Why you need to follow seasonal closures
Ignoring seasonal closures unwittingly harms animal populations. Temporarily closing sensitive areas, including wildlife corridors, is for the protection of wildlife during winter and spring migrations. Wild animals need room to roam for day-to-day movements for feeding and resting, seasonal migrations, selective moves to new areas as populations grow, and large-scale shifts due to changing environmental conditions.
Any unnecessary movement can deplete wildlife fat stores to dangerous levels. Dogs running off-leash, fast-moving off-road vehicles, and other human-generated activities can cause severe stress to deer and elk during transitional times. The impact may be subtle at first, but severely stressed animals will eventually starve to death from insufficient stores of fat.
Feeding wildlife puts everyone at risk by creating:
- Dangerous unwanted guests
- Disrupted behavior – it prompts gathering which puts them in danger
- Disease – the spread of disease between wildlife and wildlife & live stock
- Health – “human food” can stop a wild animal’s digestive system
- more here
Living With Wildlife
In most situations, people and wildlife can coexist. The key is to respect the wildness of wildlife. “Wildlife” is just that—wild. Most dangerous and potentially harmful encounters occur because people fail to leave the animals alone.
Pitkin County Trail Activity
Wondering what’s happening on the trails in the winter? Motion-triggered wildlife cameras help provide confirmation that winter trail closures are properly timed to help animals survive the harshest months of the year without expending energy in reaction to human intrusions.
Download Printable Coloring Pages
Pick up Your Sticker Today
You can stop by any of the following locations to pick up a sticker:
Airport Information Desk (in Baggage), Aspen Airport
CPWArea Office: 0088 Wildlife Way, Glenwood Springs CO
Pitkin County Open Space & Trails Office, 530 E Main St, Aspen, CO
