Talking Wolves at Colorado Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus

Today’s the first of four Colorado Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus luncheons hosted by Rep. Wilson and Rep. Arndt. The Caucus hosts members of the sporting community for lunch, educational programming and discussion on the third Thursday of the month. See below for the next three dates. I’d like to see you there.

Today’s topic included a presentation from Coloradans Protecting Wildlife. The main topic of discussion is the campaign to deter Ballot Box Biology. While most of the caucus’ attendees already have an idea about initiative 107 (wolf reintroduction), which will later be given a ballot initiative number, there are many facets to the measure that this voter decision does not address.

Some points that are not addressed in this measure:

• When moose were introduced into Colorado there were over ten years of research done on the habitat, zones and areas in which to place the moose. There has been no said research for wolf introduction.
• The measure states that this is a “RE-introduction” but the Canadian Gray Wolves were not the wolf that was in Colorado years ago. Also, there are already documented accounts of wolf packs living in Colorado.
• The Mexican Gray Wolf, which lives in our south bordering state of New Mexico is an endangered species. It is known that the large Canadian Gray wolf will overtake and kill or inter bread with the Mexican Gray Wolf, thus wiping out the species. — Who in the heck wants to eliminate a species of animal?!
• Wolf introduction, if passed, would require that wolves be introduced within three years. It will take at least a decade to develop a financial plan to manage the wolves.
• Wolf introduction will cost $6,000,000 dollars just in the first eight years, and the ballot initiative doesn’t list where this funding will come from.
• If we have reduced elk herds, which I mentioned yesterday are already in decline, then there similarly be reduced hunting, which means less hunting license sales, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife if funded by hunting and fishing license sales. Less money means they won’t have money to add to the would-be $6,000,000 cost of adding wolves.
• Colorado could potentially lose its Pitman Robertson funding if fund allocation isn’t correctly implemented.
• Colorado’s economy depends on sportsmen. We could see large ghost towns where we now have bustling communities.
• We already have biologists who work for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, who’ve studied for years, who would be capable of doing these studies if they had the funding were time to research — Voters are not biologists.

The list goes on and on but the bottom line is that Colorado has a lot at stake. This is not an issue for the voters to decide, but since it’s being put on our plates, we had better not take it lightly.

I’ll be sharing more on this topic in the future. If you have questions, you won’t be able to ask Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists because the state’s governor has put a gag order on them. Does something seem shady here?

The next Colorado Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus luncheons hosted by Rep. Wilson and Rep. Arndt will be held:

• February 20^th
• March 19^th
• April 16^th

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Mia Anstine is an outdoor writer, licensed outfitter, hunting guide, keynote speaker, and a range safety officer, firearms instructor, and archery instructor. She is the founder of MAC Outdoors and Host of the MAC Outdoors Podcast. 

Mia Anstine strives to encourage others to outdoors, hunt, fish, shoot, and survive life with others in a positive way.

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