Colorado Outdoors - the Podcast for Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Wilderness
Nature

Colorado
HIKING
Bears
Boating
mountain lion
wildlifeconservation
kayaking
colorado 14ers
mountain biking
wildlife management
State Parks
TRAILS
moose
elk
Rocky Mountains
deer
outdoor recreation
Fishing
wildlife
Hunting

CPW is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. The agency manages 43 state parks, all of Colorado's 960-plus wildlife species, more than 350 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs from hunting and fishing to the state’s trails program, boat registrations, snowmobiles, off-highway vehicles and more. All of its management is in perpetuity for the enjoyment of Coloradans and its visitors and this podcast is dedicated to telling the stories and happenings in Colorado's great outdoors!

S1E1: 1.1 - Director Dan Prenzlow - State of the Union on Colorado's Outdoors - Oct. 22, 2020

On this introductory episode of CPW's podcast - Colorado Outdoors - we go in-depth with Director Dan Prenzlow on conservation and balancing that with the explosion in population and thirst for outdoor recreation in Colorado. Prenzlow mentions how the outdoors have been an outlet during COVID and how CPW focused on ‘managing to yes’ to be open to the citizens of Colorado during the pandemic. With that, CPW has seen park visitation hit record numbers and fishing and hunting license sales are up. Wildlife topics are discussed, as is the opening of Fisher’s Peak, the newest state park in Colorado.

TOPICS DISCUSSED

2:57 - background on Dan Prenzlow and how he became Director of CPW

5:45 - his perspective on being the Director

7:37 - talking about conservation - the “wise use” of our natural resources

8:42 - wildlife that we manage and restoring wildlife species

12:45 - ballot initiative on the restoration of Gray Wolves

14:45 - balance between conservation and outdoor recreation

21:37 - the outdoors have been an outlet during COVID in the state of Colorado

24:47 - fishing and hunting license sales are up

26:20 - a hunting story on how it took him 20 years to draw a mountain goat license

30:10 - why it is so important that people do not feed or try to domesticate wildlife

32:03 - bear conflicts and management

34:06 - Fishers Peak State Park opening

S1E2: 1.2 - Fishers Peak State Park - Oct. 28, 2020

Fishers Peak is a new 19,200-acre state park in southern Colorado by Trinidad that connects grasslands to the east with foothills and mountains to the west, serving as a corridor for wildlife movement. For much of its modern history, the peak has been private property, part of a ranch that was off-limits to the public. But now it is owned by the state of Colorado. And when it opens on Friday, Oct. 30, it will be a place where visitors will be able to hike, hunt, mountain bike, watch wildlife and all the other activities that Colorado Parks and Wildlife properties have to offer.

S1E3: 1.3 - Wildfire impacts on wildlife - Nov. 6, 2020

2020 has seen the two largest wildfires in Colorado history and over 600,000 acres have burned across the Centennial State. Along with many of the obvious concerns that come with fires of such magnitude, additional concerns have been expressed towards the effects on wildlife. In the episode of Colorado Outdoors, we'll dive right into the pros and cons of wildfire as it relates to wildlife, aquatic life and the health of our forests.

Providing us with the context will be senior wildlife biologist for CPW's northeast region Shannon Schaller, northeast region senior aquatic biologist Jeff Spohn and Casey Cooley, who is CPW's forest habitat coordinator.

S1E4: 1.4 - Revisiting the lynx reintroduction in Colorado - Dec. 11, 2020

We flash back 20 years ago and discuss Colorado's efforts to reintroduce the Canada lynx in the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. We'll talk with Senior Wildlife Biologist Scott Wait, who was a part of the original reintroduction efforts as well as Eric Odell, CPW's Species Conservation Program Manager who gives us an update on how lynx are doing now in Colorado. And we ask if there are parallels that can be drawn from the lynx reintroduction to an upcoming wolf reintroduction, as Coloradans voted to pass Proposition #114 - The Restoration of Gray Wolves, a measure directing the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to develop a plan to reintroduce gray wolves west of the Continental Divide.

Topic list:

2:40 - motivation to reintroduce lynx back in the late 1990s

3:50 - planning process to reintroduce lynx

5:25 - where did the animals come from

6:43 - what was the transaction process to obtain the lynx for reintroduction

8:30 - criteria for the animals to bring to Colorado

9:40 - how does the process unfold for release

11:35 - Scott Wait’s memories of the first release

13:15 - figuring out where to release the lynx

14:45 - when did the lynx stop being released and why

16:55 - why is it important to have lynx in Colorado

17:50 - lynx dispersal after release and where can they be found now

18:40 - what makes for good lynx habitat

19:55 - the physical attributes of lynx

21:55 - how many lynx are in Colorado

23:50 - how does the species handle human disturbance from high levels of outdoor recreation

25:15 - can we learn anything from the lynx reintroduction and apply it to a wolf reintroduction

S1E5: 1.5 - Staunton State Park - Dec. 23, 2020

On this episode we will feature Staunton State Park, the second-newest park in the state system, which opened back in May of 2013. Park Manager Zach Taylor tells us about Staunton's myriad of outdoor recreation opportunities at the gorgeous, and expanding, park located just off Highway 285, about an hour west of Denver.

