SALIDA, Colo. — Colorado Parks and Wildlife river rangers at the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) responded Friday to a report of a man seen floating face down in the Arkansas River near Bear Creek Rapid below Salida.
The AHRA rangers rescued the man and began life-saving measures as emergency medical personnel arrived, taking over care of the patient.
However, the patient never recovered and eventually was pronounced dead at the scene. Although the incident scene was in Fremont County, the remains were immediately turned over to Chaffee County Coroner for identification and determination of a cause of death.
The AHRA search and rescue operation was initiated around 12:45 p.m. after a 9-1-1 call reported a private raft had flipped and five people were in the water.
Kayakers floating with the private raft were able to rescue four of the people. But the fifth was carried downstream.
AHRA staff along with Chaffee County Fire, EMS and Sheriff’s Office, Salida Police and Fire, U.S. Forest Service and Colorado State Patrol began searching on land and in the water.
“We offer our condolences to the family of this person,” said Tom Waters, AHRA operations manager. “And I appreciate the efforts of the six CPW rangers and all the other responders who initiated the search and rescue and tried to save this man. Sadly, they were unsuccessful.”
This is the third boating-related death in the AHRA in 2019.
The words “.243 Winchester” meant nothing to me until the last Saturday in June. And I didn’t know much about “groupings” and “scopes” until I experienced my first Large Bore Rifle Day as part of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Rookie Sportsman Program (RSP).
My daughter, Natalie, and I are participants in the RSP, a year-long mentorship program designed by CPW’s Southeast Region in Colorado Springs for people like us with little or no outdoor experience. The RSP teaches participants outdoor skills and, hopefully, inspires them to get outside and sample all the adventures available in Colorado’s great outdoors.
Natalie and I are learning about hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and much more. We became certified in the safe handling of firearms through a Hunter Education course and went out on a small-game hunt. Neither of us bagged a turkey (what they call filling our tag) but we came home filled with rich memories of our first father-daughter hunt.
Now we are preparing for a big-game hunt and that’s when “.243 Winchester” became important to me. It’s a favorite ammunition of big-game hunters so I read the ammunition’s history in the encyclopedic “Cartridges of the World” book.
I learned .243 Winchester was a caliber of rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s that, due to its design, low recoil and accuracy, quickly became popular among hunters. In fact, gun companies soon were developing rifles to fire that specific cartridge.
(At the shooting range, I also learned that firing enough rounds of this ammo is likely to make my lower back sore the next day. But don’t tell Natalie. We’re pretty competitive and her 14-year-old back seemed just fine after our day at the shooting range.)
Anyway, out at the Pikes Peak Gun Club range on June 29, my RSP class held its first Large Bore Rifle Day to start preparing for big-game season this fall. Many RSP members brought their own rifles. Natalie and I have never fired guns of this caliber before, so we were out to learn what would work best for us before we purchase our first hunting rifles.
Instructor Paul Paradise welcomed the RSP members to the range. Paradise is a law enforcement and military small-arms instructor with 28 years of experience. He paired us with shooting instructors for the day, mostly CPW wildlife officers formally called District Wildlife Managers. They take time from their busy schedules to share their expertise at RSP events.
My shooting partner, Roger Cuevas, and I both shoot left-handed, so we were given one of the few lefty rifles. We were paired with District Wildlife Manager Aaron Berscheid.
My first shot didn’t even hit the paper target at 25 yards. This is where I learned about scopes.
Turns out it wasn’t my poor aim to blame. The targeting scope attached to our Savage rifle was way off. The gun and scope were brand new and had never been properly sighted.
So I learned how to adjust the scope to get a good grouping. When you shoot three consecutive shots and they hit close together on your target, it’s called a “grouping.” So the first step is establishing good groupings.
Then you want your groupings in the center of the target. So you slowly adjust your scope to move your grouping toward the center of the target. This is called “sighting in” your rifle. Each year, sportsmen and women head out to shooting ranges around the state to make sure their rifles are sighted in and ready to go for the new hunting season.
