Editor’s Note: This is a regular monthly column from Colorado Parks and Wildlife about wildlife issues in the Falcon area by a career wildlife officer.
Aaron Berscheid is a district wildlife officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Aaron covers the “wild” 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.
Reflecting on 2024 with pride and deep gratitude for my job
By Aaron Berscheid
District Wildlife Manager, CPW
Wow! I can’t believe 2024 went by so quickly. The end of the year is a great time to slow down and take stock of everything that went on during the previous 12 months.
As I reflect on the past year, I am reminded of the many reasons I’m proud to work with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and to serve the wildlife and people of Colorado.
As you know, CPW is an enterprise agency. The vast majority of CPW’s funds are collected from hunting and fishing license sales. This is because the people who are most invested in Colorado’s wildlife conservation (both game and non-game) are those who buy licenses and actively participate in this conservation effort.
Colorado’s citizens entrust CPW with the management of Colorado’s wildlife with the best scientific practices. But we do much more than just patrol to ensure hunters and anglers have their licenses and investigate poaching and other wildlife crimes.
We perform many conservation activities like helping our wildlife and aquatic biologists spawn endangered greenback cutthroat trout, or monitor raptors, capture and release bighorn sheep to spread our wildlife across the state, rescue animals from fences or sports netting and the like.
We also educate the public through outreach such as school groups or homeowners associations and in one-on-one contacts. I take great pride in being responsive to the needs of wildlife in Colorado, as well as the needs of Colorado’s people.
I believe the fact that we rely on hunters and anglers for our funding causes CPW to be more customer service oriented and responsive to the public. CPW puts forth a lot of effort across the state to stay engaged in our communities.
The officers in my area (El Paso, Teller, Elbert, Lincoln and Kit Carson counties) come together to give back to our communities as often as possible.
For example, the first weekend in June we organize and run Get Outdoors Day in Colorado Springs, a day where we give out close to a thousand fishing poles and help people fish, as well as show people how to shoot archery and rifles safely.
Other examples include the Rookie Sportsperson Program in which wildlife officers like me partner up with families that are new to the outdoors and activities like hunting, fishing and camping. We teach them how to get outdoors and recreate responsibly and expose them to all the amazing things Colorado has to offer.
Another project that makes me proud is our annual Toys for Tots gift drive at Christmas. We adopt families in need of support, gather up gifts on their lists, wrap and deliver them.
These are just some of the ways we make contributions, and they exemplify our dedication to our community.
And personally, I cannot think of anything more rewarding than working with the community I live in. Writing this article every month, responding to your calls about wildlife, and joining community events like the Black Forest Festival are just a few examples that keep my cup full.
I am thankful that I get to work with so many of you and have been welcomed so often into your community. I hope to always be of service to you all, and any new ideas you may have for me to join in, I am all ears.
May your 2025 be the best year yet! I wish all of you success and happiness in 2025, and promise I will be here when you need me.
In the coming months, I’ll share more 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 “Wildlife Matters.”
