Aaron Berscheid is a district wildlife officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Aaron covers the ìwildî side of Northeast El Paso County, including Black Forest, Falcon, Peyton and Calhan. He also covers some of Elbert County, north of U.S. Highway 24 and south of State Highway 86, including the towns of Elbert, Kiowa, Ramah, Simla, Matheson and a small portion of the Limon area.
First, I want to say thank you.†Thank you for reading ìWildlife Mattersî in 2021, and thank you for all the calls and conversations Iíve had with those who read my monthly journals.I always wonder if anyone is reading. Turns out, based on the feedback Iíve received, a lot of you are paying attention. That is truly humbling. And I want you to know Iím honored when you see me out in the community and you take the time to approach me with questions or simply to talk about one of my columns.As we start a new year, I want to say that I hope you all had a good holiday and enjoyed time with family and friends.And let me also wish everyone a Happy New Year!In the spirit of the new year, it’s time to think of some new resolutions.†Here we go:I resolve to keep you all up to date on all things wildlife. There are constantly new developments in my line of work, and I am here to make them relatable to you and your lives.In recent years, weíve seen changes to access to State Wildlife Areas, and greater public access to other properties. Weíve talked about changes to hunting and fishing licenses and much more. Count on me to bring you the facts on these issues in a relatable way.†I also resolve to answer any and all of your questions. (Of course, this would require you all to ask a few more questions.)†Some of your questions have inspired column topics, and itís always refreshing to have that kind of conversation with you all.†Finally, I resolve to continue fighting to protect wildlife, catch poachers, rescue injured animals and educate all that I can on how we can coexist with wildlife for the future.So, as we settle into winter and hopefully start getting some snow to shovel, let me again thank you and wish you happiness in the new year.In the coming months, Iíll share more of those stories as I write about wildlife issues in our community: Got a question, problem or column idea, please email me at aaron.berscheid@state.co.us or call me at 719-227-5231.†I might even answer your question in a future installment of ìWildlife Matters.î