Once your rifle is sighted in, you can no longer blame your bad shots on your scope or groupings. Then you know there’s something wrong with the way you are shooting your rifle.
Once Roger and I got sighted in at 25 yards, we moved the target back to 100 yards. That’s where things get tricky. At longer distance, you learn that so many small things can affect your shot. Things like focus, breathing and follow-through.
At the 100-yard mark, I had to really focus on my breathing. As I exhaled, I noticed the crosshairs in my scope rose slightly. I learned that at the natural pause between exhaling and inhaling, I needed to be ready to calmly squeeze the trigger. I had to find the sweet spot just as the crosshairs came to rest on the bullseye of the target.
Man, easier said than done.
My first shot from 100 yards was actually quite good, just a little outside the bullseye. My next shot was far right. And my last shot was high left. By comparison, Roger’s shots were all fairly close together, almost a line, and they were all just a little high left. Roger had a good grouping and I did not.
Berscheid used a spotting scope to watch our targets so he could tell us how we were doing after each shot. He suggested I might be pulling the gun slightly with my trigger finger instead of squeezing. I could be flinching as I took my shots. Or I might need to work on my breathing.
Natalie was shooting in another group. I checked on her groupings as we walked down range to check our targets after the firing line was clear.
As I mentioned, we are competitive with each other and we enjoyed some good-natured ribbing about who was the better shot. I’m incredibly proud of her and I think she really does have some natural skill at shooting sports. We’ll definitely be competing for bragging rights next time we’re out on the range.
We’ll have three more times out on the range before we are tested for proficiency with our rifles. To go big-game hunting with the RSP, we have to shoot a grouping that fits on an 8-inch paper plate at 100 yards. And we’ll have to do it with a pounding heart because we can’t shoot the test until we complete a short run. The idea is to get our heart rates up to simulate how it will feel when taking our first shot at a big-game animal.
My heart is already pounding at the prospect of my first big-game hunt. Natalie and I drew our big game tags and we’d hate to fail the test and miss out on hunting this fall.
And I’d hate to miss out on another adventure with Natalie like we enjoyed on our turkey hunt and on the shooting range. Learning about hunting and fishing and the outdoors is giving us great experiences and making memories we’ll share forever.
So we’ll be spending quality time on the shooting range becauset CPW takes proficiency with a rifle deadly serious. There are no shortcuts to attaining the skills necessary to take an ethical, safe shot and participate responsibly in managing Colorado’s natural resources.
In the meantime, we’ll be attending a Fishing 101 class and a Camping 101 class. Then we’ll go fishing at Lake Pueblo State Park in July. You can read all about it in the next installment of “Field Notes of a Rookie Sportsman.”
Travis Duncan is a public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Denver. Travis has lived in Colorado nearly 20 years and loves the outdoors. If you have a question, please email him at
Denver, CO — Investigations Section Chief, Jerry Means and K9 Riley have announced their retirement from the State of Colorado after 20 years of dedicated service. Since joining the Colorado Department of Public Safety in 1999, Means has served the State of Colorado and the Department with honor and dedication.
Means and K9 Riley will continue to work as the Chief of Investigations with Adams County Fire Rescue, starting July 1, 2019. Means will continue to support the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) as we perform the difficult task of replacing he and Riley.
Chief Means began serving as DFPC’s primary Arson Investigator with his partner K9 Riley in 2018. Agent Means and K9 Riley responded to 83 fires in 2018 and 34 fires so far in 2019; the team has been requested to assist at 68 fire scenes, and nearly 2000 fires since joining the Colorado Department of Public Safety
“Jerry and Riley offer an extremely valuable service to the public safety community by providing investigative assistance at fire scenes, saving both time and resources for police and fire departments,” said DFPC Director Morgan. “Jerry’s passion for his profession and his outstanding investigative skills help make Colorado a safer place.”
Chief Means has been recognized by the Colorado Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators as “Arson Investigator of the year” twice, Colorado Police Officer of the Year, and has served as the President and curator of the National Fire Dog Monument located in Washington D.C. Agent Means was honored at the National Hero Dog Awards event for top law enforcement/arson K-9 in the United States in 2011. Agent Means and K9 Riley also serve as National Ambassadors to the American Humane Association, and are Celebrity Judges in the American Hero Dog Awards in Hollywood, California.
