Signatures Delivered to Colorado for Wolf Ballot Initiative

[sndmn11]

The article says that the ballot initiative is to direct CPW to develp a plan for introduction. I wonder if it would be possible for the states that the wolves would be transplanted from could simply say no. The wolves have to come from somewhere, so are there other ways to stop the supply?

 

[cnelk]

The CPW has already stated they wont support re-introduction, but cant stop migration of wolves. I seriously doubt the CPW will 'develop a plan'

 

[wapitibob]

CPW will develop a management plan because their hands will be tied by the ESA until they have one. That plan will detail the minimum number of breeding pairs as well as how CPW plans to ensure the population doesn't fall below that level, prior to any delisting in the state and the transfer of wolf control to CPW. Unfortunately, that's how it works until such time wolves are delisted nationwide.
My last conversation with someone in the USFWS, their lawyers hadn't yet made a determination as to a course of action with regard to the ballot measure, ie would they introduce or would they follow their current guidelines and tell CO to pound sand. That's something mentioned before, nobody in the USFWS is saying this measure would force them to introduce wolves.

 

[Customweld]

And once the breeding pair number has been achieved, they will keep moving the goal posts. The activists and environmentalists will file lawsuits and injunctions. It will be years before any management will done. By then the damage will be done.

 

[wapitibob]

Past history would agree with you.

 

[Pro953]

I think it was in one of the recent Elk Talk podcasts. They mentioned a concern with interbreeding with the Mexican grey wolf.

I would find so much joy in finding a way to use the grey wolf reintroduction to stop any additional northern introductions. Just bury them in legal challenges and the need for “more studies” to prove the two populations will not meet/breed damaging the “pure” grey wolf population. That’s what they do to everyone else so it would be nice for them to have a taste for once.

As everyone here knows very well, stuff can pass the ballot box test all day long but with enough legal challenges it will be years, decades before anything is done. They do this to us, so let’s do it to them.


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[Jeremyc_1999]

If I lived in Colorado, this would be very concerning to me. The mule deer hunting (as well as a lot of other species) hasn't been the same in Montana since the reintroduction.

 

[ndbuck09]

It's most definitely going to be on the ballot as they got enough signatures and turned them in for it. We're all talking about all these great ways to play the game when it comes to our past knowledge and history with reintroduction's of these mega fauna in other states but I honestly don't know that our hunting world has the financial power to pull some of these litigation things off! I'm not sure it's front and center of any of our largest groups/orgs! Now is the time to get ahead of this crap! There really needs to be billboards, commercials, etc. to *attempt* to educate the masses! Maybe these types of things are in the works but I'm not sure. The message really needs to focus on the fact that these animals are not endangered and are not going to be functional in the modern Colorado that bears the impact of millions of people and the development and changes to the natural world that have taken place over the last 100+ years.

 

[3forks]

I don’t think an effort to try and educate the masses would be very successful on the front range in Colorado.

I don’t disagree with you per se, I just think a lot of the people on the front range have their heads so far up their asses that they wouldn’t consider information on why a wolf reintroduction effort is not advisable. These people are basing their decisions on emotion and aren’t typically willing to assess an opposing viewpoint. In addition, because most of the people on the front range don’t hunt or fish, stating that biologists from Colorado Parks and Wildlife don’t endorse the reintroduction, isn’t going to have much impact on these people.

I’m convinced you could get an initiative on the ballot that would have the state issue a $1000 dollar check to each resident on their birthday. You’d have enough people like the idea of getting that check that they’d ignore the reasons why it’s not feasible and sign the petition for it just on the basis instant gratification.

 

[Schism]

I think this type of wildlife management is the single largest threat to wildlife conservation right now. When legislation based upon voter feelings for animals dictate wildlife management instead of science. The north american model of wildlife conservation has been the most successful model in the world, with dozens of wildlife species brought back from peril under it. But we have voters passing legislation about bears, cats, wolves, trapping, etc, based upon how they feel about animals and not what has been shown to work.

I agree!

 

[260madman]

For all you folks that live where they were reintroduced can you share photos, videos, examples of people’s pets being attach on leash and other examples? It is an emotion based campaign, perhaps we can use a similar approach.

There was a pack in our area that was stalking people and following them to their pickups. The pack got ballsy enough to attack a dog by the pickup. Notice I said was. The DNR came in and shot the whole pack over the course of a few weeks.

Not uncommon to have the family dog out on a leash by the house get snatched up. Farther north of me hunters using dogs to hunt bear lose a few dogs every year to wolves. Sometimes right in front of the dogs owners. This stuff hardly makes the papers anymore around me.

 

[MuleyFever]

So this may be a silly question but why not introduce legislation that requires wildlife management to be handled by the appropriate agency and not allowed on ballots?

 

[ndbuck09]

good point/idea!

 

[orionthehunter1]

So this may be a silly question but why not introduce legislation that requires wildlife management to be handled by the appropriate agency and not allowed on ballots?

That would be nice but the liberal Utopia we've become would never pass it.

 

[elkduds]

If 'its a done deal" means "no sense in opposing it," that sounds a lot like "I won't bother."

It will be decided on the Nov. ballot. If you care enough to oppose it, there are several groups you can contact. RMEF is one, this is another: www.stopthewolf.org/join-the-fight

 

[MuleyFever]

That would be nice but the liberal Utopia we've become would never pass it.

I don’t know. While it’s easy to vote to ban some sort of hunting or introduce wolves given the chance, I think it’s also likely people would vote to support something like proper management. Most voters are not anti hunting they are just not hunters. I don’t think it’s a stretch to think the majority would support it. I bet some of the same people voting to introduce wolves would also vote to protect hunting like some states have done by putting it in the state constitution. Voting to have wolves is not necessarily a vote against hunting or proper management. It’s just an opportunity one has so they think yeah, why not. They don’t think beyond that.

 

[DWBMontana]

Part of me, would actually enjoy seeing wolves and grizz relocated to Colorado, put a few in Cali also.....but I realize what they are setting themselves up for. I live in NE Montana, near Glasgow on the Milk river. Last winter a wolf was shot 2 miles from town, there were 3 others in the pack that are still out there somewhere I am told. I know of a wolf 13 years ago that met it's end east of us a couple hours, in far NE Montana, these are not area's that wolves were introduced into, they are spreading to many areas, where they have not been for decades and decades. Part of me would like to see the far left loons living with what they expect the rest of us to get along with. Last thing I will say, Wolves are like camel's.....smoke a pack a day!

 

[Raymond223]

Colorado is almost officially ground zero for future "Ballot Box Biology" experiments. Historically, Grizzly Bears roamed across Oklahoma and Kansas, and so on. . .

 

[JustJustin]

Mmmm...... Gonna taste sweet when all the woke folks start crying because their free roaming trail dogs get chewed apart.

The people that are pushing for wolves probably have chiwawas, chidudles, or puddles. Mabe a cat...or a dozen...

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[rmrwade]

"The main thing that chaps my hide is letting uneducated voters decide wildlife management issues that should be decided by the biologists."
sounds exactly like how the folks on the coasts talk about the fly over states at election time. Wow