk about Colorado’s mule deer with Marty Holmes, MDF’s Colorado regional director, and Andy Holland, Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s big game manager. Andy talks about how herd management planning and how that affects the limited license draw, while Marty talks about how important it is for hunters to be knowledgeable about and engaged in this process. With one of the fastest growing populations in the country, wildlife conservation and the future of hunting in Colorado is a challenge. Marty describes some of the key committees he participates on within the state on issues like conservation funding, balancing conservation and recreation, wildlife/transportation management to improve highway safety and wildlife corridors, and more. They also talk about the “Future Generations” act to increase revenue for Colorado Parks and Wildlife – since the interview was done at the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo, that legislation was signed into law by Governor Hickenlooper and will help with the long-term sustainability of the agency. Finally, we talk about new shed hunting regulations that are going into effect to reduce disturbance of wintering animals.