Signatures Delivered to Colorado for Wolf Ballot Initiative

[Pro953]

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?

Be careful about wishing away your rights at the ballot box. The “right” (see wrong) people at that agency could be even more dangerous than the court of public opinion. It also sets precedent that can be used on issues far more dangerous than wildlife management.


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[Ross]

Checkout the video posted by sterling extreme on Instagram making the rounds when wolves come close and attack sign of things to come Colorado not good

 

[Roksliding]

Checkout the video posted by sterling extreme on Instagram making the rounds when wolves come close and attack sign of things to come Colorado not good

That video gets me all up in my feelings.... if it were my dogs in that video I am becoming a wolf hunter from that moment on legal or not season or no, it will become my life’s work.

 

[Crippledsledge64]

After living in Michigan and now Idaho I can tell you that Colorado's hunting will never be the same. Not only elk and mule deer but you can probably kiss moose tags goodbye. Looked to move to Colorado to be with family awhile back, took two trips to see what it's become. Pass. Chances are however if this gets to the ballot box itll go through.

 

[elkduds]

Chances are however if this gets to the ballot box itll go through.

Petition was turned in w more than enough signatures to place it on the ballot. We will be voting on in 11/20. I am telling everyone I know why I oppose it, every chance I get.

 

[parshal]

USFWS isn’t out of the picture. State law doesn’t trump the feds regarding the ESA.

Right, just because the State says they want them doesn't mean USFWS will re-introduce.

I'll be voting no but I'll bet I'm in the minority around here now.

 

[Islanderflyer]

I own forty acres of hunting property in the western upper peninsula of Michigan. About 20 years ago wolves really started a comeback. Now I see more wolf tracks than deer tracks on my land. Bear hunting with dogs is popular here. Ive heard of several instances of bear dogs being killed by wolves. So bad that many bear hunters won't hunt in the UP with dogs anymore.
The DNR had one wolf hunt a while back but the people got to vote on it and now no more hunting.

 

[parshal]

Here’s a recent local article.


Reintroducing gray wolves to Colorado is complicated https://www.thedenverchannel.com/ne...ves-to-colorado-is-not-as-simple-as-it-sounds

 

[Coveyleader]

The reality is we're probably a generation or less from all out ban on hunting. Hunters as a group are lazy and non proactive and a minority in the gran picture. This is just another issue among many we will lose.

The positive, it will be 10 years or so before they get established and even then they won't just explode and occupy all areas of Colorado. So the good times are now, from many perspectives, enjoy them while they last.

 

[spaniel]

Until you see and experience what changes would occur to the populations and your honey holes first hand it is difficult to get the full affect of what can occur over a decade once there

A decade?

When I first hunted Montana south of Glacier (Bob Marshall) it was an amazing experience and there was plenty of game. Saw elk several times, got one, also a mule deer, they were everywhere.

The next spring the wolves moved in. By the next fall, game populations were dramatically down. By the year after that, there was little game left. I saw no elk, just a handful of mule deer in a week of hard hunting.

Less than two years from amazing hunting to nothing. A decade later, with the wolves being hunted, it's coming back decently.

 

[beeflomein]

So I'm a bit of an outsider, being from NY and a new hunter and all, and don't have any of the first or second-hand anecdotal evidence some of the western folks here have, but this is really interesting to me and I've gone hard down the rabbit hole (even though I should be studying for finals).

Seems to me like one of the big arguments for reintroduction is a differentiation in the way that wolves hunt prey animals and the way people do. I guess some of the conservation orgs are suggesting it'd be better to have wolves manage the herds of elk and deer and such instead of humans? I guess technically it'd be more natural and likely as effective, but who knows if it'll draw income from wolf-centric tourism, but doesn't hunting effectively manage herds and bring in tons of income from the entire hunting industry?

They also suggest that wolves' method of prey selection would help to alleviate a lot of the CWD in the herd, but I haven't been able to find any actual evidence to support or refute that.

The strangest thing to me though is that this decision is going to be made by voters and not by scientists. I understand someone earlier pointed out that it's a slippery slope to relegate your rights as a voter on things to the government, but I honestly don't believe that many people, and definitely not a majority of voters, are well educated enough on different aspects of the issue to make an informed vote on it.

