Colorado’s Byers Canyon Shooting Range Closes
OutdoorHub 01.08.13
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is advising that beginning Jan. 14, the Byers Canyon Shooting Range in Hot Sulphur Springs will close for the remainder of the cold weather season. The yearly, seasonal closure helps protect elk and deer herds that seek forage on range property during winter.
Cold weather and snow typically force deer and elk to lower elevations, putting them at higher risk for stressful encounters with humans. The range closure and other similar land closures throughout the state helps big-game animals avoid human-produced noise and activity, allowing them to search for food with minimal disturbance.
In addition, undisturbed big-game access to the shooting range benefits local agriculture producers by reducing the number of wintering elk and deer forced onto private lands in search of safety and food.
The range will remain closed until deer move toward higher ground in the spring, typically in early April.
Owned and operated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Byers Canyon Shooting Range is popular with hunters and shooting enthusiasts, especially prior to and during big game hunting seasons.
For more information, or to find an alternative shooting range, please visit: http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/ShootingRanges/Pages/ShootingRanges.aspx
