I Pray I'M WRONG About The Colorado Wolf Reintroduction

[@gbaughman3348]

I live in Idaho, did they not look at what happened to game and ranch animals in Idaho before they put this to a general vote, of course the did but they didn't care because they have their anti-hunting anti- gun anti- ranching agendas

[@jasonshumake777]

The true reason they are putting wolves in is to try to get rid of hunting in Colorado

[@easton7838]

@@jasonshumake777why would they want to get rid of it when it is funding the state

[@wishniwasfishn813]

@@jasonshumake777same with WA

[@jasonshumake777]

@@easton7838 when have liberals cared about funding they consider that they have blank checks. The commissioners that polis assigned are more concerned about protecting the 159 rare species then the elk or deer population. If you look at the California model if they find an area where an endangered shrew may live they will shut that whole area down to the public. I read an article where one of the commissioners had said his dream is to get the animal populations to a point that hunting will no longer be necessary. Polis’s husband is a big time anti hunter which is part of the reason for the wolf production to be brought to the ballot and the adds that pulled on the heart strings and falsely claimed the wolves saved Yellowstone

[@mattsmithey5131]

@@easton7838 because then it will be easier for them to come after the guns. It's the guns they are after, and if there's no hunting they can try to say there is no reason to have guns.

[@ZachShannon]

They’re gonna be introducing them within 5 miles of my buddies property in unit 33. The ungulate population is already in decline. This is going to be really tough on the remaining elk and deer in the area

[@CliffGray]

yep, and they will be killing livestock in meeker, craig and silt before winter is over

[@DaMoose13]

We didn't even see an elk in unit 33 during 4th season. Most hunters we talked to mostly said the same thing. Just didn't make sense where the elk went. Turns out, a few of those wolves were all over unit 33 that fall and especially during 4th season. That units elk was probably halfway to Utah by the time we got there!

[@grassojoe]

Nice alarmist click bait article to get people to freak out. Wolf reintroduction is proven to work. If a rancher loses an animal, they get compensated. Wolves don’t attack humans. The last thing a wolf wants to do is to go around Vail or Aspen or Grand Junction or any town. You know that. I don’t even know why you would mention that except to just get people to freak out about their Pekingese getting eaten by a wolf which is not gonna happen. Some random pitbull is gonna do that not a wolf. Come on, dude such a bullshit article.

[@Hfmt]

SSS

[@jeffkerber2399]

I thought i saw they are putting them south of i70 at garfield creek state wildlife area (a couple ridges over from where i hunt) in addition to west rifle creek in 33.

[@jamesstockton3777]

Here in washington state the wolves have killed 1000s of deer, elk, moose and ranch animals. They push other predators out like cougars, coyote and black bear out of their habitats. It's a disaster

[@HondoTrailside]

I'm for hunting. But just on a technical point isn't pushing the cougars, coyotes, and black bear around, the natural order. Coyotes in particular are in my neighbourhood in Toronto. That is relatively new.

[@Duck-dp7mq]

​@@HondoTrailsideit's a different type of wolf so to speak. They are not acting like normal predators do. If you're seeing new packs of coyotes in your area, you may want to watch your pets. Once they realize that there is endless easy food, they will claim the area quickly.

[@thistledewoutdoors3331]

No they don't... The coexist

[@thistledewoutdoors3331]

​@@Duck-dp7mqCoyotes are far worse than every single hunting figure will admit publicly.......... Yotes insanely outnumber wolves & they all have to eat !!!! No fawns, no calves = no future

[@Duck-dp7mq]

@@thistledewoutdoors3331 Animals that already a propensity for livestock predation, like these ons, do not.

[@ZevenART]

I've seen it here in Wyoming where wolves push herds of elk onto private property where they feel safe. That herd's young become habituated to living on the private property and don't leave it. Then the property owner is dealing with hungry elk and torn up fences while hunters have fewer elk to hunt.

[@trashpanda2396]

How would they only push them on private property?

[@cameronhindmarsh95]

Why can’t states learn from what happened in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana etc?? There are ALREADY wolves in Colorado (before the introduction) there is no need to go get an additional 15 BC wolves.

[@darrensmall4313]

That picture is just missing the part where the rancher is carrying a rifle. I'm looking forward to the day when I'm out hunting in the Califrado mountains and come across a pile of wolf crap with pieces of Birkenstock sandals and a Beyond Meat burger wrapper in it the poop.

[@CliffGray]

bwhahah!

[@markmcdo1]

Thanks Cliff for being a strong voice in opposition on the matter. It seems as if hunters don’t have a dog in the fight currently. Is there an organization similar to CRWM whether ag based or not that is spearheading any sort of opposition vote proposition? It would be nice if we could all get behind it

[@drewsherk8185]

As a colorado native i am beyond tired of denver and boulder making rules for rurual folk. Im about to move to Wyoming or Alaska. They are trying to take the guns away too.

[@Keggertotap]

Liberalism is what’s destroying California

[@Glaciershark]

Alaska is pretty Liberal too believe it or not

[@drewsherk8185]

@Glaciershark just anchoridge, and its not nearly as bad as colorado. But yes.

