Wolves

[hunt4duck]

So the posting of the elk mount with the wolves got me thinking, by the way, that was a cool mount, very creative. That belongs somewhere in the public eye. Anyway, wolves in Colorado. We have wolves in ID, MT and WY. How long before we see wolves moving into CO? Has anyone seen one here? I know there was a report a few years back of one hit on I70, but there is definitely not the number of other states. CO has the largest elk population, how would that be impacted with wolves, 10 20 30% decline in population? I hope Rocky Mountain National Park never decides to bring them there to control the elk. I haven't heard any recent talk of it. Cats are out of control in some areas, hate to think of what dogs would do here. Interested to hear peoples thoughts on this.

 

[ivorytip]

they will be in there in no time, you just wait

 

[southernidahohunter]

There have already been a few wolf sightings in Colorado, so it is probably just a matter of time before they are there in larger numbers.

 

[ivorytip]

including the dakotas

 

[Againstthewind]

I've heard that there was one hit on the road in SD, but there won't be an official confirmation that wolves are in SD even with a corpse of one. I am not surprised at all that there have been sightings in Colorado. There was an article in Bugle that the largest killers of wolves are other wolves, and with their range, it probably doesn't take long for a displaced loner or pair to move a couple hundred miles to find new territory.

 

[Ikeepitcold]

We hear from time to time about wolves showing up in northern Nv too. SSS

 

[slim jim]

We hear from time to time about wolves showing up in northern Nv too. SSS

I've heard the same thing about the Jarbidge area. Let's hope not.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

There have already been a few wolf sightings in Colorado, so it is probably just a matter of time before they are there in larger numbers.

Havn't heard much in the last year or so, other than the uproar when the feds proposed releasing wolves as one option for elk population control in Rky Mt NP. As far as I know 2 collared wolves from Yellowstone were found in Northern Colo dead. But I'm with you.....it's only a matter of time.

 

[Colorado T]

I have heard of some reported in Northern Colorado around Craig and Steamboat. Hope they never decide to introduce them here but I think everyone is right that it won't be long before they are seeing more move further South.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I have heard of some reported in Northern Colorado around Craig and Steamboat. Hope they never decide to introduce them here but I think everyone is right that it won't be long before they are seeing more move further South.

That's where the 2 dead ones were found as I heard it.

 

[sheephunter]

A few years ago a video was floating around, supposedly taken by a CO DOW employee, of a presumed wolf up in the Craig/Steamboat area. I never heard anything more about it.
Also, a few years ago, they started using night time sharpshooters to cull elk in Rocky Mountain NP. We go up there every year in early September for a long weekend so my wife can see the elk bugling as well as look for moose, and I would say there has been a noticeable decline in elk numbers in the park. They also seem to be a little more shy about coming out of the timber (sometimes).
It really bugs me that they wouldn't open up some kind of hunt in there, but the sharpshooters are a way better option to wolf introduction (to my mind anyhow).
It also really bugs me to see any kind of wildlife hit on a road, but I've gotta say I wasn't entirely unhappy about those couple that showed up here getting run over.

 

[BKC]

I saw a news story that a women took a picture of a wolf in RMNP and sent it in to the local news channel with a story of how she saw it. When she saw the story on the news, the picture was all blury and the news channel said that a local expert said that it could be anything because it was a bad photo. The lady called into the news channel and said that photo was not bad and had been purposely blurred before it went on air. She has the original photo and she is not sending anymore photos to the press. This sounds like a coverup to me. They are here and not just a handfull!

 

[ScottR]

Bkc could you put us in contact with her? We would love to cover the whole story.


Eastmans' Staff Digital Media Coordinator

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Also, a few years ago, they started using night time sharpshooters to cull elk in Rocky Mountain NP. We go up there every year in early September for a long weekend so my wife can see the elk bugling as well as look for moose, and I would say there has been a noticeable decline in elk numbers in the park. They also seem to be a little more shy about coming out of the timber (sometimes).
It really bugs me that they wouldn't open up some kind of hunt in there, but the sharpshooters are a way better option to wolf introduction (to my mind anyhow).

If the NPS wasn't so stupid and run by nonhunters, they would realize how much $$$$they actually could make auctioning off 50 to 100 elk tags to cull them there. They hide behind "we can't hunt in a NP". Hell if the President can make executive orders for the stuff he has done, he sure could allow hunting for population control there. Just wishful thinking....never happen!

