DOW ASKS MOTORISTS TO WATCH OUT FOR WILDLIFE

~ Colorado wildlife officials are reminding motorists to watch out for elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and other species migrating from range to range and across state roadways this spring. ~


Wildlife officers working in the Roaring Fork River region in northwest Colorado are so used to seeing dead animals on Colorado Highway 82, many consider the stretch of road between Glenwood Springs and Aspen a killing ground for wildlife.

The frequency with which elk and deer turn up as roadkill on the scenic highway—especially at dawn and dusk—has prompted state highway officials to erect mobile electronic billboards to flash warnings to motorists. Even so, the move has not guaranteed the safety of motorists driving the busy road or animals attempting to cross it, regional wildlife managers said.

“The billboards are up, but the animals are still getting pounded,” said Sonia Marzec, a district wildlife manager in the Glenwood Springs office of the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW). “Morning and evening are foraging times. It’s also the time of day when people are going to work or coming home from work.”

Set up by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the billboards are part of an ongoing, statewide effort to warn the public of the dangers of crashing into wildlife on roadways. Experts warn that such accidents can maim or kill animals and seriously injure or kill motorists and their passengers. With spring fast approaching—when wildlife migrate from range to range—DOW officers are reminding citizens to drive with care when traveling on Colorado roads.

To address roadkill problems on Colorado 82, the DOW and CDOT are working on a project to widen lanes on the roadway to include wildlife fencing, underpasses, and other long-term solutions. As it turns out, engineers built some state highways on winter range or across migration routes, but did not include wildlife-friendly features.

“Traffic wasn’t as heavy, speeds weren’t as high. There were probably even fewer animals, especially elk,” said Pat Tucker, area wildlife manager in Glenwood Springs. “In the last few years, all these problems have increased. Raising the speed limits to 65-75 has cut down on reaction time, making it harder for motorists to avoid collisions.”

As Colorado’s population grows, human-wildlife encounters are likely to increase. In fact, vehicle-animal crashes are garnering more public attention nationwide. According to State Farm Insurance, some 700,000 vehicle-animal collisions in the United States annually kill about 120 people, leave another 10,000 with bodily injuries and cause about $1.2 billion in damage. The insurance company Web site cites reports by the Insurance Information Institute and the National Safety Council.

In Colorado, animal-caused crashes—which include wildlife and domestic animals—were cited as the No. 3 reason for road accidents in 2001, behind No. 1 inattentive driving, and No. 2 excessive speeds, according to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP).

A CSP spokeswoman said the agency does not keep exact statistics on how many crashes occur due to collisions between vehicles and deer, elk and other wildlife. However, she said most animal-caused accidents in Colorado likely involve large game on mountain roads. Each spring and fall in Colorado, herds of elk, deer, bighorn sheep and other species migrate from range to range at dawn and dusk in search of a mate, food, or a place to rest. In the process, they cross country lanes, suburban streets, backcountry roads—and even interstate highways.

As part of its efforts to address vehicle-animal collisions, CDOT is using special reflectors on a small stretch of U.S. Highway 36 north of Boulder to keep deer off the highway at a cost of $5,700 in 1996. Since then, the devices—which reflect auto headlights in crossbeams that spook animals—have been credited with cutting down vehicle-animal collisions by 60 percent, said CDOT regional spokesman Mike Day.

Despite the use of such innovations, Day said deer continue to wander into headlights. In addition, the system is expensive to maintain due to natural wear and tear and vandalism. CDOT has no immediate plans to install the reflectors elsewhere.

In the event of a crash, wildlife officers note that edible meat from roadkill does not have to go to waste. State law allows citizens to recover edible portions of road-killed game animals. To keep the meat, a person must obtain a roadkill permit from the DOW within 48 hours of the accident. Most law-enforcement officers have the authority to issue a roadkill permit at the scene of an accident investigation.

Meanwhile, certain wildlife species may not be possessed as roadkill, including threatened and endangered animals, federally protected birds such as owls, eagles and other raptors, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. Those who have questions about a road-killed animal should contact a wildlife officer in their area.

When vehicle-wildlife collisions do occur, the results are often gruesome. Trina Lynch, a district wildlife manager in western El Paso County, recalls a recent crash on Interstate 25 near the Air Force Academy, in which a semi-tractor trailer rig slammed into a herd of five elk crossing the highway.

Patt Dorsey, an area wildlife manager in Durango, said stretches of U.S. highways 160 and 550 near the southwestern Colorado tourist town are “major kill zones,” where elk and deer carcasses provide scavengers with impromptu food supplies. On U.S. 550 near Montrose, wildlife crossings also pose problems for travelers.

“There has been a lot of public concern about the roadkill issue on Highway 550 between Montrose and Ridgway,” said district wildlife manager Kelly Crane. “Deer—and this year elk—are the problem, along with the high volume of traffic.”

Crane said roadkills are also a big concern in the Cedaredge region, and on Colorado 92, on Rogers Mesa west of Hotchkiss.

Mark Caddy, another Montrose-based wildlife manager, said a lot of deer and elk turn up dead on Colorado 145, between the junction with Colorado 141 to the top of Norwood Hill, and Colorado 141 from the junction south to Gyp Gap.

J Wenum, a wildlife manager in the Gunnison region, said a high number of wildlife-vehicle incidents occur in the Gunnison Basin, including on roads between Gunnison and Crested Butte, and along U.S. 50 east of Gunnison near Blue Mesa Reservoir.

To educate the public, DOW wildlife officers have identified the following highways as major wildlife corridors:

-- Colorado 82, between Glenwood Springs and Aspen;
-- U.S. 36 north of Boulder;
-- I-25 near Colorado Springs;
-- U.S. 160 and 550 near Durango;
-- Colorado 92, between Hotchkiss and Delta;
-- Colorado highways 145 and 141 in the Naturita area;
-- U.S. 50 east of Gunnison and near Blue Mesa Reservoir;
-- Colorado 135, between Gunnison and Crested Butte;
-- Colorado 133, between Hotchkiss and Bowie;
-- Colorado 13, from Rifle to Meeker and north to Craig.
-- Colorado 64, from Meeker and north to Dinosaur National Monument;
-- U.S. 40, between Dinosaur National Monument and Craig;
-- Colorado 96 near Westcliffe.

Wildlife officers have several tips to offer motorists, including:

-- Pay extra attention at dawn and dusk, when animals tend to migrate from one place to another;
-- If you see one animal, expect another;
-- While these accidents can occur anywhere, there are known problem areas. Know where they are and be extra careful;
-- Pay attention to signs. They are there for a reason;
-- Flash your lights at oncoming traffic to warn them if there are animals on the road;
-- Slow down!


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