About The Valley: CPW Calendar Late Winter - Early Spring 2022

Description: (Press Play to watch video) In this episode of About The Valley Colorado Parks and Wildlife District Wildlife Manager Steve Keefer talks about upcoming hunting seasons, safety classes, and more from The Oxbow Wildlife Area.

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About The Valley: CPW Calendar Feb-March 2022

SECO News went on a tour of the Oxbow Wildlife Area with Steve Keefer and we took some time to talk about current hunting seasons, upcoming hunter safety classes and more.

SECO News: This is Adrian Hart with your Southeast Colorado News on seconews.org and this is "About The Valley" our podcast program dedicated to The People of Southeast Colorado and exploring the places in Southeast Colorado.

With me this morning we've got Steve Keefer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He oversees a lot of our parks and wildlife areas here in Southeast Colorado. So, Steve we've been touring the Oxbow Wildlife Area this morning. Of course we're going to have some photo galleries, we've got some video content and all that on the website. I just want to ask you about the basics at The Oxbow. What does the public need to know if they want to come utilize this great wildlife area?

Keefer: Sounds good, it is open to the public, because all of our wildlife management in Colorado is paid for through fees. Hunting and fishing licenses, taxes on hunting and fishing equipment. You are required if you are sixteen or older to have a hunting license, fishing license, or wildlife area access pass. 

We have hunting opportunities here. We have fishing, we have wildlife viewing, if you're going to come out...non-hunting and fishing people often bring their dogs, they do need to keep them under control on a leash unless they are actually using them while hunting.

Our hunting opportunities most common that people come out here for is deer, duck, turkey, and dove, but we also get people coming out for pheasant, quail, and goose. Anything that's here that you've got a license for and it's in season you can hunt. It's not restricted to those, but those are the most common.

SECO News: So, yeah if you've got your small game license and stuff that's in season come on out and the hunting opportunities coming back around to that.

Keefer: Oh yeah. Right now we've got dark and light goose seasons going through February 13, rabbits and bobcat seasons will go through the end of February, those are the primary hunting seasons going on. The big game and fishing brochures will be coming out in February, usually early to mid-February. You can start applying for big game licenses, limited licenses March 1st and that's also when the 2022 small game combination fishing licenses and spring turkey licenses will come out.

Also if you are interested in hunting you need to have a hunter's education card if you were born in 1949 or later. We've got hunter education classes coming up. The first one will be at the Kit Carson Fire House February 19th and 20th from 8 am to 4 pm both days, you do need to pre-register at our website cpw.state.co.us and for all of our hunter education classes you do need to attend the entire class and you do need to pre-register.

There will also be an internet conclusion hunter education class at the Baca County Fairgrounds on March 12th starting at 8 am, you must bring proof of completion of an approved online course portion, and you must pre-register through our website once again.

There will also be a hunter education class in La Junta on March 8th, 10th, 15th, 17th, and 21st. The first four days will be in the evening from 6 pm until 9 pm, the last one will be in the morning. The class is free, actually all of the classes I just listed are free. You need to attend all classes, once again. This one in addition to signing up if you have questions you can call the La Junta Police Department at (719) 384-2525. Many of the instructors are from there.

There will also be a survival 101 class at the Rocky Ford State Wildlife Area on February 26th. You need to sign up once again at cpw.state.co.us.

SECO News: Yup, and I can put some links in here too so we will put that at the bottom of the article.

Keefer: Yeah, that's one nice thing about doing it on the internet.

SECO News: From one of our great public lands here in Southeast Colorado, The Oxbow Wildlife Area, with Steve Keefer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, I'm Adrian Hart and This is "About The Valley."

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About The Valley: CPW Oxbow Wildlife Area

CPW: Free Firewood Available at Oxbow Wildlife Area

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