A greatly altered big-game hunting season approaches in Colorado.

Leading off Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s annual sporting brochure is a reminder of “unprecedented” changes in the state’s northwest region. That was how the agency described its decision to hold thousands of licenses it would otherwise offer for elk, deer and pronghorn, as announced in May.

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In the region covering Rangely, Meeker, Craig and other rural parts around Steamboat Springs up to the Wyoming border, those animals experienced what CPW called a “historically harsh winter,” possibly the worst in 70 years.

Deep, long-lasting snowpack “severely buried food,” the agency reported, going on to find survival rates for collared elk were “the lowest CPW has ever documented and below what CPW previously thought possible in elk.” Devastation was similar for deer and pronghorn, which CPW noted traveled into lower elevations, colliding with cars.

In the “severe winter zone,” as CPW has called the northwest region, certain game management units will see as much as an 89% reduction for elk tags, as much as a 94% reduction for deer tags and 83% fewer pronghorn licenses.

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CPW has recognized the financial hit posed by the reduction. The agency relies on revenues from hunting and fishing licenses for operations. Businesses in the rural northwest also depend on visiting hunters.

“These recommendations were not easy to make, and we know they will impact more than just CPW, including hunting opportunities and local economies,” Meeker Area Terrestrial Biologist Darby Finley said in a previous news release. “However, we believe these substantial reductions in licenses will allow herds to recover as quickly as possible.”

While shortened for some weeks in the “severe winter zone,” the state’s first rifle season runs Oct. 14-18, with other openings Oct. 28-Nov.4, Nov. 11-17 and Nov. 22-26.

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A recent CPW notice reminded hikers, cyclists, leaf peepers and off-roaders of hunting on shared lands. With the reductions in the northwest, the notice indicated areas could see “additional pressure” with hunters pushed out to different grounds.