Who we are …

All funds that the CMDA raise or receive stay in Colorado. We are not a national organization. All of the money raised (what-ever the source) stays and works in Colorado and is not donated to other states.  Our goal, first and formost, are the Mule Deer herds in the great state of Colorado.  If you’re a local, we work in your backyard. If you’re not, we’re working to make this the place of your dreams, the place you want to come spend time outside.  This is where your contributions stay and work.

We work to create areas where wildlife can obtain good food sources year round. We do it in such a way as to provide safety and cover near-by. We don’t just go into an area and create fields. The idea of helping to create a healthy herd is to provide areas where generations of deer can be raised on high protein feeds that come back year after year.

RECRUITMENT

We work hard to Recruit new participants into the realm of the Sportsman and in such a way that we can Retain them for years to come. Every year, we reach out through various venues where we’ll set up a booth to attract first time hunters for a chance to be in a drawing for a guided hunt. In any given year, we’ll host one or more of the following hunts as our way of Recruiting and Retaining new hunters. If we can provide a great experience for novice hunters on their initial trip out, they are more apt to want to try again next year (or next week, or next month).

6 young people & a sponser on their 1st Archery Hunt each year

6 Female hunters each year on their 1st Archery hunt

All of these hunts are provided to the recipients and their family members at no cost to them. They are also provided a “guide” – typically a CMDA member who has spent time on the Ranch or location. A 3-day weekend of no cell phones and no game consoles. Just family & new friends experiencing the outdoors.

Our History

As Mule Deer populations were declining, it became apparent that a recovery effort needed to be implemented. In 1972,  the Mule Deer Foundation established a small chapter in Parachute, Colorado.  The first meeting was held at the Unical property to discuss possible causes and solutions of that decline. Although the group was well intentioned, there seemed to be a disagreement among some of the members as to which factor was the major contributor. The causes were listed and discussed. They were: disease, predation, habitat, hunting, roads, elk/deer competition, and weather. The group was mostly divided between predation and habitat as the main factors. The individuals from Grand Junction were involved with their first two banquets that were held in Rifle, Colorado.  Both of banquets were successful and well received. However, the chapter itself was only allowed to keep 10% of the net revenues for use in Colorado.  Because of the various conflicts with the use of the funds and lack of consensus as to the effects of predation, several of the current members met to discuss alternatives. This group decided to look at the Arizona Mule Deer Association as a viable model to examine. Arizona had a similar experience with the MDF and had elected to split and form their own organization. After flying to Phoenix to with the officers, we discussed our intentions of patterning Colorado after their Chapter. It became apparent that they felt that predation was the major factor and that working with the legislation was one of their most effective tools. Upon their return to Colorado, they reached out to numerous deer  and outdoor enthusiasts for a special meeting to be held in Glenwood Springs at the Hotel Colorado. Approximately twenty individuals from around the Western Slope attended. With the bylaws and intent of the Arizona Mule Deer Association at our disposal, they modified the language to fit our needs. Officers were elected along with a board of directors and the Colorado Mule Deer Association was born. Realizing that they needed seed money, a collection was made and the CMDA was off and running with a small starting budget of $2500.00.