Please excuse any ignorance on my part regarding any part of this whole thing. As someone who loves animals, thinks there should be a natural balance, but really wants to make it out to CO to hunt and elk one day, this is definitely conflicting for me.

 

[Ross]

Prey selection by wolves is simply opportunity nothing more And bad luck for the elk or deer in their path.the decade I reference is my specific area in north Idaho......

 

[Huntingbob]

There is a good youtube video called crying wolf by JD King that explains the motive behind all of this.

 

[Vandy321]

The voters will change their tune pretty quick when dogs in Boulder are being eaten in their backyards by a pack of wolves...but by then, it's too late.

Is it wishful thinking to think CPW or USFWS will be able to delay/stop this?

Side note...Whatever you do, dont ask BHA to take a stance against it...because they wont, the cowards. Green Decoy.

 

[brsnow]

The voters will change their tune pretty quick when dogs in Boulder are being eaten in their backyards by a pack of wolves...but by then, it's too late.

Is it wishful thinking to think CPW or USFWS will be able to delay/stop this?

Side note...Whatever you do, dont ask BHA to take a stance against it...because they wont. Green Decoy.

the CPW will be in charge of figuring out how to implement if it passes.

 

[beeflomein]

There is a good youtube video called crying wolf by JD King that explains the motive behind all of this.

Just watched the movie. It kinda watches like a conspiracy theory but doesn't seem to make any kind of identification of an explanation other than alluding to some unnamed sinister motive. Seems like the main message of the movie is wolves are bad for people's interests and shouldn't have been reintroduced. Kinda lost me when one guy started using man's dominion over nature as an argument though. And then it started devolving into stereotypes of conspiracies like the whole thing was about the government taking control over their land etc etc.

 

[Kevin_t]

The voters will change their tune pretty quick when dogs in Boulder are being eaten in their backyards by a pack of wolves...but by then, it's too late.

Is it wishful thinking to think CPW or USFWS will be able to delay/stop this?

Side note...Whatever you do, dont ask BHA to take a stance against it...because they wont, the cowards. Green Decoy.

Problem is Boulder is not where they are putting them. The western slope is. It's sort of like me voting to introduce grizzlies in New York . If we really want to restore historic ranges , both wolves and grizzlies wandered far beyond the rockies and far down the west coast.

 

[Vandy321]

Problem is Boulder is not where they are putting them. The western slope is. It's sort of like me voting to introduce grizzlies in New York . If we really want to restore historic ranges , both wolves and grizzlies wandered far beyond the rockies and far down the west coast.

I dont disagree with that...its a shame boulder and Denver can controll the vote. They'll eventually be in RMNP and work their way down the front range.

This is strikingly similar to Washington State..the I-5 corridor running the state, and the rest of the residents must suffer the liberal agenda. Born and raised in WA, left after college because of that and have no intention on returning, that state is a lost cause. Hoping CO doesnt suffer the same fate.

 

[parshal]

There have been a couple local articles about this outlining the 'problem' that this amendment would create. The first being that the general voter is going to think that if it's approved it will happen. I think the message that will be advertised to voters is that there's a lot out of their control.

Colorado passed an amendment a year or two ago that new amendments require 55% approval. That was done to be more inclusive of the population outside of the front range.

I read one yesterday where my local county commission passed a resolution opposing this amendment. They were one of a bunch of counties (I think it was 13?) who've passed similar resolutions.

Oh, and to Kevin's comment about them being put on the western slope. They may be where they go but we all know it won't be long at all before they're on the front range. I'd bet it would be within two years. We already have coyotes hopping in back yards grabbing cats and small dogs. People complain about that all the time. When a wolf hops a fence and grabs a big dog it'll be interesting.

 

[cnelk]

I absolutely love to read these kind of articles - https://kdvr.com/2019/12/19/centennial-15-year-old-poodle-survives-coyote-attack/

When leghold trapping, spring bear hunting/ baiting was banned in the late 90s, I couldnt wait for these kind of headlines to appear.