“It has been and honor to serve the citizens of this great state, and work with the finest investigators in the Nation,” said Chief Means. “My 3 working dogs and I have been blessed with amazing co-workers that have become family, love you all, be safe
LARIMER COUNTY – The Colorado State Patrol is asking for assistance from anyone that may have witnessed a fatal crash or the moments before it.
At approximately 12:45 AM on Thursday, June 27, a black 2007 Pontiac G5 and a black Honda motorcycle were both traveling southbound on Interstate 25 near mile marker 265 in Larimer County (near the city of Ft. Collins). The vehicles collided in the lane of traffic, resulting in the male driver of the motorcycle being ejected; he was declared dead on scene. The female driver of the Pontiac initially left the scene on foot and was shortly afterward apprehended. She has been identified as Kassy Winburn, 34, of Ft. Collins CO.
The deceased male is Joseph Kroiss, 38, of Greeley, CO.
Investigators are asking anyone that witnessed the crash or either vehicle prior to the crash to contact the Colorado State Patrol at: 303-239-4501, reference case number 3C191241.
DENVER, Colo. — As the summer heats up and more people get out on the state’s waterways, boater safety and BUI enforcement are high priorities for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The agency will be participating in the annual Operation Dry Water heightened awareness and enforcement weekend July 5 – 7, a national effort to encourage safe boating practices on the water.
Though Operation Dry Water is a year-round educational effort, the three-day heightened enforcement is designed to educate boaters and reduce the number of accidents and deaths related to alcohol and drug use on our waterways. The enforcement period is timed to coincide with July 4th weekend celebrations on the water, a holiday known for drinking and boating.
“Boating is a favorite pastime of Coloradans and visitors alike, but we want to make sure that everyone is enjoying their time on the water responsibly,” said Grant Brown, boating safety program manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths. Making the decision to boat under the influence is reckless; boat smart, boat safe, boat sober.”
Operation Dry Water’s mission is to raise awareness among recreational boaters about the dangers and consequences of boating under the influence, which include:
The federal BAC legal limit for operating a vessel under the influence is .08.
Alcohol use can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time.
If you boat under the influence your voyage may be terminated, the boat may be impounded and the operator may be arrested. Penalties vary by state but can include fines, jail and loss of boating or even driving privileges.
Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion —“stressors” common to the boating environment— intensify the effects of alcohol, drugs, and some medications.
Alcohol use can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion.
Alcohol is dangerous for passengers too. Intoxication can cause slips, falls overboard and other dangerous accidents.
If you boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol you are endangering your life and the lives of others.
Operation Dry Water enforcement will include increased patrols, breathalyzer tests, and checkpoints as well as boater education and outreach. However, fellow boaters remain one of the most important tools on the water. If you suspect a boater is under the influence, do not hesitate to contact the authorities to help keep everyone on the water safe from someone’s bad decision.
The dangers of operating under the influence of marijuana are the same as those from alcohol, and the penalties are identical for either substance.Additionally, many lakes, reservoirs and rivers in Colorado are considered public property, so open display or use of marijuana is illegal and may result in additional consequences.
While out on the water this summer, remember to stay sober and help keep the water a safe and enjoyable place for everyone. Three things to remember from Operation Dry Water before heading out on your boat is to boat sober, always wear a life jacket and take a boating safety course to set yourself up, and everyone around you, for a fun and safe boating experience.
Boaters can take the pledge to boat sober and find more information about boating under the influence at operationdrywater.org. To learn more about boating in Colorado, visit cpw.state.co.us.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Brett Ackerman, a commissioned wildlife officer with deep experience in parks and wildlife law and in a variety of leadership roles has been appointed as the new Southeast Region Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Ackerman, who has served as Deputy Southeast Region Manager since 2014, was selected by Dan Prenzlow, CPW director who previously held the Southeast Region Manager title from 2005 until he recently became the director.
