outdoors

Conditions Report - Statewide

Rivers and Creeks

If you ever wanted to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow, your chance is coming as Colorado Parks and Wildlife hosts a free archery clinic for all ages August 17.

CPW officers will provide the equipment and expertise, at the session scheduled 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Friday, August 17.  This event will be held at the agency Work Station in Buena Vista, at the corner of U.S. Highway 24 and DePaul Street on the south side of Buena Vista.

Thanks to donations, Colorado Operation Game Thief is increasing the reward offer from $5,000 to $15,000 for information leading to an arrest or citation in the case of two mountain goats that were shot and found dead July 3, approximately 2.8 miles up the Quandary Peak Trail.

Recently, as I was exploring Cheyenne Mountain State Park, I spotted a large dead tree still standing, thanks to a smaller tree that was holding it up - its branches wrapped around the dead tree's trunk. 

The dead tree had scars made years ago by barbed-wire fencing. The barbed wire was long since removed, but the scars remained.

Of course, we don't use barbed wire much in state parks. It was a remnant of the cattle ranch that existed here for decades before this property for became a state park in 2006.

Media reports of bear interactions with people or around homes have frequently been shared this year.  The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) websiteprovides valuable resources for those exploring the Colorado outdoors.  Learn how to be "Bear Aware" and enjoy a safe hike, camping trip or unexpected encounter near home.  If you are camping or hiking west of Interstate 25 there's a good chance you are in bear country.  According to the CPW website, "Bears that learn that people have food routinely visit c

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating the mysterious die-off of hundreds of common carp that surfaced recently in the waters around Turkey Creek in Lake Pueblo State Park.

There is no obvious reason for the die-off, which was first discovered July 27 when park rangers on a routine boat patrol noticed approximately 10 dead carp in the area.

By Sunday evening, park visitors were reporting seeing "dozens and maybe hundreds of dead carp" in the Turkey Creek area on the far west edge of the lake on its north banks.

Fishing Closures in Colorado

Due to high water temperatures and low flows, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is implementing voluntary fishing closures on several stretches of rivers in Colorado. The fishing closure are effective immediately, until further notice.

Colorado landowners who want to protect environmentally valuable private forest areas that could someday be threatened by development or conversion to other non-forest uses - and who desire to receive monetary compensation in the process - now have the opportunity to submit proposals to protect their forestlands.