Colorado Wolves

[Southern Elk]

According to CBA the wolf lovers are going to be there in force and even bussing people in from out of town for the meeting

I wish us hunters were that well organized. We would outnumber them, if we were.

 

[Oak]

The wolf issue is the last item on the Wednesday agenda, scheduled for 4pm-5pm. The Commission has a scheduled dinner at 6pm, so it will be interesting to see how they handle testimony if they have hundreds of people wanting to testify.

 

[LuketheDog]

If you guys EVER hunt or plan to hunt in Colorado, PLEASE send in your comments asap!

This is the address to the CPW commission regarding the issue: [email protected]

Rumor has it the antis are planning another renewed attack on bear hunting and lion hunting here as well, wolves are just another way for them to limit hunting rights...

 

[shoots-straight]

Not sure if I'll make the meetings. I'm working down in the Springs and extremely busy.

Says every sportsman in every state missing meeting of importance.

Not picking on you in particular Zack. Your mainstream sportsman.:W:

 

[CodyCass]

Comment sent. Seems like a lot of G&F departments are making hasty decisions these days just to silence the loudest groups, which conversely are not always the majority (as is the case here). If any are able I highly recommend attending meetings when issues you feel strongly about are being considered. A lot easier to ignore an email than it is to disregard someone who is shaking your hand.

 

[KMWJR]

My comments has been sent over.

 

[KMWJR]

I've provided comments for the CO issue, opposing the wolf expansion idea related to your original post.

That said, I would suggest using a pretty heavy filter when relying on elk-wolf information that relates to the Northern Yellowstone Herd. Here are a couple tidbits that will counter what I highlighted and bolded above.

One thing that was "new" was that MT FWP had 2,200 cow tags for that herd, even at the time that article was written. The success rates were off the charts for elk now residing on winter ranges. During the period of big decline, we were killing 2,000+ pregnant cows from that herd, which in effect was 2,500+ elk if you could expect a 25% calf recruitment rate. We did that for years.

The outfitter quoted in the comment you posted, Bill Hoppe, was one who screamed the loudest when FWP finally started reducing cow tags in that herd. He wanted to keep outfitting hunters to shoot these pregnant cows, but blamed it all on wolves.

The legislator quoted in that article, Joe Balyeat, also was a big sponsor for HB 42, a bill that forced MT FWP to reduced elk numbers to objective, no matter what. As such, if every wolf in MT died of disease 10 years ago, we would not be allowed to increase elk numbers in units at or over objective, thanks to the bill Balyeat helped get passed.

Those are actions that some will not tell as the rest of the story explaining some contributing factors to the decline of the Northern Yellowstone Herd. I provide them here, so you can see it was much more than wolves that hammered that herd to where it is now.

Yes, wolves do have a big impact. Shooting thousands of pregnant cow elk on their winter range for years on end will have a much bigger impact.


Back to your original post, I hope all of you will write CPW and ask them to adopt alternative #2.

Thanks for providing this insight!

 

[Pagosa]

They are already here, like it or not. There was one killed in Kremmling a few months ago. Where there's one, there's more....

John, I afraid you are correct about wolves already being in Colorado. I used to hunt the units south of Gunnison bordering the divide and I found fresh canine prints in an area where no dog should have ever been. It was over a mile off a trail in a heavy wooded slope and at least 3 miles to the nearest road/house.
I also had first hand knowledge from a BLM specialist that seen one outside of the Big Blue Wilderness chasing an elk calf. These incidents were back about 10-12 years ago.
It's a really bad idea to bring wolves in Colorado, or lynx.

 

[Rooster52]

Just sent my comments.I live in astate that reintroduced wolves.I personally seen what it does.Where there are wolves the deer are gone. These northern businesspeople depended on hunting season as a big part of there income.No deer ,no deer hunters,business closed.

 

[Z Barebow]

Comments sent.

 

[MN Public Hunter]

You know it's pretty damn sad. I try to help CO out and post this on a car forum I belong too and the CO folks tell me to mind my own business basically and I'm full of BS and ignorant. I'm sure not glad I tried to help out CO people. OF course you get the wolf lovers, but I never expected to get this treatment from hunters form CO...well they claim they are hunters. Here's an example:

"As a Colorado native and current resident and elk hunter, I think I can speak for all Colorado residents and hunters when I say the only help we'd like from non-residents is to stay the f**k away during hunting and ski seasons. "

 

[rmyoung1]

You know it's pretty damn sad. I try to help CO out and post this on a car forum I belong too and the CO folks tell me to mind my own business basically and I'm full of BS and ignorant. I'm sure not glad I tried to help out CO people. OF course you get the wolf lovers, but I never expected to get this treatment from hunters form CO...well they claim they are hunters. Here's an example:

"As a Colorado native and current resident and elk hunter, I think I can speak for all Colorado residents and hunters when I say the only help we'd like from non-residents is to stay the f**k away during hunting and ski seasons. "

Haha. If we nonresidents stayed away, I'm guessing this dude wouldn't like what it did to the cost of his elk license when CPW had the resulting budget crisis.

 

[Oak]

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

 

[MN Public Hunter]

Stereotype much?

Where did I stereo type? All I did was say this is what I get for helping from certain people...

 

[MN Public Hunter]

Haha. If we nonresidents stayed away, I'm guessing this dude wouldn't like what it did to the cost of his elk license when CPW had the resulting budget crisis.

That's exactly what I told this fool... I said without hunters and tourist he would not have much of a state. Also told him I know he does not speak for all CO folks !

 

[Muley_Stalker]

You have a bad attitude dude.

We'll do fine without you.

 

[MN Public Hunter]

You have a bad attitude dude.

We'll do fine without you.

You ask for help and I have a bad attitude? How is that? Please explain that comment.

 

[JohnCushman]

How does MN have a bad attitude when he's going out of his way to help us in Colorado and sticking up for us? I know him personally and he will go out of his way when he feels something needs to be done and isn't right. He tried to help Colorado hunters and spread the word about the wolf issue and try to get some extra comments from out of staters. If that's a bad attitude, then, that's a bad attitude the state needs from our out of state hunters. He probably did more than 90% of Colorado hunters have done or will do.

 

[MN Public Hunter]

How does MN have a bad attitude when he's going out of his way to help us in Colorado and sticking up for us? I know him personally and he will go out of his way when he feels something needs to be done and isn't right. He tried to help Colorado hunters and spread the word about the wolf issue and try to get some extra comments from out of staters. If that's a bad attitude, then, that's a bad attitude the state needs from our out of state hunters. He probably did more than 90% of Colorado hunters have done or will do.

Thanks John !

I guess Oak, who magically changed his reply after I quoted it, and ElkStalker don't feel they needed extra help and only wanted CO folks(and Randy of course) trying to help. How about next time you state you don't want anyone else other than CO folks helping. I go out of my way to try to help and get emails sent and I get treated like a POS. Well thank you very much Oak and ES for the thank you's for trying to help.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

You ask for help and I have a bad attitude? How is that? Please explain that comment.

You were talking about Colorado when you said this?

Quote:

"I said without hunters and tourist he would not have much of a state."