S1E6: 1.6 - Backcountry Winter Safety - Jan. 21, 2021

In this episode discusses how to get in front of backcountry danger in the winter.

Outdoor agencies across Colorado have seen an increase in park visitation and off-grid winter recreation. Recreating in the backcountry requires certain precautions and equipment to ensure a safe outdoor experience.

Podcast host Mark Johnson talks with two CPW experts on winter backcountry recreation. Ben Plankis is the trails coordinator for the northeast region of the agency and Michael Haskins is a park ranger at Chatfield State Park who assist backcountry search and rescue teams with rescue missions.

For more information on backcountry winter safety courses, visit colorado.com/WinterBackcountrySafety and take the Colorado Backcountry Winter Safety Pledge.

TOPIC LIST:

2:40 - what do people need to consider when they head up into the high country

3:56 - know before you go - Check Avalanche and Weather Forecast at colorado.gov/avalanche

4:37 - equipment to keep you safe should you be caught in an avalanche

5:40 - avalanche awareness classes

6:38 - what to know if new to Colorado

7:28 - what should you look for when in potential avalanche terrain

8:05 - advice for experienced backcountry visitors

9:40 - snow conditions this year and more people venturing out in the backcountry

10:10 - guidelines for heading up into the backcountry

11:38 - easy access into the backcountry can lead people into a false sense of security

12:30 - what to do/know/have if you need help

15:20 - COTREX trails app and cell phone GPS capabilities

S1E7: 1.7 - Ptarmigan Research in Colorado - Jan. 25, 2021

Amy Seglund is a species conservation coordinator based in Montrose who focuses on species that live in Colorado’s Alpine environment. She’s worked for Colorado Parks and Wildlife for 14 years. In 2018, she completed a report of a seven-year study of the White-tailed Ptarmigan -- a bird best-known for changing its color to white during the winter so that blends in with snow. The study showed that the bird is doing quite well in Colorado, but Amy is concerned about how climate change will affect the bird in the future.

S1E8: 1.8 - Chronic Wasting Disease - Feb. 17, 2020

Many of us have general knowledge of Chronic Wasting Disease. We know it is something that deer get and it is not good for them, but that is about where our knowledge ends. Let's find out more about CWD - its history, what it is exactly, what has been done in the past and where management is headed in the future. Dr. Mike Miller, the Senior Wildlife Veterinarian for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, is perhaps the world's leading expert on CWD and we tap into his knowledge and experience to learn more.

S1E9: 1.9 - Mountain Lions of Colorado - Feb. 21, 2021

Mountain lions are a fascinating yet elusive animal, but when they do pop on the radar they make for big headlines. Thanks to sound management practices implemented over the years, mountain lions are doing quite well in Colorado and the west. The challenge going forward will be balancing decreasing habitats and our exploding human populations, since we share the same spaces. In this episode we discuss that and more with Mat Alldredge, a wildlife researcher for CPW who is a leading expert on mountain lions.

Topic list:

2:00 - Mat Alldredge's history researching mountain lions

3:05 - biological lesson on mountain lions

4:45 - their elusive nature

6:05 - why did the agency produce an educational video series on lions

7:55 - helping the species recover from dwindling populations in the early 1900s

10:50 - mountain lions in urban environments

13:20 - what to do if you encounter a mountain lion

16:30 - Mat Alldredge’s encounters with mountain lions

18:00 - view of mountain lions

18:30 - groups of mountain lions

20:20 - what is the outlook of mountain lions in Colorado

22:45 - importance of hunting

S1E10: 1.10 - Moose, a reintroduction success story - March 1, 2021

In this episode we discuss moose - a reintroduction success story in the Centennial State - and what you need to know if you ever come across a moose in the Rockies.

Historical records dating back to the 1850s indicate that moose wandered into northern Colorado from Wyoming, but were transient and never established a stable breeding population. Most of the historic sightings involved hunters seeing and/or harvesting a single bull moose.

In 1978, state wildlife experts transplanted 24 male and female moose from Wyoming and Utah to create a breeding population in North Park and provide hunting opportunities. Additional moose from Wyoming, Utah and Colorado’s own growing population were introduced to other areas of western Colorado over the years, including to the northwest region of the state in 2005. The project succeeded in creating new hunting opportunities and a popular wildlife viewing option.