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Official language(s)	English
Demonym	Coloradan
Capital	Denver
Largest city	Denver
Largest metro area	Denver-Aurora Metro Area
Area	Ranked 8th in the US
-Total	104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)
-Width	280 miles (451 km)
-Length	380 miles (612 km)
-% water	0.36%
-Latitude	37°N to 41°N
-Longitude	102°03'W to 109°03'W
Population	Ranked 22nd in the US
-Total	4,939,456 (2008 est.) 4,301,261 (2000)
-Density	41.5/sq mi (16.01/km²) Ranked 37th in the US
Median income	$51,022 (10th)

Location and size

The State of Colorado is located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. It may also be considered to be part of the Western and Southwestern regions of the United States. Colorado entered statehood in 1876 and was nicknamed the "Centennial State". It is bordered to the north by Wyoming, to the south by New Mexico, at the southwest corner by Arizona, to the east by Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma, and to the west by Utah.

Colorado Hunting

Colorado is well known for its magnificent scenery of mountains, rivers and plains.

The state often brings to mind beautiful scenery and downhill skiers. But for hunters, Colorado conjures a whole other image, one of big game and bird hunting. Colorado offers countless options for the hunter; sporting clays, dog field trials, dog training, and upland bird hunting.

Colorado is a extraordinary place to hunt for pheasant, and there are a number of other species native to the area; quail, chuckar, and partridge to name a few. The state plays home to more than 40 vast preserves devoted to nurturing the populations of these birds for the hunter's sake. For a hunter with a dog there are a number of areas, many less than an hour out of Denver, that will provide well trained pointers and flushing dogs the opportunity to work prime pheasant habitat. Because the state is so centrally located, many hunters from the surrounding states of Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, and Utah make use of the close proximity of some of the finest bird hunting in the area.

The ring-neck pheasant originates in Asia, and all but one of the 49 species can still be found there. Of the four found in the United States, the Chinese ring-neck is the most abundant in Colorado. This species is an especially durable bird because of it's ability to sense danger. Since they can't fly for long periods of time they prefer to run from prey. The Chinese ring-neck is greatly prized for it's brilliant color. They are found mostly in wetlands, grasslands, brushy thickets, and woodlands. It is for this reason that a dog becomes a serious asset to a hunter looking for pheasant.

State laws vary, but as in most, only a few male birds may be taken each day. A hunter has a lot of options when searching out pheasant. It would be nearly impossible for a few hunters to work a large field, so it's a better strategy to stick to the field edges and fencerows. In midday, pheasant will seek ditches and marshes for shelter, and if that doesn't work, they'll look for denser cover.

In early morning and again in the late afternoon pheasant will move towards their favorite feeding grounds; these are the best times to hunt them. It is also best to work with a few partners in searching for pheasant; the birds cover too much territory for a hunter to locate himself.