As Colorado’s Front Range becomes more and more urbanized, the changing land uses are affecting the behavior of elk herds in the area. In some cases, they’re becoming residents and have stopped their seasonal migrations. For the golf courses where they end up spending their winters, the presence of elk (Cervus canadensis) can be costly. To better understand these elk and craft management plans for them, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is embarking on a five-year GPS collar study of the Clear Creek herd, using helicopters and ground darting to capture and collar them.
Watch CPW’s video below for more on the project and to see the team at work.