Aircraft To Survey Deer In Southeast Colorado

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The Colorado Division of Wildlife is advising residents and hunters in the state's southeastern counties that biologists will be using a low-flying helicopter to conduct annual aerial deer surveys Colorado in the coming weeks.

Flight dates are weather-dependent, but generally, the flights will start around December 15 and continue until December 22 in Crowley, Kiowa, Pueblo, Otero, Bent, Prowers, Bent and Las Animas counties.

Aerial deer surveys are part of an on-going DOW effort to monitor the deer population in the state.

"The counts are done this time of year to take advantage of potential for snow cover, which makes it a lot easier to spot deer from the air," said terrestrial biologist Trent Verquer. "Also, most bucks will still have their antlers. That helps us differentiate bucks from does and fawns."

Understanding the ratio of bucks to does and fawns helps biologists estimate herd health and composition. The data collected will be incorporated in the DOWs game management models used to determine the number of hunting licenses issued.

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