“We were fortunate to have many exceptional candidates apply for this role,” Prenzlow said. “Working closely with Brett the past five years, I came to know him as a true leader. He has the background needed to help CPW achieve its goals.”
Ackerman joined the former Colorado Division of Wildlife in 2000 as a District Wildlife Manager patrolling the Rifle area. Previously, he had worked for a private environmental engineering firm and for the National Park Service following his graduation from Brigham Young University in Utah.
While in Rifle, Ackerman served as an adjunct professor at Colorado Mountain College teaching Spanish-language courses (GED Preparation and English as a Second Language).
In 2005, he became CPW’s Regulations Manager based in Denver and spent a decade directing the state’s parks and wildlife regulations program, serving as the primary author of parks and wildlife law. He also attended the University of Colorado, earning a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in environmental policy, management and law.
In 2014, he became Deputy Southeast Region Manager where he managed the regional land use, energy, water, education, volunteer, and engineering programs and a multimillion-dollar annual budget.
As one of four CPW regional managers, Ackerman will oversee wildlife officers from Leadville to Trinidad to Burlington including Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Salida, Canon City and Lamar.In addition, he will direct management on seven state parks and serve on the CPW statewide leadership team.
“I look forward to continuing CPW’s great legacy of excellence in the Southeast Region and will work hard to serve the citizens of this state and conserve natural resources so that Coloradans can always continue to live life outside,” Ackerman said.
Ackerman lives in Monument with his wife, Tara, and their five children.
LAKE GEORGE — Colorado Parks and Wildlife K9 Samson will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Samson’s vest is sponsored by Troy DeCoux and friends of Pflugerville, Texas and will be embroidered with the sentiment “Born to Love -Trained to Serve-Loyal Always”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, Mass. whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 3,400 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a value of $5.7 million dollars.
The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.
The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $950.00. Each vest has a value between $1,744 – $2,283 and a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org or mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.
Samson, a Belgian Malinois, is certified with the National Police Canine Association for handler protection, fugitive apprehension and various wildlife species odor detection, is working hard to help protect Colorado’s natural resources and all of those who enjoy them. Samson’s handler, Ian Petkash, is the wildlife officer for the Lake George District.
For the fourth year, Arapahoe County will be participating in Colorado’s Bike to Work Day on Wednesday, June 26, celebrating riders at two locations. Registration for Bike to Work Day 2019 is free and encourages those who are looking to stay healthy while exploring Colorado’s trails and open spaces, de-stress and refresh in a fun and engaging way.
New and seasoned bike commuters can visit either of Arapahoe County’s water and breakfast stations from 6:30 – 9 a.m. Wednesday:
Both locations will feature Little Anita’s breakfast burritos, coffee, water and give-aways including a keepsake map of Arapahoe County Bikeways and a Mirrycle Incredibell Original Bicycle Bell promoting rider safety.
A record breaking 25,000 Coloradans are expected to ditch their cars and hit the trails for their morning commute in celebration of the event, organized by the Denver Regional Council of Governments.
Since 2003, Arapahoe County’s Open Spaces program has built or improved 67 miles of trails, funded more than 150 park and trailhead projects and conserved more than 31,000 acres of open spaces.
BOULDER — On October 3, 2018, cell phones across the United States received a text message labeled “Presidential Alert.” The message read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
It was the first trial run for a new national alert system, developed by several U.S. government agencies as a way to warn as many people across the United States as possible if a disaster was imminent.
The researchers, who have already reported their results to U.S. Government officials, say that the goal of their study is to work with relevant authorities to prevent such an attack in the future.
“We think this is something the public should be aware of to encourage cell carriers and standards bodies to correct this problem,” said Eric Wustrow, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor in ECEE. “In the meantime, people should probably still trust the emergency alerts they see on their phones.”
Wustrow said that he and colleagues Sangtae Ha and Dirk Grunwald decided to pursue the project, in part, because of a real-life event.
In January 2018, months before the first presidential alert test went out, millions of Hawaiians received a similar, but seemingly genuine, message on their phones: someone had launched a ballistic missile attack on the state.