[@Glaciershark]

@@drewsherk8185 Well I am in a remote village and i guarantee this town voted blue. Most of the people are in Anchorage…

[@drewsherk8185]

@Glaciershark damn. That is unfortunate. The gun laws are still alot better there. We have magazine restrictions and they are trying for the second time now to ban anything semi auto and anything with a detachable magazine. I could be wrong but in alaska you are not required to get a conceal carry permit.

[@gkainz]

We need to pass a bill making it illegal for ballot box biology. Put the authority and responsibility back to the professionals on wildlife management, not the outrageous animal rights activists.

[@scottkemp9530]

There is serious talk currently about introducing legislation to repeal this initiative , though I can't recall the exact organization. Wouldn't hurt to check CRWM Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Mgmt about it.

[@paulh32042]

Poor Colorado has been taken over by California. As an out of stater, it's amazing the cultural differences between rural Colorado people and the people in the more touristy places. Seems like more than half the people in Durango or Telluride are from the West Coast. I can definitely see why they moved there, it's gorgeous, but all they do, anywhere they go, is create a plastic version of the surrounding area. It's the same way in Austin and Fredericksburg. All hat, no cattle. This would have never passed in old Colorado. Too many Subaru driving city people voting to impose their values onto other who have to bear the brunt of the consequences.

[@CliffGray]

Yeah, it’s an interesting, repeated trend

[@drewsherk8185]

@paulh32042 its liberal Texans and liberal Californians. Another thing is alot of people from the eastern side like denver are moving to rural towns in western colorado and now the housing is so expensive.

[@paulh32042]

​@@drewsherk8185it's true. I had the opportunity to transfer to Colorado for work in 07. I turned it down, but looked at property back then. It's shot up exponentially. Same thing in Texas, same in Tennessee where I hunted for decades. All conservative rural areas. Which is why they are what they are and makes them attractive in the first place. So they moved in and immediately begin terraforming their new place into what they just fled. I try to stay abreast of what's happening in local politics anywhere I go. Colorado is being overrun with these ballot initiatives. And you can trace most of the sponsors back to the West Coast. They barely missed on the Mountain Lion thing, and there was a push to have Biden declare a large portion of, I think, the Colorado River valley a nation monument. Which was definitely a precursor to restricting access. Especially when you looked into the sponsor's political background and prior activism. West Coast guy, who went to university and has now decided what's best for rural folks in Colorado. I grew up with and around farmers, fishermen, and oilfield workers. People who thrived in those industries before there was text books on those subjects. Now those textbook readers are trying to lecture the pioneers on how to do things right. 😂😂 Really?!?

[@gregshuttleworth4465]

West coast voters spread like an std

[@_1COR15.1-4]

Totally agree with you man! Just a heads up, your audio seemed really low on this video for some reason, watching on a phone had to turn it way up.

[@CliffGray]

thanks. appreciate the heads up

[@i_would_but_i_wont]

It's not the wolves moving into CO that I'm annoyed with....

[@keatonjorgensen8793]

Every western state is being destroyed by migration from other states and countries

[@reterwilliger]

Excellent review Cliff! And of course the other thing they never talk about is COST! To my knowledge, the 7 actions CPW is taking in response to the rancher's petition have not been totally sized in terms of $$$ nor has the money to execute them been committed given we are looking at a $700K+ deficit in the state budget for this year! Candidly, I will be shocked if CPW gets the required funding this effort will take and of course that will introduce even more risk and distrust!

[@DaMoose13]

I thought it was $1B in the hole and possibly closer to $1.5B. They must've found a way to role some bills to next year

[@reterwilliger]

It started out at $1B... supposedly, got it down some, but may go back up anyway!

[@andeeleininger5968]

We tried to fight this in CO (we live on a cattle ranch in southeast CO) but the sheer amount of people who live in Denver and the front range outnumbers the entire population of the rest of the state. We are always outnumbered in everything we do, we have no voice. Thank you for posting this video. We have hundreds of miles of fence lines on our place, I can’t imagine the amount of money and time it would take to flag it all. Part of our place is also in the canyons, which is rough country and already filled with mountain lions and the occasional black bear. We also have a ton of coyotes and we lose a few calves to them every year (when the heifer/cow lays down to calve, the coyote will sneak up from behind and eat the head of the calf as it’s being born and then if the heifer/cow gets in the wrong position and can’t get up the coyote will eat her back end and she dies from blood loss and yes we do check on them every single day during calving season). It’s already a tough business when you consider current predators, drought and uncertainty of markets. Adding an apex predator to the mix makes it almost impossible to keep going, especially when you’re threatened with prison if you make the threat go away.

[@jamesj9744]

I grew up in an agrarian family in Oklahoma, but I now live city doodler life in Denver. I've told everyone who would listen to me in this city that my biggest problem with this wolf reintroduction was the fact that it was going to turn good men (and maybe women) into felons. Of course, aside from maybe Washington Park, Aspen and Vail are where they belong the most. The problem is complete ignorance. These voters know nothing about what it's like to keep coyotes off your calves, hawks off your fowl, or ATV riders from cutting your fences. They teach their children that farmers and ranchers aren't essential because they can grow gardens.

