Wolves Have Been Released in Colorado USA

[JimP]

Colorado releases first 5 wolves in reintroduction plan approved by voters to chagrin of ranchers

Wildlife officials have released five gray wolves into a remote forest in Colorado, kicking off a voter-approved reintroduction program.

apnews.com

 

[Papa72]

Will wolves hunt feral hogs? If so, maybe Co voters should approve a ballot measure for the import of a few from Texas. We have 2 million to share. Problem solved.

 

[Justbryan]

Bad Idea. It is hard to manage Wolf populations once established. We cannot manage the hog population in the USA. Both of these very smart and resourceful animals will be a major issue for hunters, ranchers, landowners, and western states for many years to come.

My guide in Idaho demanded I buy a wolf tag on my last black bear hunt. I saw wolves chasing mule deer but never got a shot. I would love another chance at a wolf.

 

[Rubberhead]

 

[buffybr]

A sad day for Colorado deer, elk, moose, and bighorn sheep!

 

[PerH]

Another rewild ploy , these will be protected like gold by the « righteous ones»

 

[Joker12]

They have certainly done a number on the deer herd in the U.P. of Michigan. The hunter take of deer has declined over 50% since 2018. In that time somewhere around 1000 wolves are killing an estimated 35-45 deer per wolf every year. Doesn't leave much for hunters.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Every person that wants wolves re introduced because they were in that ecosystem 300 yrs ago.
Should be forced to build their shelter. hunt and gather their own food and wear hides and leather from the animals they trapped or killed.

You can’t wear nylon clothes, drive a EV, drink 5x distilled liquor and want only one subject or thing the way it was because it makes you feel good. Or superior.

 

[Sue Tidwell]

Every person that wants wolves re introduced because they were in that ecosystem 300 yrs ago.
Should be forced to build their shelter. hunt and gather their own food and wear hides and leather from the animals they trapped or killed.

You can’t wear nylon clothes, drive a EV, drink 5x distilled liquor and want only one subject or thing the way it was because it makes you feel good. Or superior.

Very well put!

 

[Sue Tidwell]

Colorado releases first 5 wolves in reintroduction plan approved by voters to chagrin of ranchers

Wildlife officials have released five gray wolves into a remote forest in Colorado, kicking off a voter-approved reintroduction program.

apnews.com

This is a sad day for Colorado's wildlife...as well as hunters or anyone who enjoys seeing abundant animals in the wild. We live in the heart of wolf country in Idaho. They decimated our elk populations. In LoLo zone alone, the plummeted by 86%. Of course, there were some other factors involved (bear predation, harsh winters, less forage because of fire prevention, etc.) but one cannot say that wolf reintroduction did not have a huge hand in the matter.

 

[CJW]

Bad Idea. It is hard to manage Wolf populations once established. We cannot manage the hog population in the USA. Both of these very smart and resourceful animals will be a major issue for hunters, ranchers, landowners, and western states for many years to come.

In the lower 48 it is actually pretty easy. You just have to want to and most importantly have the legal ability to. Trapping and hounds can do a number on wolves in short order. In Canada and Alaska I can see it being much more difficult just because of the remoteness.
But get a trapper who knows what he's doing and they can pile up the rugs. Wolves and hogs are apples and oranges.

 

[mdwest]

the planned reintroduction area for the wolves includes Aspen and Vail.. two of the most expensive resort areas in the country that attract ski bunnies from all over the globe.. and includes several other well established ski resort areas..

Americans as a rule have grown pretty soft when it comes to living and/or simply visiting rural environments.. they dont understand the harshness of nature and the realities of predators and prey (we simply dont have a lot of apex type predators other than the 2 legged kind in this part of the world)..

I watched a woman about lose her mind (understandably) when visiting Garden of the Gods outside Colorado Springs several years back.. when a golden eagle swooped down in broad daylight within a fairly decent crowd of people and took off with her toy sized dog (couldnt have weighed more than 3-4 lbs)...

Imagine whats going to happen when a pack of 8-10 mature wolves snatch up Paris Hiltons goldendoodle while its taking an evening pee outside her $3.5M villa in Aspen before everyone goes to bed one night.. and begins eating it in front of her..

 

[375Fox]

I’m conflicted how I feel on wolves. Everywhere they exist where it’s not perfect wilderness they are a problem, especially when emotions get involved in management. I think it’s sad to not have wolves in certain areas, but I think wolf introductions are a mistake.

 

[CJW]

Wolves aren't the problem. The fact that they can't be managed as they should is the problem.

 

[Velo Dog]

What’s next, re-introducing tape worms to our farms, grocery stores and restaurants ?

 

[Aaron N]

So based on the logic here, lions, leopards, and cheetahs should also never be reintroduced to their historical ranges? Predators are part of a healthy eco-system whether it’s convenient for us or not.

 

[Joker12]

Wolves aren't the problem. The fact that they can't be managed as they should is the problem.

You nailed it! The original goal for wolves in the U.P. was 200-250 spread throughout the area but with no plan to manage them once that goal was met and we still are not allowed to control them. Because of our extremely high snow totals in the winter 200-300+ inches the deer concentrate in yarding areas where they have thermal cover and browse to survive but they are stuck there till the snow melts. The wolves can just pick them off at will and they do! We could probably tolerate the original goal numbers but not 4-5 times that number. Those who don't have to live with the consequences of wolves just don't know how much they don't know.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Wolves caught in Oregon and released in Colorado. Ya, that should work out. Such similar environments.

The rationale for the Montana (Yellowstone) wolf reintroduction was to have the wolves manage the Bison numbers in Yellowstone.

They took Wolves from Alberta that had only hunted deer and Elk for generations and never set eyes on a Bison. Was anyone surprised when the Wolves ate all the Elk?

Maybe they did learn something from that encounter. They did not import those big bad Wolves from Canada. That should make a difference, right?

I await the next set of headlines.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Perfect timing! Several of the elk/deer herds, especially in NW Colorado, were decimated by last year's brutal winter. It will/would take a couple of DECADES for those herds to recover WITHOUT wolf reintroduction. "30-50 wolves released over the next five years"? And how many offspring will they produce in the next 10 to 15 years? You can kiss Colorado's Big Game hunting and the some $3.25 BILLION in yearly revenue goodbye!

 

[mdwest]

So based on the logic here, lions, leopards, and cheetahs should also never be reintroduced to their historical ranges? Predators are part of a healthy eco-system whether it’s convenient for us or not.

I dont think its about convenience..

I think its about greenies not thinking things completely through..

They want the feel good side of the equation..

But they dont want responsibility for properly managing the results of their decisions.. or to be held accountable for the consequences of the refusal to manage..

I dont know of a single area (maybe there is one? if Im wrong, sincerely, someone please correct me) where the reintroduction of wolves has been truly successful in a manner that actual outdoorsmen and conservationists would define "success"..