GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) – The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission has approved lowering the number of licenses available for hunting mule deer, elk and pronghorn.

Colorado plans to issue roughly 140,000 limited elk licenses, 80,000 limited deer licenses and 24,000 pronghorn licenses this fall.

The number of mule deer licenses is down 5.8 percent from 2011, and the number of elk licenses is down 2.2 percent. Wildlife officials say that’s because mule deer populations have been declining, and elk herds are reaching targeted population numbers.

Wildlife officials say the number of licenses for hunting black bears will rise now that biologists have determined the statewide black bear population is larger than previously thought. New estimates say 16,000 to 18,000 black bears live in Colorado.

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