 

[ivorytip]

If the NPS wasn't so stupid and run by nonhunters, they would realize how much $$$$they actually could make auctioning off 50 to 100 elk tags to cull them there. They hide behind "we can't hunt in a NP". Hell if the President can make executive orders for the stuff he has done, he sure could allow hunting for population control there. Just wishful thinking....never happen!

amen CC. amen

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Several years ago in August the ranch right east of where we hunt on the west side of the BigHorns in Wyoming had 40+ sheep killed on one night by a pack. I met the Father of the government trapper called in on the case, as he is a friend of a friend. His boy tried to trap them and ended up killing 3 from the air and he thinks there were 5 more that got away. One of the 3 he shot had a collar that was put on by the feds way up in Montana north of Yellowstone Park. A year later when my buddy and I were doing some fence work in September on fences of the adjacent ranch where we hunt we found a fresh track in the mud that without a doubt was made by an adult wolf. There was never any media coverage of that pack and it has been kept very quiet other than the locals that know about it. Several of the outfitters up in the NF say they've seen and heard an occasional wolf up in the mountains, but authorities will not admit that they are branching out from the Yellowstone ecosystem to other areas hundreds of miles away like that.

 

[Cobbhunts]

Several years ago in August the ranch right east of where we hunt on the west side of the BigHorns in Wyoming had 40+ sheep killed on one night by a pack. I met the Father of the government trapper called in on the case, as he is a friend of a friend. His boy tried to trap them and ended up killing 3 from the air and he thinks there were 5 more that got away. One of the 3 he shot had a collar that was put on by the feds way up in Montana north of Yellowstone Park. A year later when my buddy and I were doing some fence work in September on fences of the adjacent ranch where we hunt we found a fresh track in the mud that without a doubt was made by an adult wolf. There was never any media coverage of that pack and it has been kept very quiet other than the locals that know about it. Several of the outfitters up in the NF say they've seen and heard an occasional wolf up in the mountains, but authorities will not admit that they are branching out from the Yellowstone ecosystem to other areas hundreds of miles away like that.

Question....can you shoot a wolf in the area that you hunt? Just curious what the regs say about that when you're outside of the "wolf zone"

 

[Againstthewind]

http://www.pinedaleonline.com/wolf/ I think this has been brought up before, but this wolf watch from Pinedale, WY has a lot of good information on the subject. Its pretty interesting. I guess with the zoo that is Yellowstone with all the people, hunting would be tough, but like an archery backcountry hunt could help raise some money and do some population control. The National Elk Refuge allows hunting. Maybe it was a trial to see how it would work. Its pretty heavily regulated and watched, so something like that might work at Rocky Mountain. Might have to hide the animal so that people don't freak out seeing a whole elk strapped to the top of your car like that one picture. I don't know.

That is a tough loss Topgun. I still its really cool that you help out on the places you go to hunt. I don't know why they deny that the wolves are established in the Big Horns and other places, it doesn't do any good other than make people wonder what else they are hiding. I need to get a snowmobile so I can chase one down this winter maybe. No license needed there. I actually thought I saw one trotting around the grasslands south of Gillette a couple weeks ago. I couldn't be sure it wasn't a dog, it was kindof far away, but it sure looked like a big black wolf.

 

[BKC]

Bkc could you put us in contact with her? We would love to cover the whole story.


Eastmans' Staff Digital Media Coordinator

Sent you a pm

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Question....can you shoot a wolf in the area that you hunt? Just curious what the regs say about that when you're outside of the "wolf zone"

Yes! There are two zones in Wyoming. One is the trophy zone that is over on the west side of the state and there are numbered units that have seasons and quotas that can't be exceeded. Everything else in the state that shows in white is the predator zone and they can be shot on sight with no license required. All the G&F wants is for you to call them to advise of the kill and where it was. I would love to wack one of them if I ever see them where we hunt, but there are so few and they are so smart that it's very doubtful it will happen. You never know though, as I've seen a bull moose when there aren't supposed to be any and 2 cougars that are supposed to be in decent numbers, but are also very seldom seen. Click on this link and you can see the numbered units in red where you have to have a license:
http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/imgs/QRDocs/REGULATIONS_CH47_MAP.pdf