Benefits for all

It might surprise you, but hunting and fishing benefit Colorado year-round. However, not everyone recognizes the critical role sportspeople play in conservation, wildlife management and economic development in our state.

Supporting All of Colorado’s Wildlife Species

Though many aren’t aware, hunting and fishing are a big part of the Colorado we love. Their license fees provide most of the funding to protect and manage Colorado’s abundant and diverse wildlife populations − over 960 species. The revenue generated from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses supports many of our state’s wildlife management efforts, including threatened and endangered species programs, wildlife reintroductions and habitat conservation.

Habitat Management

Colorado is home to several stunning natural habitats. What is a habitat? A habitat is a combination of food, water, shelter and space arranged to meet the needs of wildlife. It is vital that we protect Colorado’s wildlife habitats, but it takes hard work − especially with more and more people enjoying the state’s wild spaces. Efforts to maintain and improve habitat conditions include dynamic management strategies and require coordination between a variety of conservation partners, management agencies and private landowners.

Resource
Conservation

State wildlife experts, scientists and biologists analyze the wildlife impact on natural ecosystems to better understand how growing and contrasting populations impact habitats. These findings help wildlife managers balance the number of hunting licenses distributed in order to sustain healthy wildlife populations with overpopulation, which could lead to starvation and disease.

Wildlife Crossings

In northwestern Colorado, an average of 65 animals were killed every year trying to cross State Highway 9 during seasonal migrations. This led not only to the death of the animals but to thousands of dollars in damage to the vehicles that hit them. To make this stretch of State Highway 9 safer for animals and people alike, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Department of Transportation and conservation partners, constructed multiple wildlife overpasses and underpasses along the migration corridor. In the first four years they were in place, almost 100,000 animals used the crossings, which led to a 90% reduction in wildlife/vehicle collisions. This is just one example of the work happening to make roads safer across the state. And it’s funded in part by hunting and fishing license fees.

Boosting Colorado’s
Economy

Hunters and anglers are an essential part of Colorado’s economy. Together, hunting and fishing bring over $3.25 billion to Colorado every year, impacting all 64 counties. Hunting and fishing also support more than 25,000 full-time jobs across the state, from small businesses to manufacturers to the tourism industry. License fees from hunting and fishing also support jobs in conservation, and allow Colorado’s conservation programs to operate without reliance on tax funding. Without hunting and fishing, these programs might have to be funded by Colorado taxpayers. Now that’s a wild thought.

Population Management

Colorado’s wildlife is thriving, thanks to wildlife management. As wildlife populations grow in our state, biologists and wildlife managers focus on keeping population numbers within what the habitat can support − also known as carrying capacity. Overpopulation makes wildlife more prone to starvation and introduces other health problems. Wildlife biologists are constantly counting big game herds and assessing whether enough food, water, shelter and space exist on the landscape to help sustain that number of animals. Sportspeople play a critical role in population management, as they help maintain wildlife population size for optimal health and sustainability.