Boulder County this week announced that Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain will be closed to the public Monday through Wednesday, Sept. 21 through Jan. 27, for the elk management program, which includes limited hunting.
Boulder County commissioners at a public hearing on March 30 approved the extension of the plan, which during the season grants three hunters one-week access permits to hunt on open space. Each hunter was selected through a random drawing of Colorado Parks and Wildlife-licensed hunters who obtained the applicable license and who then declared interest in this program. Hunters were required to attend an orientation class and pass a shooting proficiency test, according to a county news release.
This hunting program is solely and specifically permitted as a resource management tool, according to the release There is no cost to hunters beyond their CPW licenses and Boulder County does not receive any revenue, according to the release. Recreational hunting at Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain or any other open space property is strictly prohibited.
If hunters are successful early in the week, the park will be reopened the following day. The park will also be open to the public:
- Nov. 23, through Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving week)
- Dec. 21, through Dec. 23 (Christmas week)
- Jan. 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
For more information about this program and the management goals at Ron Stewart Preserve, visit boco.org/elk or contact Jenny Dalton, Boulder County Parks and Open Space Elk Management hunt coordinator at [email protected] or 323-420-8551.