It was, of course, a mistake, but that event made the CU Boulder team wonder: How secure are such emergency alerts?
The answer, at least for presidentially-authorized alerts, hinges on where you look.
“Sending the emergency alert from the government to the cell towers is reasonably secure,” said co-author Sangtae Ha, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science. “But there are huge vulnerabilities between the cell tower and the users.”
Ha explained that because the government wants presidential alerts to reach as many cell phones as possible, it takes a broad approach to broadcasting these alerts—sending messages through a distinct channel to every device in range of a cell tower.
He and his colleagues discovered that hackers could exploit that loophole by creating their own, black market cell towers. First, the team, working in a secured lab, developed software that could mimic the format of a presidential alert.
“We only need to broadcast that message into the right channel, and the smartphone will pick it up and display it,” Ha said.
And, he said, the team found that such messages could be sent out using commercially-available wireless transmitters with a high success rate—or roughly hitting 90 percent of phones in an area the size of CU Boulder’s Folsom Field, potentially sending malicious warnings to tens of thousands of people.
It’s a potentially major threat to public safety, said Grunwald, a professor in computer science.
“We think it is concerning, which is why we went through a responsible disclosure process with different government agencies and carriers,” he said.
The team has already come up with a few ways to thwart such an attack and are working with partners in industry and government to determine which mechanisms are most effective.
Other co-authors on the new study include CU Boulder graduate students and researchers Gyuhong Lee, Jihoon Lee, Jinsung Lee, Youngbin Im and Max Hollingsworth.
(June 19) – This morning, the members of the Joint Budget Committee heard the June quarterly budget forecasts which showed a strong economy in the state of Colorado, an increase in expected revenue, and high wage growth. While the state economy was projected to continue growing, the forecasts also showed uncertainty and potential negative impacts due to federal tax policy changes and the potential for tariffs and trade wars.
In response, members of the JBC released the following statements:
“I am encouraged by the strong budget forecasts presented this morning; however, we will need to address the challenges resulting from prolonged TABOR refunds which mean fewer opportunities to invest in healthcare, education, and transportation. I am hopeful that we will be able to continue to protect our state’s finances while delivering for hardworking Colorado families in the coming year,” said JBC Chair Sen. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City.
“Originally, we were only expecting a TABOR refund for the current fiscal year, but due to tight labor market and rising wages, this new forecast shows a refund for the foreseeable future ,” said JBC Vice-Chair Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo. “We have a great opportunity to strengthen our state’s resources for hardworking individuals and families, especially in Southern Colorado. These increases can strengthen our state’s K-12 education, transportation and help lower the cost of healthcare, leaving a state for our kids to thrive in.”
“With more revenue predicted for the 2019-20 fiscal year, I believe that we will be able to build on the successes of this past legislative session and make much needed investments in our state’s education and transportation systems. As always, members of the JBC will continue to work in a bipartisan manner to balance competing priorities, make smart investments to address our state’s biggest financial needs, and prioritize fiscal responsibility,” said Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada.
“While this new forecast shows an increase in revenue, it also shows a slight economic slowdown on the horizon,” said Rep. Chris Hansen, D-Denver. “Uncertainty at the federal level from rising trade tensions with the Chinese and tariffs with Mexico is dragging down our economy, hurting our agricultural sector and creating uncertainty for businesses across the board. If this uncertainty continues at the federal level withthis administration, we will see a slowing rate of growth and less ability to invest in the key needs of our state.”
A full copy of the Legislative Council forecast can be found here. A copy of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting forecast can be found here.
Investigator of the year” twice, Colorado Police Officer of the Year, and has served as the President and curator of the National Fire Dog Monument located in Washington D.C. Agent Means was honored at the National Hero Dog Awards event for top law enforcement/arson K-9 in the United States in 2011. Agent Means and K9 Riley also serve as National Ambassadors to the American Humane Association, and are Celebrity Judges in the American Hero Dog Awards in Hollywood, California.
fiscal responsibility,” said