[@davidgreenwood6029]

they arnen't that great of men then. seem more entitled spoiled lazy and weak.

[@bry10101]

If wolves are do great how come they signed an agreement to not introduce them within 50 or so miles of any of the reservations?

[@DanofDanizstan]

The places that voted for it won’t have to deal with the repercussions

[@benkeachy]

Is there a law that says you can't trap said wolves and release them in the governor's mansion?

[@travistechlin9310]

These wolves will cross every road, every fence, you name it. In Wisconsin they were put up north above 64. Now they cover the state. They are in towns, farm lands. You name it.

[@mattsmithey5131]

Let us embrace the olde ways. Some local men could do what needs to be done. There are a lot of great hunters who know how to dispose of the wolf problem, and many are good at keeping their public land hunting spots secret. It needs to be handled early before they populate and spread.

[@davidgreenwood6029]

dude the olde ways? The 'legacy' of cattle ranching in the old west has only existed a few generations. The vast majority of the history of human existence, we have competed with predators, and the fact these new ways of exterminating all predators to try to make the world your pasture, happened later in the US than in europe, is the reason we had more natural resources.

[@JasonDay-zu3kx]

I love the fact that they are using money from hunters to pay for this! Completely makes me sick from an elk hunters perspective and these ranchers are not subsidized by the government like farmers! Just another reason to boycott Colorado! Nothing but a drug cartel anyways!

[@WadeSigler-fn2xm]

The state should have not only a compensation program for livestock producers. The state should also bear the cost of of wolf re-introduction preventative measures for livestock interests. Furthermore, Parks and Wildlife should also be billed annually for consumptive use and damages to other wildlife by wolves. Sportsmen and Conservationist organizations have given generously to make Colorado's wildlife great and diverse. To not include their efforts is also a failure of the state, and needs to be addressed. It gets more expensive quick. A Camel is a fine Horse put together by a committee. Hoping it gets better before it gets worse.😉👍

[@davidgreenwood6029]

You sound soft. Like you've had life too easy for too long. LIke some sort city dweller who can't hack it in nature. Probably get lost if you lost sight of your vehicle in the woods. You're not entitled tothe world being your pasture.

[@swdw973]

Let's get one thing straight. This is not a reintroduction of the native wolf, but an introduction of an invasive species. Canadian Grays are not native to this area. Rocky Mtn Timber Wolves, which are about 2/3 the size of a Canadian Gray, are the native wolf. So yes, there will be negative impacts, just like there always are with an invasive species.

[@iddddaduncan]

Huge mistake, here in Idaho it took about 15-20yrs for Elk/Deer, ranchers to readjust to the new predator and that was when we were allowed to manage them.

[@jwdundon]

SMOKE A PACK A WEEK....

[@lxixg9]

My question is why introduce them in winter if you don’t want them eating cattle when everything is forced into the valleys at least in summer deer and elk are more dispersed in the environment

[@CliffGray]

good question

[@scottkemp9530]

Doesn't matter when you introduce them, they will follow whatever species they find easiest to obtain @ whatever time of the year.. If the intent is for them to eat deer and elk, just think about how deer and elk move seasonally. The reality is that Ranchers are a management partner with CPW with regards to elk. It's a delicate partnership that is going to face more tests as wolves push more elk onto ranch lands where they have more safety. Ranchers don't really want more elk on their lands as they can be a real problem without adequate perceived compensation. ( accept maybe during hunting season) It's a utopian fantasy to think that wolves can exist here in some state of balance without creating all the sorts of fall out we are currently seeing.

[@scottkemp9530]

Doesn't matter when you introduce them, they are going to follow the food. If the intent was for them to feed on elk and deer, well, where are the elk and deer during the winter? An awful lot will locate near lower elevation ranch lands during winter. Wolves will push even more onto ranch lands as they will seek that safety. This will create even more disruption to the relationship CPW has with the ranching community who are critical partners in wildlife management.

[@DaMoose13]

Wolves DO NOT maintain ranges in the mountains. ALL wolves make their main range in winter ranges so they can feast when times are hardest to hunt. They rarely follow herds back into the mountains. Why does CPW think they will hole up in the mountains? Why do they not realize the low valleys are the wolves' natural range, and now they are full of subdivision? RIP wapiti.

[@iddddaduncan]

You better get the goal number of wolves written in stone because once you hit that number they are not going to allow you to mange them.

[@DaMoose13]

@@iddddaduncan the goal is no more than 150 over a two year period and 200 at any given point. Only problem is they never wrote down HOW to manage them once the goal is reached. That was done intentionally. Polis has been packing his wildlife commission with activist (not biologist as historical) throughout his term and they ultimately decide if we hunt them or not. There will be thousands of wolves in Colorado within a two decades, just like Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, except with more population than those three states combined.

[@arthurquintana1345]

Great Report Cliff. Thanks for keeping us all aware of what's going on in CO. Looking forward to more videos from you in 2025.

[@MrJdaddy92]

ask any outfitter from NW Montana about wolves

[@davidgreenwood6029]

The entitled losers making money off my public lands who are rude when i meet them on the trial, and ally with the Californians to persecute mountain bikers and bar them from public lands? Why would I ask them anything?

