I'm torn on Colorado prop 114.

[Wrench]

Every state west of Wyoming thought they could manage that headache.....and they have all been wrong.

One just needs to look at the harvest trend data and the information gets so clear it's stupid.

 

[Fitzwho]

Guess I'll be burning my elk points in CO here in the next few years. I'm just glad I'm not one of the guys sitting around with 15-20 moose points thinking I would be getting a tag in the next 5-10 years. Won't be many moose and even less tags left in a decade. Maybe the only good thing is that wolves lost ESA protections, so the state should be able to build in a future wolf season to the plan. But the next administration could easily take a second look at that.

Who wants to take bets on what the next CO ballot box wildlife management initiative is?

Logical guess would be banning Mt Lion and/or Bear hunting altogether. Once that passes there's a clear path to banning hunting big game hunting in the state. If you have overpopulated predator populations and prey populations in flux, you'll have to stop all game harvest so that they can hit a equalization point.

 

[TheHardWay]

Prop 114 is still "too close to call" Last I heard, it was slightly in favor of passing. This should have NEVER been a voter issue. Too many liberals in this state that vote based on their feelings. I should have been left up to the state game biologists and the simple fact that wolves are already here. I'm ashamed of Colorado as a whole on how the state votes.

 

[live2huntelk]

 

[brsnow]

Prop 114 is still "too close to call" Last I heard, it was slightly in favor of passing. This should have NEVER been a voter issue. Too many liberals in this state that vote based on their feelings. I should have been left up to the state game biologists and the simple fact that wolves are already here. I'm ashamed of Colorado as a whole on how the state votes.

Plenty of non-liberals voted for it, just read the wolf threads on here. CO isn’t blinded by party loyalty, socially liberal but against higher taxes. No reason to be ashamed of people who think vs just check one side of the ballot.

 

[Ross]

Once passed Colorado hunters will wish for the good ole days a decade later.......very unfortunate that another state will see the reason they were eradicated decades ago.....

 

[netman]

So did it pass or not?

 

[billoo349]

I'm coming to the realization that this is most likely going to pass. I hope not but the writing is almost on the wall. I'm trying to be optimistic here.... There are wolves supposedly eating all the deer, elk, and moose in Wyoming, Montana, etc by what you guys are saying, but the hunting in those states still seems pretty good....

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[Ucsdryder]

It’s going to pass. I’m more angry at the morons on rokslide that voted for it than the uninformed bunny huggers in boulder and Denver that voted for it. So frustrating. I’m hoping I draw a moose tag before they’re populations are decimated.

 

[Newtosavage]

I'm going to open this can of worms. I'm very torn about voting yes or no on Colorado's prop 114 which would direct CPW to develop and implement a plan to reintroduce the gray wolf to Colorado by 2023. Here's why:

On the one hand, I like wildlife. All of the creatures great and small. The more types of animals, in more places, in greater numbers, the better is where I stand a personal level. If we could all live in giant, condensed, futuristic cities with vertical farms built in glass and steel to heights as tall as the empire state building and let all the agricultural and suburban land return to wilderness that would be a sci-fi dream. Hunt the millions of bison and elk and whatever else you have a tag for in that futuristic world would be so cool. That's my personal, emotional, stance. More animals in Colorado, even the wolf is a tiny step towards that vision of a 200 year future. BUT.

On the other, America is pretty divided right now. I don't get a sense that much of the Front Range voter base knows or cares about the nuances of conservation, ag production, or who and how conservation is funded in our state. I also think that a vote yes would be a vote to place the true burden of life with wolves on the livelihoods of people living on the western slope, and that's not fair. I don't live in that part of Colorado. The consequences wouldn't really impact me beyond me having to switch up some elk hunting tactics in the fall and that's a far cry from what others would have to deal with so a YES vote feels wrong. Additionally, with most of CPW being funded by hunters, prop 114 seems like it would effectively be asking hunters to pay for this reintroduction. If a californi-fied Front Range had a greater understanding and gratitude for what we do for conservation I would feel a lot better about footing the bill, as someone who has put thousands and thousands of dollars in over the years. However, I don't get the sense that there is that appreciation or understanding yet. And to be humble, it's my fault. I haven't really been reaching out and telling our story to the urban crowd...

And so I'm torn.

Any other Colorado Roksliders feeling conflicted? How are you navigating your decision making process on this?

Maybe not for all the same specific reasons, but I'd be willing to bet that deep down inside, most folks feel the same way. I think even most folks that argue they don't want wolves, really mean they don't want problems from wolves but in fact, wouldn't mind seeing them back on the landscape.

My son lives in CO and called me to ask my opinion on this prop. What I told him was pretty close to what you just wrote. That it's complicated and he needed to just go with his gut.

 

[Newtosavage]

It’s going to pass. I’m more angry at the morons on rokslide that voted for it than the uninformed bunny huggers in boulder and Denver that voted for it. So frustrating. I’m hoping I draw a moose tag before they’re populations are decimated.

Do you really think CPW wants to do something that will decimate moose populations?

 

[wildwilderness]

Glad I drew my CO moose tag this year and killed my Shiras!

 

[NoWiser]

There are still some truly wild places on earth where they belong. The lower 48 isn’t it.


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They have been in Minnesota continuously for thousands of years. You don't think they belong here? I've hunted in wolf country since I could walk and tag along with my dad and they absolutely have a place here. Where they don't have a place is on a ballot initiative in CO.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Do you really think CPW wants to do something that will decimate moose populations?

It’s known that the cpw was AGAINST the introduction but they were issued a gag order about talking about prop 114 or taking sides.

 

[Newtosavage]

They have been in Minnesota continuously for thousands of years. You don't think they belong here? I've hunted in wolf country since I could walk and tag along with my dad and they absolutely have a place here. Where they don't have a place is on a ballot initiative in CO.

What I told my son was, Colorado will have them sooner or later, regardless of whether the prop passes. Us humans may or may not be around then to see it. LOL

There is about as much factual information being spread around about wolves as there is about our political candidates right now. A person would need to be very good at sorting the wheat from the chaff to even have a chance at getting the real truth. Everyone has a bias when it comes to large predators.

 

[brsnow]

I voted No and do not think it should be a ballot issue at all. That being said, if they are already here and impossible to manage what is the difference?

 

[orionthehunter1]

I wonder what will happen down here. The Southern Ute Tribe vehemently opposed wolf introduction so who is going to be liable when they sue when wolves show up in their boundaries? They have plenty of money to tie it up in court or sue whoever into nonexistance.

 

[Fatcamp]

Do you really think CPW wants to do something that will decimate moose populations?

LOL. CPW doesn't have a choice.

 

[orionthehunter1]

Do you really think CPW wants to do something that will decimate moose populations?

You do realize CPW and every biologist in the state was against this don't you. Sounds like you and your son are part of the problem. Tell me why good does introducing another predator to an already under objective elk herd going to do?

 

[orionthehunter1]

I voted No and do not think it should be a ballot issue at all. That being said, if they are already here and impossible to manage what is the difference?

you do realize a few trickling in here and there is a lot different then having a couple hundred dropped off in the mountains don't you