Aspen Times file photo
A portion of Sky Mountain Park again will be open to limited hunting in the fall, but a lottery to choose five hunters is set for March 28.
The hunt, for cow elk only, will take place during the fourth season — Nov. 15-19. To qualify, hunters must have a Colorado hunting license and a tag allowing them to hunt for a cow elk in the fourth season in Game Management Unit 43.
Pitkin County Open Space and Trails holds its lottery in March so winners can put in for a fourth-season tag in Unit 43 and be ready to go. Open Space and Trails will check with Colorado Parks and Wildlife in June to make sure the chosen hunters have the proper tag.
Again this year, Open Space and Trails will draw three alternates — hunters who may get a chance at the Sky Mountain Park hunt if any of the chosen participants backs out. Hunters who were drawn last year will not qualify this year.
This is the sixth year a limited hunt has taken place at Sky Mountain Park in an effort to manage the elk population that uses the open space as winter habitat and a migration corridor. Last fall, two hunters on the property were successful in bringing down a cow elk.
To enter the lottery, hunters must provide their name, mailing address, phone number and date of birth by noon on March 27. Email the information to janet.urquhart@pitkincounty.com. Only hunters who supply all of the required information will be entered in the drawing.