Helicopter Surveys Underway to Count Game Across Southeast Colorado

Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists began low altitude helicopter flights on December 2 to survey big game herds across the Southeast Region from Trinidad to Leadville and east of Interstate 25. Airbus AStar and Bell JetRanger helicopters and contracted pilots supported the effort. The classification flights are intended to determine how many deer fawns and elk calves reached six months of age, a key indicator of herd health.

The results will feed into population models and management strategies, and they will influence the number of hunting licenses issued in the following calendar year. On parts of the survey area west of Interstate 25, crews combined aerial counts with capture work using nets or tranquilizer darts to place GPS collars on elk and mule deer for studies on survival and movement.

On the southeastern plains, CPW scheduled helicopter surveys over Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Prowers and Baca counties, and planned flights over drainages from Pueblo to the Kansas line to study deer, elk and bighorn sheep. Trinidad and surrounding areas in Las Animas County fall within the Southeast Region covered by the operation. CPW emphasized the helicopters would only hover briefly in areas to count and categorize herds.

For Las Animas County residents the survey has several practical implications. Hunters and outfitters have a direct interest in the resulting license allocations and season settings that derive from these counts. Ranchers and residents may notice short duration helicopter activity in and around drainages and private property, and property owners concerned about livestock disturbance or safety will likely want clarity on timing and routes.

The aerial collaring work west of Interstate 25 also has research value for long term wildlife management, providing data on survival rates and movement patterns that can shape habitat and access decisions. At the same time the use of capture methods increases the need for clear public communication about where operations will occur and what safeguards are in place.

Residents seeking more information about flight timing, survey routes or the research objectives should contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Transparency about schedules and local effects will be important for balancing public safety, private property concerns and the scientific aims that guide hunting regulations and conservation planning.