Concerns over hunting safety

Editor:

I have hunted elk and deer in the Gunnison Country for over 55 years and always strived to be a safe and ethical hunter. The importance of knowing your weapon and bullet and the range of that load, knowing what is beyond and behind the animal in your sights or scope, knowing where any other humans were, and taking the time to assure my shot was placed accurately, has always been of utmost importance to me, and to anyone who I have hunted with. I believe most hunters practice and agree with me and practice those same basic safety and ethical guidelines. Most. But from what I have witnessed from my home four miles north of Gunnison on Wednesday, Sept. 23 and heard again from my home on Sunday, Sept. 27, none of the aforementioned guidelines are necessary or important for CPW’s issuance of game damage vouchers which are allowing “hunters” to willingly discharge high-power hunting rifles within range of numerous homes and subdivisions, State Highway 135 and County roads, subdivision roads and other private lands with horses, cattle and other livestock. After calling CPW and the Gunnison County Sheriff to ask how this could be happening, I was told the hunters did have vouchers, and “hopefully they know what they are doing.” From the events that unfolded, apparently, they do not know that by firing a caliber rifle that is typically recommended for elk or deer, such as a .243, .270, 30.06, 30.30., 7 MM mag, .300, or .308, their bullet has a maximum projectile range of two miles to 3.5 miles. Said range effectively puts homes and motorists along County Road 730, homes and people in the subdivisions of Horse River Ranch, Ranches at Ohio Creek, Ohio Meadows, Fox Meadows, Sierra Vista Estates, North Elk Meadows Filings 1 and 2, Gunnison River Filing, and scores of other homes and roads and homes easily within that maximum projectile range. But do not take my word for it, simply look in the Hunter Education link Hunter-Ed under Unit 2, Topic 9: “Know Your Firearms Range” and “Maximum Projectile Range: Rifle” and view the table for yourself. Does CPW still require a Hunter Safety course and are not all hunters required to take and pass such a course. Why does this matter. On Sept. 23 I witnessed four or five hunters walking into a 110-acre private property that is bordered immediately by County Road 730 to the east, Horse River Ranch subdivision to the north, Ranches at Ohio Creek subdivision and Ohio Meadows subdivision to the west, and numerous homes and livestock to the south. This 110-acre parcel is approximately 0.5 miles wide east to west, and 0.33 miles long north to south. I heard six shots fired, four in rapid succession during this “hunt.” Two elk were taken, one of which ended up on a neighbors’ property. According to the manager of that neighbor’s property who was monitoring the event, his cows, home and horse were also within 300 to 400 yards of where the shots were fired, and in the background of each and every one of those shots. Some shots were as close as 300 yards. Six shots, two elk. Now I wonder where some of that lead ended up. And since my wife and I, my home and my horses were within 300 yards of at least four of those rifle shots, and since I know any of those big game high caliber rifles will still be packing nearly 70% of their muzzle velocity and over 50% of their foot pounds of energy at 500 yards away, we were all well within a kill zone. And we could have loaded up the horse and ourselves and driven another mile down the road, and we would have still been within the maximum projectile range. Then on Sunday, Sept. 27 on a parcel that is bordered by State Highway 135 and County Road 730 that the elk had moved to, elk were 500 yards to my south and east per my rangefinder, I counted eight more shots fired. That is considered safe to CPW or these hunters. I have lived in the lower Ohio Creek Valley for over 64 years. We have seen and had elk on or around our ranch numerous times over those years. CPW used to run them back up to Flattop or Antelope or try to so hunters could hunt them legally and safely in GMU 54. It tore up a few fences for certain. Wildlife officers would never let hunters shoot elk in our area because of all the homes and people living here. I know this because I was being asked by hunters if they could shoot an elk from my property and I told them no given the homes all around. I also called the Division of Wildlife, and they came out to my house and told the hunters the same thing. The only exception to this practice I have witnessed in the last 64 years was one occasion where a cow was caught up in a fence, and Officer Tom Henry asked my permission to walk across my property with a hunter and Tom made sure the hunter lined up the elk with a shed and a haystack behind it before he allowed him to shoot that wounded cow. That I understand. But this new CPW policy of issuing vouchers in the middle of a predominantly residential neighborhood I simply do not understand. I do not mind fixing fence, but I do mind worrying about dodging or actually dodging bullets. What is next. Letting anyone in a subdivision sight in their hunting rifle on their own property.