[@WakeUpNow-j8v]

I live in Utah and often hunt the Colorado border. We’ve seen tracks following the elk into our state. Terrible decision. Please tell the wolves they need to stay in Colorado.

[@jimhudson9958]

Yep. I’ve seen tracks in unit 21.

[@energizerwolf5574]

Burried 😂😂

[@davidgreenwood6029]

oh the horror, now maybe you'll have to be fit enough to get more than a few hundred yards from your truck. Maybe even learn how to track. Gosh my heart breaks for you.

[@lukeleipzig]

The only people who voted yes for this are those who have never camped a single night in the mountains..

[@richard714620]

Used to horseback above Gardiner,Montana after introduction. They've totally overrun the elk. And they kill for sport.

[@davidgreenwood6029]

humans kill for sport.

[@mikeburke7652]

Choot 'em.

[@dougstewart1575]

Sorry to tell you this but they are releasing 15 wolves that they just caught in British Columbia this month (January’25) in Garfield Creek State Wildlife area south of I-70. In the upcoming months their plan is to release another 15 in Rifle Creek State Wildlife area.

[@davidgreenwood6029]

Can't wait to see one.

[@african7498]

How many dogs does it take to stop a pack of 20 wolves? One little pooch? Never fear, these are green vegan wolves??

[@chrisbuckley8148]

It wasn’t that long ago OR-7 was tracked 100 yards from my home in Anderson. Ca. Today there is a pack clear down by Yosemite.

[@mattp9574]

Cliff- great video. There are pluses and minuses to wolf reintroduction. First thing is from a purely biological perspective, return to to their natural is a great thing. Natural prey and predator In the eco system is always good to see . The negatives: with a wolf population, deer and elk herds will be broken up as the large herds attract wolves ( just like with the cattle ranches) harder for hunters to find these animals and after a few years there will not be the tourism when more tags are not filled. Additionally, depending on the politics of the state and federal government, the wolves may be protected even when they reach or exceed their carrying capacity so population control would not be possible. Thus causes the wolf range to expand and put more pressure on cattle herds and domestic animals in suburbs. In short- if wolves are allowed on the landscape, they’ve got to be managed just like every other species or it will be catastrophic to other game animals, agriculture, and tourism that attracts so many to Colorado.- sorry for the long winded comment- cheers!

[@DaMoose13]

The law in Colorado only allows for wolves to establish west of the continental divide... liberals weaponized biology in this instance, so there is zero positives. FYI, human and wolves have never peacefully lived alongside each other. 10s of thousands of years of war between species, and we somehow forgot about it in one generation.

[@MiddleOutdoorsman]

I have a lot I could say, and none of it would be kind. edit: pretty sure you know where I stand on the issue. I'm just biting my lip. Unfortunately, I don't think your wrong.

[@tanyakilbane7636]

I have seen a wolf in Arizona. They are already here. I have heard a pack at night, in Breckinridge. They are already here.

[@thistledewoutdoors3331]

They've always been there...........

[@adamthomas7250]

Well, if hunters and ranchers just kill the wolves without caring about what fish and game think…maybe fish and game would stop fucking around with reintroducing wolves

[@DBest1966]

70-90% reduction in game animals here in Idaho. That's elk, moose, whitetail and mule deer. Fish and Game and Feds spent millions trying to save the woodland caribou in the panhandle, wolves wiped out what didn't run to Canada.

[@thistledewoutdoors3331]

That's a lie... Look at the stats. Idaho numbers have NOT plummeted otherwise there wouldn't be ANY hunting allowed...... Just look up the number

[@davidgreenwood6029]

@@thistledewoutdoors3331 they don't care about facts. In their minds they are the great white hunter, in reality they are too fat to leave their atv.

[@yasotay]

I have a friend ttjat that lives around Meeker, there is talk that if you have to shoot a wolf, use a .22 so it will run off and die sometime and somewhere else. Pretty rough talk but these folks up there will not put up with it

[@jacobpalmer7589]

I hunt in moose creek in the gallatin range. I hunt hard hike hard, i have seen one moose in 5 years. They destroy ungulate populations. Dont get me started about the mule deer numbers! Disgraceful is the term I prefer!

[@davidgreenwood6029]

You sound like you need to hunt quieter.

[@r.s.schock4573]

Are there any dark colored vehicles running around with blacked out windows? If so, the introduction has already started.that is what they did in Montana when they first started talking about introducing a "small" number just as an experiment. Thirty years later the packs have started coming out of the mountains onto the drainage coulees and river breaks. They are growing in numbers very fast. There is nothing out there to keep their numbers in check. Livestock protection dogs won't help either those dogs don't have a chance to protect themselves little own the livestock they are meant to protect.

[@TJWelsh]

Cliff, there are already wolves in the Weminuche.

[@Celticobrien]

I live in park county. Once wolf's become prevalent their going to slay these elk calfs that cant get over the fences.

[@COSpacegunner]

Again, humans have screwed everything up. Wolves definitely have an advantage with the overpopulation of humans. Maybe 2-legged food?

