I just received my CO cow tag in the mail. I remember buying a CO Habitat stamp also when I applied for the cow tag. Is the habitat stamp a separate (physical) tag or is it implicit that you purchased the required habitat tag if you hold a drawn tag?

thanks,

claybreaker:

There is no separate habitat stamp in Colorado. You should see a capital H on your license. That indicates that you have met your habitat stamp requirement.

KC

I see that they went to a one stamp a year for $10 and not the first two tags for $5 each. Though I haven't looked at the price since the first year they came out with the habitat stamp. I just went ahead and purchased the lifetime stamp for $200, looks like it was a wise investment since they went up to $300 for the lifetime. I wonder how long it will be until they raise the price on the yearly habitat stamp.

There is a capital H on mine! Would have been nice if they had explained that so we wouldn't all wonder!

I thought mine last year listed the habitat stamp separately. I had the same question thus year. Got the H so all is well. Except I still don't know where to apply for deer with the leftover draw letter....

LOL... wish they would stick with one way... I bought my habitat stamp first and have a seperate stamp in hand.. send to me a couple months ago... My elk license does not have the "H" on it, but i have another stamp.. Thanks know now what to look for in the future...so many stamps so little time ...

Just another revenue stream for the DOW.Once again the hunters are shouldering all the cost. Nonhunters don't buy them.Same thing with the Search and Rescue feee. A hunter pays it every tinme they buy a tag, so I have to buy 6 a year.The nonhuinter usually does not buy any.Figures show a paultry number of hikers/nonhunters buy them and yet they are never charged for the seach and rescue if they don't have one.
If caught by a DOW officer on land that requires a Habitat stamp,they just ask you to leave,no citation.

Seems like the search and rescue fee at a minimum, would be required by ANY user of the public lands.... but don't try to apply common sense.

Thanks for the replies,...mine has the "H".

Dear CO DOW,
I little extra ink would have help me and others.

Just as a quick side bar....The Colorado Division of Wildlife is entirely funding through the purchase of tags, stamps, licenses, gear, etc. They have no line item on the State general fund. Seems to me, it's worth the investment to keep DOW afloat.

Also, the search and rescue fee goes into a fund that is used by search and rescue organizations for funding. Generally, there is no fee for a search and rescue. Each county sheriff has a statutory obligation to provide search and rescue in Colorado. Most of the county sheriffs use all volunteer groups, who purchase thier own equipment and receive very little funding from the counties. They can apply for funding to the state search and rescue board for money, and that comes from the S&R surcharge.

- Randy

Colorado Oakie.The problem is that a lot of those funds go towards nonhunting expenditures which non hunters do not contribute to.They therefore get a free ride on the backs of hunters. Of course that isn't anything new.

Typical example.Every hunter has to pay the S&R and education fee with every license they buy. Non hunters,typically do not pay the seach and rescue fee even once and typically very few ever get charged for being rescued

Saddlesore,
True enough that the funds support a wide range of activities the DOW is involved in. Research, education and hunter outreach, among others. I volunteer in the DOW's hunter outreach program. This comes at no cost to the participants. While I appreciate your viewpoint and understand your frustration, I believe very deeply in the outreach program, as it helps develop ethical hunters who might not have the chance to experience the great outdoors otherwise. Also, I believe the research and conservation is necessary (as is hunting) to preserving the wildlife for future generations to enjoy. I don't mind paying for it a little.

As far as non-hunters not paying the education and S&R fee? What do you mean? I've got both on my fishing/small game license.

- Randy

Randy.The fishing/small game license is a "hunting" license. The Out Reach program is for hunting.

What I am talking about is al the people who don't have to buy a habitat stamp or S$R fee ,and yet benifit from those who do.

rost495:

I agree that all who enjoy the wilderness should bear an equal share of the burden for S&R operations. The problem is how to charge the fee to nonhunters who hike, climb, camp, backpack, sightsee, etc., on public land. There's no vehicle currently existing to charge nonhunters and maybe that's in our (hunters) best interest.

IMO it's a good idea that hunters pay all the burden of wildlife management and search and rescue operations because we can always use that to illustrate our commitment to wildlife and wilderness. PETA and tree huggers pay nothing towards those efforts. All they offer is lip service. So long as hunters pay for wildlife management and S&R we will be able to enjoy our sport because it's the only vehicle available to generate a revenue stream for those efforts. Maybe we ought to keep it that way.

KC

A fishing license includes the S&R fee, as does the habitat stamp.

Anyone using state lands needs to buy a habitat stamp. Not just hunters.

It's true that hunters (and fishermen) shoulder the majority of the load for wildlife management and conservation. That's something that hunters can be proud of and we should also let the general public know at every opportunity, more as a positive reflection on hunters than a negative reflection on the general public. That's just not gonna be productive.

Actually, there are two, the Habitat Stamp and the CORSAR card:

http://dola.colorado.gov/dlg/fa/sar/sar_purchase.html

Gotcha. I see your point.

-Randy

+1

Smokepole - FYI in 2009, Gov. Ritter signed SB 235 repealing the requirement for folks (non-hunters/anglers) using state lands to purchase habitat stamps (http://www.csmla.org/wildlife/Final_SB_235_Sent_to_Gov.pdf)
There is a provision for "non-sportsmen" to voluntarily purchase a Colorado Wildlife Passport for $25. That said, my local DOW doesn't know anything about the passport and where to buy.

I agree with Saddlesore, Smokepole and the rest in that hunters and anglers are carrying the financial load for the rest of the outdoor recreationalists.

Hunters actually carry the load, hunting fills shortfalls in the angling. There was a voluntary line on the state tax form, may still be there, for people to give funds to the DOW. That was put there for non-hunter/anglers to help out. You can guess how that worked out, along with any other voluntary thing that greenies could help out with.