The Colorado Division of Wildlife is reminding hunters who want to take advantage of warming weather that 2011 small-game licenses are now on sale. While seasons for the 40 species of small game that are hunted in Colorado run throughout the year, small-game licenses, like fishing licenses, are good from April 1 through March 31.
Once a small-game license is purchased, hunters must still validate the license by registering with the Harvest Information Program to obtain a HIP number, according to a statement from the division of wildlife. During the registration process, hunters will be asked a series of questions regarding their waterfowl hunting results from the previous seasons, as well as questions about their likelihood of hunting species like sage grouse, ptarmigan and light geese during the coming year.
HIP is easy-to-use and provides the division with information we need to efficiently monitor harvest of our small game species, Ed Gorman, small game manager for the division of wildlife, said in the statement from the agency. This year, were working with a new vendor to make our HIP program even more convenient for hunters.
In addition to providing information to division of wildlife biologists, survey answers help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collect migratory bird harvest data nationwide.
Conversion to the new system is nearly complete. As of Friday, hunters are able to register for their 2011 HIP number online. Phone registrations, featuring a live operator, will again become available in mid-April.
A small-game license in Colorado entitles hunters to pursue upland birds like pheasant, dove and quail, as well as ducks, geese and other migratory waterfowl with the purchase of annual state and federal duck stamps. Other small-game species hunted in Colorado include coyote, rabbit, squirrel, prairie dogs and rattlesnakes. Most species have limited seasons and limits on the number of animals that a hunter can harvest.
Purchase of a $10 Habitat Stamp is also required with the purchase of the first hunting or fishing license of the 2011 season.
Small-game hunters can sign up for a HIP number using the new system by going to www.colohip.com, or through the division of wildlife website at http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/HarvestInformationProgram/.
Answers to some frequently asked questions about HIP are available at http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/HarvestInformationProgram/HIPFAQ.htm.
To view or download the division of wildlifes complete 2011 Small Game Hunting Brochure, visit http://wildlife.state.co.us/NR/rdonlyres/780A905D-8639-4EB1-BBA0-20BBE1F915A8/0/smallgame.pdf.
For more information about division of wildlife, go to http://wildlife.state.co.us.