[@davidgreenwood6029]

wolf's?

[@boydmartin3924]

No wolves for the rich that is bs ranchers have to foot the bill, get those wolves over to the rich, say around there kids bus stop

[@thistledewoutdoors3331]

They would love it.... They rich bring in more $ than a rancher ever could....... I seen it happen all around me with my hunting shack in Buena Vista & my home in the Springs.... It's disgusting that is grown men are crying about the 4 legged wolves - When it's the 2 legged ones that kill everything ..... Even Cliff here would admit that - except he's got financial obligations to his sponsors & whatnot..... ALL are apart of the same machine playing both sides of the fence.

[@saltysaltine]

It just makes Jared Polis and the residents of downtown Denver feel good. Never mind wolves have been walking into Colorado from the north for many years without the help of our government. Wolf fans will be very sad when they see what it actually takes to mange these predators… it’s not as easy as hunting them unfortunately

[@jeffkerber2399]

saw a post that they are putting them south of i70 at garfield creek state wildlife area.

[@AddictedToAntlers]

This reintroduction needs to be repealed. FFS, people are so ignorant.

[@RogerBodrero-n7m]

How about they do the ten jay and do the correct studies for this whole thing. Are the wolves from Canada ever in Colorado no what about the native wolves that was there and still down there wow now you have a endangered species

[@scottkemp9530]

They had a mandated timeframe to begin the physical introduction and fraudulently bypassed federal protocols by introducing them only on state lands. Which conveniently sidestepped the fact that there are not enough state lands to maintain population objectives of the plan and knowing full well they will primarily occupy federal lands.

[@mikewiser9872]

The wolves will go wherever they choose to go! Look what's happening in yellow stone park.

[@lift4life247]

Wolves are a horrible idea...it's already hard enough to find elk.

[@keatonjorgensen8793]

Get off the road

[@pamlocke4438]

If you think there are any bearers that will stop a wolf pack from moving when and where they want to your crazy. I live in Wyoming eastern Wyo, 10 years from the release of wolves in Yellowstone they have moved across the state of Wyoming. Say good by to your ranchers and your wildlife.

[@rockie307]

Yellowstone ground zero of wolf introduction still has the most wildlife of anywhere in the lower 48. The wildlife is still everywhere and I know of not one single ranch that went out of business do to wolves. Most lose only a few percent to predators.

[@JUMBOTATERS]

Personally as a public land hunter i look forward to the wolves forcing elk to move around the state and off of private land-locked areas. I would also like to believe that reintroducing their main Apex predator we would see far less spread of CWD. Further i was under the impression that since reintroduction began weve only had like 20 or so predations on live stock? (Which the state paid over market price for) so i dont understand where the concern from ranchers are coming from

[@phild9813]

I believe it will generally be the inverse. More elk will vacate the public land in favor of private land sanctuaries where wolves are less likely as well.

[@davidgreenwood6029]

Yea, lotta knee jerk responses in this comment section. Decent scientific research (not like the research for the vid and the jab ssris etc but actually decent science) shows ungulate populations are healthier when they are forced to run more, and that wolves kill the weak, while hunters kill the strong. In the long term, wolves improve deer and elk herds. They make things impossible for fat lazy drunk hunters who get lost if they lose sight of their vehicle to kill lazy complacent ungulates in sight of roads.

[@justinsane7128]

You're 100% wrong friend, just about as stupid as the people who voted for this.

[@timothywaterman1511]

Let's see some follow up videos on the stats. There's 10 reintroduced wolves, I think 1 died, 1 got shot ($75,000 reward) 8 remaining, not sure how many livestock killed...probably less than 100. 15 getting introduced this year, another 10-15 in 2026. I get it, it is tough to eke out a living up there in grand and jackson county. All of these cattle and supporting farms that grow alfalfa take over %50 of Colorados river water...life is not fair. The ranchers are compensated for killed animals...doesn't account for other costs they bare from the reintroduction. I wish there was somewhere wild enough that people wouldn't notice them. Like the San Juans, where there's been breeding populations for at-least the 15 years that i have personally seen. There should be a hunt allowed WHEN there is a problem population... fair chase on public lands or excedingly rare times there are problem individual animals that won't leave individual properties running people out of a living. Give the landowner 1 tag they can sell to the highest bidder.... bidding starts at 100 grand. Those mega ranches up by sleepy cat would likely pay millions

[@prez803]

