Wildfire, deer, governor close eventful week in southern Colorado

KRDO NewsChannel 13 reporter Scott Harrison brings perspective on three developing stories during a busy Friday.

The first event began at 8 a.m. at City Hall in Colorado Springs, where the Urban Deer Task Force gathered for the fifth time.

Exploring solutions to the city’s deer overpopulation problem is the group’s goal, and members said they are ready to present their findings to the City Council at its May 7 work session.

The task force is considering whether an urban archery hunt or culling, which is hiring a professional to reduce the herd, is the best option.

Task force members said they have received responses from three contractors offering information about how they would conduct culling.

The contractors would charge as much as $700 per deer, including processing, and disease testing in some cases, and would donate the meat to people in need. The contractors also would use firearms to shoot deer between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m.

Of the three contractors, two are experienced but located out of town, with the third a new contractor in Colorado Springs.

It’s unclear whether hunting or culling would be conducted on public or private property.

A Parks and Recreation official said because city parks are popular locations for deer, he’s not comfortable with using parks for hunting or culling, nor with temporarily closing parks to allow such activities.

But City Councilman Merv Bennett, a task force member, said he’s open to the idea of requiring a tree stand or elevated platform for use in culling.

“Because you’d be shooting down toward the ground and less likely to hit someone or something else,” he said.

Bennett also supports a proposal to adopt an ordinance to provide more strict enforcement against people who feed deer.

“Feeding wildlife is against state law and that’s what is causing a lot of our deer and bear issues,” said Cody Wigner, of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The task force seeks safe methods of reducing the local deer herd — particularly west of Interstate 25 — to keep the herd healthy and manageable.

Bret Waters, deputy chief of staff for Mayor John Suthers, said an important next step is the development of a deer management plan that will initially reduce the population and keep it under control in succeeding years.

A public feedback process is expected to start after the council’s May work session.

At noon on Friday, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper was the keynote speaker for a luncheon at the Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs, as part of the upcoming Colorado Journalism Week.

Hickenlooper emphasized the importance of a free press, and criticized President Donald Trump’s combative relationship with the press.

“Basing your relationship with the press on how a news outlet covered you in the past doesn’t work,” he said. “It only makes people skeptical of all news organizations. A free press helps the public and helps keep politicians honest.”

Hickenlooper also responded to several questions from the audience about transportation and education.

“I know it’s getting late in the session but I still think we’ll get a transportation funding bill done,” he said.

Hickenlooper said he hasn’t thought about whether to run for president in 2020.

“When you look ahead to doing something like that, you lose focus on the present,” he said. “I’m focused on improving Colorado right now.”

The governor also presented the Colorado Press Association’s award for outstanding achievement in journalism to a newspaper, the Pagosa Springs Sun.

Late Friday afternoon in eastern Pueblo County, authorities declared Thursday’s Double Fork Fire to be 100 percent contained. The cause of the fire, which burned 824 acres and left a man injured, remains under investigation.

The fire came dangerously close to several homes but caused no damage to structures.

“I’ve lived here for 19 years and never seen a fire as bad as this one,” said homeowner Susan Cranford. “I thank the firefighters for saving my home. I couldn’t believe how quickly the fire moved.”

But Cranford said she also was scolded by firefighters for having too much potential fire fuel on her property, including large brush piles and dozens of old tires.

“I’m just a little old lady,” she said. “I can’t clean this all up by myself. The brush piles, a tree trimmer left them here.”

Firefighters were able to contain the fire despite strong winds that have buffeted the area for much of the week.