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.