Cliff, I appreciate your perspective. Now, I'm probably gonna ruffle some feathers, but in my opinion, if you (I mean the collective "you" here) believe in conservation, then you can't pick and choose which animals you want to include in your ecosystem. We're not talking about Jurassic Park. We eradicated one of the most intelligent and awe-inspiring species at the behest of ranchers (with the support of the gov't), and we did it in very recent history because they were an inconvenience. We did the same to the buffalo, the natives, grizzlies, etc., during an era when little respect or forethought was given to the natural world. And here we are, a century later, and the backbone of the conservation movement (hunters and fishermen) are once again claiming that these creatures have no right to exist here. Sure, it was a good thing to rescue deer, elk, bald eagles, bison, etc. But wolves and grizzlies? They can get fucked. Here's a question. With all we know about biology, ecology, and conservation, if you were alive in the early 20th century, would you have supported the intentional extermination of wolves? I'd like to think that many of you who now oppose their reintroduction would have, conversely, also spoken out against their extinction and opted for a management program that takes all parties' needs into account, not just the ranchers. Look, it's complicated. Are wolves going to kill livestock? Yes. Are they going to kill elk, deer, antelope, etc.? Of course. And when they hit the target number of wolves, should we open up a wolf hunting season? Damn straight. And if the people block that hunting season from happening, I will be just as outspoken about the need to hunt them as I am about their right to exist in this state. I'm as big of a hunter as anyone on here. But I'm also an animal lover, and sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad. I'm happy to pitch in some extra pennies in my taxes to offset the losses for ranchers, and I'll gladly accept the fact that my elk hunts might be less successful going forward. That's my two cents. Let the angry comments roll in.

[@CliffGray]

I completely understand your perspective. I personally think if we could go back, we’d never populate the mountains of the west the way we have. It’s an ecosystem that has the natural carrying capacity of almost zero humans. But that is gone and in CO it is gone way more than many of the other states. The touch of man when it comes to managing elk, deer and other wildlife in CO is way deeper than most people perceive. Do wolves deserve a spot in that world? Sure, maybe. BUT it’s unfair and unjust for a group who bares ZERO of the cost to hoist 100% of that burden on groups that don’t want that change. Ranchers won’t be compensated for the hassle it creates for them and hunters will lose opportunity they invested in building. There will never be a hunted wolf in Colorado. Recent history with wolf advocates has proved this to be the case.

[@prez803]

@@CliffGray I hear ya. And sadly, you may be right about wolves never being hunted here. But we did defeat a completely backward lion hunting ban that I thought was sure to pass, so maybe there's hope. To your point about the burden falling on the ranchers who don't want it, that's kinda the way democracy goes, isn't it? I say that with sympathy. Rural America has a vastly disproportionate amount of political power in the legislative branch, which means that many city folks deal with laws, tax codes, and politicians that they don't want either. Is it fair that ranchers are being asked to pay for change they didn't vote for? No. And I'll gladly vote to change that. Is it also fair that our tax dollars subsidize their operational costs while they deny us access to public land, put gates across public roads, and, at least once each archery season, scare the crap out of me when I think one of their black cows is a black bear standing in the trail on public land? Debatable, but I think not. My question still stands. Would you vote to exterminate wolves from their natural habitat if they were thriving there today? If not, then why should we let politics, which will always be messy, stand in the way of righting a wrong? And I'm pretty sure farmers and ranchers in every state where wolves have been reintroduced took issue with it. Should we have listened to them and let wolves go extinct? There isn't a law out there that doesn't inconvenience somebody.

[@bry10101]

​@@prez803the problem I have with your statement is about us being a democracy. We aren't. Direct democracy was never intended for this nation which is what this vote is. The state legislators want to be like California where they don't actually have to work and introduce law and put their names on it. Not a single politician has to say that they voted for wolves when an angry rancher comes to their office...

[@progradepainting3755]

There was also 60 million bison, and 10 million elk before any Europeans arrived. I don’t hear you crying about getting those numbers back on par, because that was the natural ecosystem.

[@energizerwolf5574]

​@@progradepainting3755too late! No place for buffalos, neighter wolves in CO. Ppl are too many. What if dinosaurs where available? Would we need them back?

[@nootnuh]

thanks for this info!

[@TJWelsh]

Great review.

[@duanelangerman5715]

This in the future is going to create a public safety issue. Project is being nearsighted .

[@toddthun]

They will decimate dee and elk herds. It is criminal to introduce them. They were a plains animal when they were here, predating on plains bison and elk. Not alpine deer populations. We have seen nothing good from this in Montana and Idaho.

[@progradepainting3755]

Totally agree, not to mention there were 60 million bison then, and 10 million elk. These clowns just don’t get it.

[@timarndt6342]

Just wait, be patient,the wolves don't stay where the politicians and feel good people think they will. Eventually they will find the elk in the fairy land area of estates park easy prey, along with a poodle appetizer, then sit back and be amused at how quickly people change their minds.

[@fj40bryan]

The cows will learn to defend themselves against wolves. And if you have an expensive trained livestock dogs, the cows may kill it too

[@fj40bryan]

This video about the impact on ranchers in central Idaho where I live shows the costly impact to ranchers kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJWoppl_oMpnjqcfeature=shared

[@energizerwolf5574]

Dream on soyboi

[@jeanettegray7462]

There is more of a bonding process to getting the Livestock Guardian Dogs to work, than what most people would think of as training. I suggest that you work with a shepherd in your area, we have the dogs and can help get them going for you. You will need multiple dogs if you are in wolf country. I am in Washington, but would be glad to help.

[@deanfirnatine7814]

My family ranches in wolf country in Oregon, losses are almost non existent, we lose more to other predators than wolves.

[@jaysendanley3766]

Wolves are already there.

