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While antler hunting, BLM warns of off-roading rules

Posted: 12:24 PM Mar 5, 2013
Reporter: Andie Adams

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) -- Many Coloradans will be doing a different kind of hunting as the weather warms up: shed-antler hunting.

Before families trek through public lands, the Bureau of Land Management warns them that it is illegal to travel off existing roads in a motor vehicle. That includes ATVs and dirt bikes.

The BLM office in Craig says off-road driving causes tremendous damage, especially when the spring soil is moist and easily upset. The long-term effects are soil erosion and a disruption of wildlife habitats.

Rangers will be patrolling public lands, ready to cite people who drive off the roads. A citation carries a fine of $250. If a person harasses wildlife, he or she can be fined $200, according to the BLM.

Northern Colorado is a Mecca of sorts for shed-antler hunters, with an abundance of elk and deer in the area.