;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; we were actually
participating in such a ludicrous
and time-wasting endeavor. For
the past 12 years as a conserva-
tion officer for the Colorado
Division of Wildlife, every time
I made a recommendation for a
big game or any other season I
had to back up my recommenda-
tions with aerial surveys, both
fixed wing and helicopter counts,
ground range transects and pellet
group counts, and hunter success
surveys and general day-to-day
observations in my assigned area.
;;;;;;;;;;
5$$;#//.% 9;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
mately 44,000 picas roaming the
timberline meadows and rockslides
of his district. My estimate was 4. 4
million of the miniature beaver-looking little critters. The biologist
gave us hell for being glib with our
answers and informed us in no
uncertain terms this was important
stuff. Ha! “I knew you were going
to ask us about the pica population in my district so I counted
every one of the little boogers last
week and my answer is right on
the money, give or take a percent
or two,” I informed him, totally fed
up with this exercise in futility.
I could just visualize several years
down the road, when some grad
student at Colorado State University is perusing the division computer
data and comes across this vast
differentiation in pica populations
between two similar high-country
areas and bases his master’s thesis
on our totally spurious estimates.
Welcome to the wonderful world
of computers and the modern
world of wildlife management!
I quit the division shortly after
this venture into the world of com-puter-game management because
of the bull dookie and politics that
was becoming more and more prev-
