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bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2652 Location: Colorado

Like the subject says, what happens when land is claimed by the government as federal wilderness? Does this mean no hunting, like national parks? I'm curious because of the wrangling going on in Moffat County (northwest colorado)....

The roads less traveled

[ This Message was edited by: bitmasher on 2003-07-27 22:50 ]

expatriate · Joined: 26 Oct 2002 Posts: 1520 Location: Alaska

I believe you can still hunt in wilderness areas, but you can't bring in vehicles or ATVs (which would make a lot of folks on this site happy). If you recall, gunslinger338 did his goat hunt in the Bob Marshall Wilderness last fall.

Wilderness areas are somewhere between National Forests and National Parks. They're protected from development, but still available for other purposes.

[ This Message was edited by: expatriate on 2003-07-28 04:33 ]

donmillion · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 394 Location: Colorado

Right. Hunting is allowed in wilderness areas. I do a lot of hunting in wilderness areas here in Colorado. The limitation is no motorized vehicles of any kind in wilderness areas. That means packing it in and out--either on your back or on horseback. Also, you will not find any kind of improved campgrounds in a wilderness area--no latrines, no running water, no nothing!

gunslinger338 · Joined: 20 Jul 2002 Posts: 117 Location: Montana

wilderness is by foot or hoof. No chainsaws no mountain bikes. Leave no trace pack it in pack it out. Dismantle your fire ring ect. But well worth the energy you put into a backcountry hunt. Very limited presure a lot of land and few hunters.

swollen tongue · Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2003 11:58 am Post subject:

Your all correct on wilderness designations....as an outfitter, I operate totally in a wilderness area.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2652 Location: Colorado

Yeah I should have remembered about Gunslinger, although I thought the Bob Marshall area was a state park.

With all the various "designations" (state, national, federal, park, monument, refuge, wilderness) it gets a bit confusing about which does or does not allow hunting.

donmillion · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 394 Location: Colorado

It can be confusing. I asked about that when I took my hunter education course some years back. What the instructor told me is that, basically, if it doesn't have the word "park" anywhere in the name then you can hunt there.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2652 Location: Colorado

Thanks Don, that is easy enough to remember.

expatriate · Joined: 26 Oct 2002 Posts: 1520 Location: Alaska

I'm not so sure about that. I think the word "monument" rules out hunting, too.

donmillion · Joined: 27 Feb 2003 Posts: 394 Location: Colorado

Could be. I don't know if we have any "Monuments" in Colorado and that may be why he didn't mention it.

expatriate · Joined: 26 Oct 2002 Posts: 1520 Location: Alaska

You're probably right. I was thinking of places outside Colorado, like Grand Staircase/Escalante, etc.

swollen tongue · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 9:19 am Post subject:

Hmmmm...........Colorado does have national monuments. there is dinosaur National monument near Elk Springs and there is Colorado National monument near Grand Junction. The Black canyon of the Gunnison used to be a National monument, but now is a National Park since about 2001. There is also Recreation Areas administrated by the National Park Service. Dept. of the Interior, Blue Mesa Lake is one of them.