[@vikingskuld]

Bad bad nad idea to reintroduce wolves there. Go look at whats gone on in Canada. Those animals are not going to stay north of that line.

[@davidgreenwood6029]

The way you speak about this is delusional, like youre talking about wherewovles, like releasing wolves in the san juans would lead to wolves stalking the streets of durango immediately. There are no wolves on the streets of bozeman dude. I think the WEF is waging a war on farmers and ranchers, for economic gain as well as political power, but I also have little sympathy for hunters and ranchers whining about how things are so hard for them because they have to compete with natural predator that science has shown to benefit ungulate populations. I'm not some city dwelling liberal but I don't care about ranchers losing cattle. This isn't some age old way of life, its existed for a few generations, and only flourished in the wake of absolutely destructive slaughter of bison, wolves, cats, and grizzly. I've lived on ranches, 'dated' a ranchers daughter, I have tons of sympathy for the challenges food producers face against hedge funds and mega corporations, but not the natural environment. You're not entitled to the world being your garden. I've seen plenty of dead cattle from falling in slot canyons, freezing to death, etc. I don't care too much about a few a year being lost to wolves when you get reimbursed for your loss. Get some range riders. In a larger sense, if you want political power in todays america, you darn well better find a way to make common cause with those who are different than you, and not just preach to the choir so to speak.

[@kensalazar5066]

I'm a big hunting fan. But i also support the wolves. It was ok to wipe them out?? People can be very selfish. So they'll be less elk and deer. OMG. The wolf is an important part of the ecosystem. The greater Yellowstone basin has flourished. It took some time, but there's less erosion along many creeks and rivers now. Why because they are not being over browsed by too many ungulates. This intern has also helped the beaver population. Now, there's no hunting in Yellowstone. So more animals are available to predators like the wolf. But after almost 30 years populations are fairly stable. Placing wolves in ag areas seems silly, especially when the state dose have vast and remote wilderness ares. Its a very sore subject. I just spent 7 days hunting in northern Idaho, near St. Joe's national forrest. Didn't realize that there were wolves in idaho. I don't know the game numbers , but i can tell you we sawr signs of a lot of game. Loaded with deer and elk especially. Sawr moose and even some mule deer. Never sawr a wolf , only their tracks. And you can hunt em in idaho.

[@jimrice4699]

So, you are telling us you are not well informed, and yet lecturing us about how great wolves are.😂

[@progradepainting3755]

The Yellowstone study is completely fabricated. All of those ungulates where encouraged to congregate there for tourist reasons, and no management or hunting was allowed on the park, so naturally there were higher levels of browsing and erosion when you make it a petting zoo for the bison, elk, and antelope. Not to mention, there were 10 million elk, and 60 million bison roaming in every field, meadow and basin from Nevada to Appalachia before any management. That was the natural ecosystem.

[@kensalazar5066]

@jimrice4699 I'm not lecturing anyone. Just my opinion, from what I've seen and read. The Yellowstone study is out there. Why don't you look it up. I believe all native species should be allowed to survive. Just like us

[@schuberthunt2]

Why from Canada? You are more then welcome to have some of ours in Montana.

[@cameronhindmarsh95]

Montana, Idaho and Wyoming won’t give them wolves.

[@WesternReaper84]

And the best part of it all is that the hunters buying hunting and fishing licenses are paying for it. lmfao. Talk about stupid.

[@chuckswackhammer]

Well said Cliff

[@dustinwaldron2010]

Same shit in Michigan

[@chucklowry1622]

what they don't want more trained killer Oregon wolves

[@nj-bz8pv]

Sss

[@samrichardson2641]

I feel like if you dumped them in the east weminuche they might do alright until they come into the san luis valley - in the same way you see those invisible fence shock collars for dogs, i wonder if there’s a way to do that in large vicinity for wolves… it would be neat to see where else they are even remotely considering.

[@DaMoose13]

@@samrichardson2641 the goal isn't wolves, it is to hurt rural Colorado culture. They want them all over agriculture and elk for a reason.

[@davidgreenwood6029]

this is a great demonstration of the level of intelligence of people with yoru viewpoint if you think electric shock collars could work on a regional level. You should stop and think how much money that would cost.

[@daltonl8751]

Shoot, shovel, shut-up. Code of the West.

[@manuelgonzales821]

More wolves less people.

[@JN11MXGP]

It’s cool since it’s a political move they are dying them blu and red too so all know their political stance before calling CPW

[@donphillips7329]

They will find there way to where the food is nomatter what anyone wants...ur screwed!!!

[@LittleRayOfSnshine69]

It isn't a wolf problem. It's a human problem. Take the humans away and the complaints magically disappear. Oh, looky... there it goes. Buh bye...

[@jaronhoda]

I've seem wolves I'm the san Juan's

[@jasonworrall3018]

Thanks for great info. I voted for the wolves. I think they're really cool animals and I don't see why we can't maintain a limited population same as we do with mountain lions. If indeed their foisting these wolves right into the most intensive agricultural areas, that seems totally crazy to me. I hadn't heard they were doing that. I don't see why we can't limit the packs to more recreational areas (national parks etc). Millionaires should keep their pets on a leash anyway.

