Colorado Parks and Wildlife is preparing to take flight across the Western Slope this winter to study various animals including elk, deer, moose, wolves and bighorn sheep. 

In December, the agency will kick off the final year of an eight-year research project on elk calf survival and cause-specific mortality across different study areas in the state. These operations include using helicopter flights to capture and collar elk calves and bulls throughout the northwest.   

Starting Dec. 2, the agency will fly over Moffatt and Routt counties to collar elk from the Bear Ears herd. From there, the crews will transition to either the Uncompahgre Plateau in Montrose County or to the Avalanche Creek herd in Pitkin County depending on the weather. The study requires two days of flying in each area to complete. 

According to Nathaniel Rayal, a wildlife researcher with the agency, this work is conducted in the winter because the animals prefer cooler temperatures and are less stressed than in the summer when they are at threat of overheating. 

“The deeper snow cushions the animal and helps prevent injuries, and they don’t run as far, making capture easier and quicker,” Rayal said in a news release. “Conducting this work in the winter also allows us to gather critical information about pregnancy and body condition.”

In December and January, helicopter flights will also be used to study populations of deer, elk, moose and bighorn sheep across the state. Parks and Wildlife uses these flights to help estimate populations, sex ratios, birth rates and survival of young animals. 

In areas surrounding Gunnison, Montrose, Meeker and Kremmling, flights will also be used to collar additional deer and elk as part of long-term monitoring studies. Additional collaring work will take place on does in La Plata County and bighorn sheep in Del Norte for region-specific research. 

Parks and Wildlife uses flights of fixed-wing planes year-round to monitor its new population of gray wolves. In the winter, however, the wolves become more visible with snow cover on the ground, making the work slightly easier. This winter, biologists will also be conducting re-collaring efforts on its wolves if possible as it also prepares to reintroduce more wolves from January to March.