Colorado wolves released today

1jeds

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Dec 21, 2021
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Elk did decrease. Dramatically. As did moose and bighorn sheep. They are learning and adapting. Look up what happened to the Northern Yellowstone herd if it hasn't been scrubbed from the internet.

Where are you seeing that elk decreased? I'm looking at fish and game numbers and overall populations have grown, and Wyoming is even saying some herds are overpopulated. I did see the Yellowstone herd was reduced by about 50%. I have no clue what the carrying capacity of that environment is, I'll leave that to the wildlife biologists.

The argument from the pro-wolf crowd is that local herds will be impacted (i.e. Yellowstone), but overall elk numbers and harvests will not be (i.e. Fish and Game numbers seem to support this). That's what I'm trying to reconcile, because it makes no sense to me why they would increase or even remain stable with wolves introduced.

The biggest issue I have personally is leaving this decision up to the voting public who have no clue about the potential impacts.
 

CorbLand

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It was. It passed by less than one percentage point. Got put on the ballot by having enough signatures on a petition. Gotta love democracy.


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That is what I thought.

For everyone that is saying "what as hunters can we do about this?" or "when are we going to stand up to things like this?" The single best thing you can do starting out is not blaming people that didnt have control over the situation. If CPW had no ability to stop this and it was forced on them, then going to them and blaming them is the single worst thing you can do. Its like blaming a floor associate at a store for something corporate did.
 

CorbLand

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Yes. Ageed ( for some of them possibly) Forced as in pressured. Not forced as physically forced or required.
Forced as in they had one of two choices. Quit or do what they were told to do. Not saying someone put a gun to their head. I know this is an emotionally charged time but lets use some common sense.
 
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Feb 20, 2016
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I am going to point out to the people of Colorado. How dangerous it will be if a dog that had distemper got around those wolves. Wolves are not immune to distemper and it lives in the soil for a long time. It woud be terrible if an animal that had distemper or the soil from its kennel was to make it up near an wolf kill. It could wipe out the whole pack. So be careful.

I can almost guarantee that those wolves have been better vaccinated than most pets.

The MI DNR was vaccinating wolves that were bycatch in coyote traps before they’d release them. Trappers don’t call anymore.


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mt terry d

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Shoot2HuntU
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Where are you seeing that elk decreased? I'm looking at fish and game numbers and overall populations have grown, and Wyoming is even saying some herds are overpopulated. I did see the Yellowstone herd was reduced by about 50%. I have no clue what the carrying capacity of that environment is, I'll leave that to the wildlife biologists.

The argument from the pro-wolf crowd is that local herds will be impacted (i.e. Yellowstone), but overall elk numbers and harvests will not be (i.e. Fish and Game numbers seem to support this). That's what I'm trying to reconcile, because it makes no sense to me why they would increase or even remain stable with wolves introduced.

The biggest issue I have personally is leaving this decision up to the voting public who have no clue about the potential impacts.
They decreased. Fact. As I said, look up what happened to the Northern Yellowstone herd. NOW they are coming back, adapting, changing behaviors and locations. Expect the elk hunting as you currently know it ( in areas the wolves establish as their territories) to be crap for a good 20-25 years at least.
 

mt terry d

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Shoot2HuntU
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Forced as in they had one of two choices. Quit or do what they were told to do. Not saying someone put a gun to their head. I know this is an emotionally charged time but lets use some common sense.
Agreed.

"Just doin' muh job"

Weak sauce.
 
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@Hnthrdr gets it. It took Idaho 11 years AFTER the agreed population was achieved to get a hunt established. The damage was done 5 years after reintroduction.

I believe Michigan hit its stated goal in 1999 (200). We still do not have a hunt and “science” tells us the population is approaching 700. Most will tell you it’s probably double that.

You’ll never see a hunt.


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Luked

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I saw the video yesterday and made me sick. Im not a CO resident and have not hunted out west as much as most of the people on this board but even at that it makes me sick to see this.
It really blows my mind how stupid people are anymore on how the outdoors and wildlife works. Its sad that our socicity has gotten to where it is now.

If you really want to see some stupid comments, for those that have instagram go check out the comments on the post that Colorado Parks and wildlife has on the post about the wolf release. I have never read such ignorance in my life.
 
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There is someone watching those GPS trackers night and day right now and foreseeably for the next few years. Some little geek in a back room of a govt building somewhere whose sole job is to stare at a screen and collect a paycheck. Know that.

If those trackers stop moving or transmit a terminal signal, there will likely be a chopper in the air if there is enough daylight left to fly....be a shame one of those woofs died at night or in the late evening. They probably wouldn't be able to get out there to see what happened until the morning.

They really want these wolves to succeed. It's all part of the liberal plan to replace hunters from the equation.

They can’t monitor them 24/7. It’s just like your phone and inreach . The more you use it to track the faster the battery dies. They usually send location data once a day.


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Scottyboy

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I believe Michigan hit its stated goal in 1999 (200). We still do not have a hunt and “science” tells us the population is approaching 700. Most will tell you it’s probably double that.

You’ll never see a hunt.


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I would agree with this. Minnesota is way beyond its goal, I believe the current estimate is around 2700-3000.

The odds we ever see a hunt again, I would say is less than 0%.
 

UncleBone

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They can’t monitor them 24/7. It’s just like your phone and inreach . The more you use it to track the faster the battery dies. They usually send location data once a day.


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I saw a guy on twitter claiming they were tracking them with collars and sattelites. Like they can see every move they make constantly. Cpw even says the wolves are rough on their collars, meaning they could tear them off and ditch them.
 
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I saw a guy on twitter claiming they were tracking them with collars and sattelites. Like they can see every move they make constantly. Cpw even says the wolves are rough on their collars, meaning they could tear them off and ditch them.

I’m sure they are, but think about it. There’s an internal battery that’s not getting charged. If that thing was sending signals out every 5-10 minutes it’d be dead in days.


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cnelk

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Here’s an article about what happens to a CPW employee who doesn’t fall in line with the wolves

 

COJoe

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Southern Colorado
I've read most of the thirteen pages but don't remember seeing this question asked. Since the wolves are the apex predators, I am assuming the mountain lion and coyote population will decrease, at least some, since the available food sources are now going to be divided up by another third? Interesting this past elk hunt that I heard coyotes howling well above 11,300 feet, obvisouly chasing something, mid-morning, so wolves will be up there too I imagine.
 
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If wildlife management policy is going to be directed by public opinion, why is our $$$ used to fund research(ers), game biologists, game management personnel, etc?
I've been asking this very question regarding California for years. Unfortunately, California is the template for all of this. I have personally asked wildlife biologists how and why they have a job when their work for months or years is merely cast aside when the popular vote is final say anyway? Surprise, I have never gotten a straight answer.
 
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