[@CliffGray]

I hear ya. Unfortunately, I'd say that yes the wolves are being unloaded into the most ag dependent areas in the state. That does tend to correlate with ungulate population also.

[@AddictedToAntlers]

Well, to keep the wolf population in check, there needs to be hunting seasons for them like there is for mountain lions.

[@scottkemp9530]

They are really cool animals. It's a shame that you didn't think beyond that to the actual world they would be introduced into before voting. You got swindled into turning wolves into political pawns A Couple reasons why they wouldn't be able to do as you ask : Hunting them is not and will not be allowed. Hunting is somewhat limited tool for this purpose to begin with. Please reference the expansion of the Mountain lion population despite hunting seasons. Colorado is not a zoo with walls and bars. Wolves are a nomadic and free ranging species that require vast areas of land to propagate and maintain genetic viability. Their population dynamics involve a certain number of juveniles departing from their origin packs and seeking other territories and individuals to create new packs. Limiting them to only certain areas is not a viable way to reintroduce a species because you can't control where they roam. The current long term population goals are counter to this argument as well. No way to maintain that many wolves on such limited landscape. The reality with the current plan is that as more are introduced, and as they propagate outward, they will inevitably start to encroach south of I70, into the Delta/Montrose corridor and Gunnison Basin, Southern Colorado, eventually New Mexico and probably Utah. The deceptive plan to avoid Federal oversite by only introducing them on state lands was a complete fraud. They will most likely primarily occupy federal lands. There are other reasons as well related to the particular climate and geography of Colorado that tends to concentrate them into the worst possible places for them to thrive.

[@LRRPFco52]

Wolves like to hunt in packs just for fun. They'll tear apart anything they come across just for a good time, won't even eat the meat. The people promoting wolf introduction want cattle all killed because they thrive on chaos and destruction, with a loyalty to predatory animals over the lives of humans. These are demented people that belong in asylums, not anywhere near the seats of government.

[@kenraterink]

@@jasonworrall3018 how do limit packs to national park acreage when they travel the distance of an entire wilderness area/ national forest in just 1 day?? And have a home range territory range that's massive

[@mattbrown837]

Moose will be the losers. Calves will suffer. CO politics.

[@mikebrown788]

They were delivered today, and moved to the release areas already.

[@davyd941]

Xylitol

[@cag2102]

S.S.S.

[@bryanbirch2118]

You already lost the battle. These wolves are not what was here a 100+ years ago. They're Alaskan/Canadian wolves and they are twice as large as the native wolves were. They destroyed the Selway Elk herds of thousands of Elk, and the Idaho Fish and Game had to send in professional hunters to thin out the Riggins/Salmon River population of wolves. The Department even wrote up and published their actions over several years, as the Riggin's/Salmon River drainage previously had 20,000 head of elk, and the packs of wolves slowly wiped out half of that herd to around 10,000 animals. They felt like they had to act before there was nothing left of that area's elk herd. So they sent in professionals and killed over 200 packs of wolves. The problem with wolves is they don't stop at fence or boundary line. They reproduce 2 litters per year, and they quickly over run and destroy everything. Colorado opened Pandora's box by letting them in. There's a reason why the old timers killed off what were once native wolves, as wolves kill off everything; pets, cows, horses, and all wild animals. The best wolf is a dead wolf. Talk to those people from Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming that had this bad idea shoved down their throats. They simply can't co-exist in the lower 48.

[@thistledewoutdoors3331]

Everyone cries about wolves but, it's cool for coyotes, Bobcats, Mountain lions, Bears - To still remain...????????? Hardened ranching & hunters are Literally crying about the Wilderness - NOT BEING WILD !!!! Ranchers should keep their herd on their own property. Hunters are bothered by cows and sheep ruining the hunt....

[@johnmahoney7876]

I'm here to tell you it's going to be complete hell on your wildlife are mule deer mountain herds are hurting bad from these brutal beasts personally I think they want the Ulster to reduce the game population so bad we no longer will be able to hunt them it may take 10 years. But the possibilities of it is a great reality

[@keatonjorgensen8793]

Yeah the amount of people that hunt for a social media picture and then donate the meat or let it waste will be a big contribution to the death of hunting because nowadays so many people are into the sport for the wrong reasons

[@frankstantonjr1153]

Before the white man showed up there were millions of wolves, bears, mountain lions, buffalo, elk, deer.....HOW DID THAT HAPPEN

[@CliffGray]

so what's the solution?

[@RogerBodrero-n7m]

Pretty sure that breed of wolves was never there so why does it need to be there now

[@nicholsonhaffie8428]

Totally different situation, not 300 million plus people

[@Luke-nv5fd]

Whose to say that there should be millions of them?

[@LRRPFco52]

If you look at maps of the Denver area from the 1800s, there was nothing. Now it's all green, populated, irrigated, cultivated, and entirely different. But imagine going to see the rut at Estes Park, only the elk population has been slaughtered by wolves for fun. Wolves need a $10k bounty on each head, pure and simple.

[@Brandansquests]

Why do we wanna keep pushing for wolves without restoring buffalo? 🦬 🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬🦬