Adrian Archuleta - Colorado Parks & Wildlife

Adrian Archuleta from the Colorado Parks & Wildlife spoke to us at the Rotary Meeting last week.   The Colorado Parks & Wildlife is responsible to manage our renewable resources in a manner that benefits users who enjoy these public areas in a wide variety of ways. Mr. Archuleta was able to show us some interesting maps of the movement of mule deer in and around the Pagosa Springs area obtained through radio-collar deer captures.  During the capture process, helicopter pilots fly over herds, drop nets over does and fauns, land and collar the animals quickly before freeing them.  The faun collars are designed to drop off after six months, and the adult collars after a longer period.  The process has enabled biologists to track the deer and again insights into their migration.  While wildlife populations are cyclical, substantial growth in particular areas can impact these animals traditional migration patterns. These studies will be used in a number of ways to mitigate those impacts.