The conflict over the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado

Our Anne Herbst met with ranchers, wolf advocates and some folks who are happy to get in the middle, in hopes of finding common ground.
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[@pnhnut]

I don't have a dog in this fight but from an outsider looking in the only real reason to oppose it is financial. There is a hierarchy in any food web and apex predation is slowly being eliminated in favor of large scale ranching. The statistics that I have read from other states proves that the wolves are FAR more beneficial to the habitat and ecology of the lands that they roam. The losses from kills are so few, and the government has repayment systems in place to mitigate the financial burden on the rancher. So I think that careful management of a pack is key, and keeping good records. Let it play out.

[@CecilGentry]

for not having a dog in the fight you are very opiniated and very wrong. Everywhere the US F&ws has forced these super predators it has been an utter failure. Wyoming, Idaho and Montana big game herds and are decimated everywhere they have been placed. Live stock are continually killed in winter and no the ranchers are not being Compensated ( Gittleson Walden) fairly or as promised. The introed wolves have so far a total failure and still they have been introduced. And the ballot may have passed but by less than 30 k voters out of 5.9 million and thats not real story either.

[@danielgc1970]

Show me the management.

[@user-ri4jx3it9f]

The human wolf conflict will be absolutely massive. Wolves won't bother to hunt deer and elk with thousand of dumb slow moving cattle everywhere.

[@yoshyodriguez9331]

Theirs huge ranches and feedyards in states where wolves are already at. They still hunt wildlife just fine

[@rypatmackrock]

I would love to add to the conversation that for cattle ranchers; employing Texas longhorn cattle with their supposed circle herding defense should be used as a naturally formidable defense against wolves. The story goes that Texas Longhorns developed like that as a defense against predators when they were feral until after the Civil War and the legend of the Chisholm Trail. A natural example of this pray and predator dynamic is muskoxen versus arctic wolves where muskoxen do the same type of circle herding defense with a natural hard hat and sharp horns that can injure and kill the wolves. It may be illegal to harm protected species, yet it is the natural dynamic that the wolves would have developed in conjunction with. In the revolutionary arms races. The other natural ecological defense is to use giant condensed herds that graze over large territories like the Buffalo herds of once upon a time, and the African savanna. I intend to bring this up at the California Woolf center close to my San Diego home that is helping out the endangered Mexican wolves. This same dynamic of protected wolves versus ranchers is also playing out in Arizona and New Mexico.

[@truthisthevictory9278]

What could possibly go wrong?🤔

[@tennesseenana4838]

There was also a lot of controversy when the wolves were first introduced into Yellowstone National Park. It took a while for both people and the wolves to adjust to the new living arrangements. However, now the word is that the wolves have not only saved the park's ecosystem and are restoring nature's balance, but also are becoming a huge tourist attraction.

[@wolfgangdevries127]

People are crazy.

[@Pisto_Autoborbo]

they still have the same mentality as the people who wiped out the wolves here in the east in the 1900's

[@RLD454C]

​@@Pisto_Autoborbothey were not Canadian Grey that got wiped out they were timber wolves . Bucket biology of Canadian Grey's does not fix that .

[@casienwhey]

After the wolves, the grizzlies should be brought back. It was a historical mistake to extirpate them from Colorado.

[@twostop6895]

the Grizzlies lasted longer than the wolves last time, Colorado's last Grizzly was killed in the San Juan Mountains in 1979

[@joe1-ts7db]

We should also bring back Grizzlies to California as well.

[@BroncosCountry58]

I don't think we should bring back anything

[@Redstoneprime316]

@@BroncosCountry58 Why do you not like having balanced ecosystems?

[@BroncosCountry58]

@Redstoneprime316 If we brought back Wolves and Grizzlies it would DECIMATE the Ecosystem, all the Moose would die and our deer and elk populations would dwindle

[@kaynaraine7499]

I have foxes in my area.... If it kills my chickens.... Yesss, I would be devastated butttt I will not hurt it becauseeee dummy it's how shyt works. Do you understand???? The fox is hungry and God blessed you with a brain. You know right from wrong.

[@jonelgonzalez9112]

People only care that it affects them directly . It doesn’t allow them to realize that this is nature and that’s how shyt works . They rather the wolves be extinct than messed with their farm life. Now that’s laughable.

[@benmartinez2554]

Not a smart idea they will be killing cats like the cougars are doing. Game control is horrible in the cities.

[@benmartinez2554]

The predators will come into your yard and snatch muffy right in front of you trying to pee. I am first nations and still don't agree with this. Bears are bad enough.

[@Reed411]

comes with living on the land. you don't like it? move to the city

[@benmartinez2554]

@Hunter the problem is you as we are in the city. Stop telling us Indians to move we've already did that enough. Mind your own business child.

[@potatogrower7897]

This sentiment is odd since the lack of wolves caused a huge increase in the coyote population across the country and coyotes love killing cats and dogs and calves. Also odd since I assume if the wolves had never been wiped out we wouldn't be saying we need to eradicate them to protect mr fluffles just like we aren't trying to eradicate coyotes, cougars, and bears.

[@RLD454C]

​@@potatogrower7897keeping predators in check does not constitute eradicating them but keep up your false narratives and screaming from the roof top hysterically .

[@margotholmes7857]

Milk toast negotiation… Doesn’t make sustainable change.

[@doug3819]

Use to live in Colorado years ago. Mostly city people voted them back. Ridiculous.

[@Imrepenting]

That's what happen when a state is infested by liberals.

[@BroncosCountry58]

They get to vote them back but it effects people away from them, so so stupid

[@alanmurray3624]

Its not political its animal wright people they put them montana 1988 2 white ones now elk deer moose grouse wildlife gone.

[@djc9727]

I don’t know where you are getting your numbers but The statewide elk objective is 92,138 animals. The Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks estimates there were 170,000 elk in Montana in 2020. Montana law requires that FWP manage elk populations in a way that reaches sustainable population objectives. For over a decade they’ve failed to meet that statutory requirement.

[@RLD454C]

​@@djc9727yep and thise illegally introduced wolves do nothing to change that because the elk just moved to the valley floor around populated areas and now we have elk living in town. Nice try at deflecting from reality.

[@djc9727]

@@RLD454C I didn’t reflect anything. The person said that Montana didn’t have any deer and elk left because of wolves. Which is absolutely wrong. Montana before hunting season has more then double the legal limit of elk allowed by the state. In Colorado we always have the problem when the snow gets deep or really cold of elk coming into town especially in Rifle. Do you feed them or not become a big issue. Trying to keep mule deer out of your yard in winter is impossible. Oh by the way Montana could support more elk but the ranchers and farmers don’t like the grazing competition from elk.

[@TEAisok]

The guy who hunts ducks will be happy because they'll become more rare and expensive meaning $$$

[@desmeisme]

I don’t think it’s a good idea to

[@RLD454C]

You are correct , I live in Montana and have personally seen the damage these Canadian wolves do . If it such a good idea how come the feds had to deceive the citizens of Montana when they snuck them into t state in the late 80s and the lied about it .

[@Redstoneprime316]

@@RLD454C They aren’t causing any damage to the ecosystem. Only invasive species do that.

[@danielgc1970]

After all the talk about the ranchers should be able to protect their stock, no protection. And there never was going to be. It was just to appease them.

[@decafmocha211]

So if a wolf is killing my dog I can't shoot the wolf. That's crazy. Someone has to change that.

[@davidmore190]

S.S.S

[@555125kevin]

Welcome to Democrat policies

[@ronnie32567]

@@davidmore190 ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY correct

[@Reed411]

@@555125kevin But the Endangered Species Act, the act preventing you from killing those animals, was created by a republican president. So not sure what you mean? Get your feet on the ground before running your mouth

[@Reed411]

​@@davidmore190 Poaching you mean. Too few hunters with sense behind their gun anymore. The wolf argument has brought out the worst in you, and the worst is all people will ever see until you prove them otherwise... but I doubt it

[@josephmelson7591]

I pray for Colorado pet owner's and ranchers and farmer's when Wolves came to Idaho I lost 3 of my dogs and friends lost many more dogs cats and livestock...that Gary guy is crazy he is pro wolf do to he duck hunts his dog doesn't get out of his site( like a hound Hunter woud or a ranchers cow dogs woud go out to find wild cattle and then bay to let the owner know they found cattle .when hunting and he also hunts his dog in am area wolves tend to stsy away from .also they put non native wolves in from Canada that Cary bad tape worms and other sickness that will spread to people and dogs if you get to close to the wolf poop just stiring up the poop with a peice of equipment pits the spores in the air ..

[@Suckondeese]

Stop the cap

[@Spartan-Of-Truth]

Okay, protect yours and fu- everybody else.

[@jenngreenup]

I’m a horse owner. I love them. I too worry about them. I too worry about cows well being but cows are bred in abundance. I think the wolves belong there. We have to stop taking a small population of peoples needs above the environment. The are important to our eco system and once again they belong there.

[@lawabidingcitizen6377]

Always use a snare when dealing with a non native wolf species

[@wolfking9434]

Hey freakshow! Wolves ARE native but they haven't been seen 80 years ago

[@Redstoneprime316]

@@lawabidingcitizen6377 Guns are more humane when dealing with invasive species. And these wolves don’t need any killing.

[@lawabidingcitizen6377]

@@Redstoneprime316 guns leave traces.

[@husky4lif3]

I like you gary!!!

[@kenjone5804]

Parvo is the vaccine...

[@kevinambrow7688]

Not good for Colorado

[@MtndogCO]

Colorado is so much more densely populated than Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming. This will surely be a disaster for all including the wolf. I would love to hear the wolves howl and know they are back, but the cost to all will be very steep. They may control the chronic wasting situation with deer etc.. but much more realistically, they’ll hunt the easiest prey of all, calves, sheep, etc. It’s happening, so here we go, but ugh…there’s gonna be a lot of dead wolves, and dead domestic critters.

[@anniehills3580]

Wolves cant get to your animals if you protect your own area.

[@Pisto_Autoborbo]

Fact

[@BroncosCountry58]

Are you a rancher? Do you know how ranches work?

[@rickyjames423]

Annie I have a wild guess that you have never really been on or worked on a ranch. It may be a big area than the box you live in.

[@BroncosCountry58]

@Pisto_Autoborbo not a fact

[@RLD454C]

😂 keep telling yourself that , you really are clueless about wolves and large predators . Educate yourself princess

[@Queefersareass]

Get an a electric fence

[@BroncosCountry58]

Thats extremely expensive and not plausible for most farmers

[@anniehills3580]

We want wildlife. There are enuf cows on earth.

[@BroncosCountry58]

Are you oblivious to where you're food comes from! And if you want more wildlife, you do know that the wolves are going to destroy the moose population completely

[@ShutUpAndPlayIt]

lmfao wow youre really uneducated af@@BroncosCountry58

[@jurorx]

@@BroncosCountry58 Don't you know food comes from the supermarket duh (sarcasm) This is where ideology and reality meets. Dumb twits sitting miles away until affects them the they want to cry. We have a development here in South Africa that is built inside a wildlife area. The rules are very strict as to not disturb the wildlife as far as possible i.e. no street lights etc. This is very high end and people pay millions to buy and build there. Now comes the catch. These people moved into this wildlife area, build their multi million house and then nature (Carakal) eats their precious pet cat and they are upset about it and something needs to be done. The voting should have been done, by the people who would have been affected by it.

[@cloudwolf4]

⁠​⁠@@BroncosCountry58they arent gonna destroy the moose population they will manage it

[@BroncosCountry58]

@@cloudwolf4 they are gonna kill them all what do you mean?

[@hephaestus6365]

This is such a bad idea lol. That guy with his dog has no idea what he's talking about, but I hope that he's the first person interviewed when all Hell starts breaking loose.

[@Suckondeese]

If you’re having issues co existing with wolves how bout you ask a Canadian they’ve done it since they got there.

[@aj3198]

They are allowed to hunt them

[@bluespidergaming7719]

​@@aj3198not to extinction