02/27/2025
little something we wrote to the commission and Director this morning, requesting a very simple but very impactful gesture to us
Good Morning CPW Commission and Director Davis,
I have been following this Wolf Introduction since the beginning, through the good, the bad, the what are we thinking moments, i have attended every CPW Commission meeting for wolf updates and information. I have attended many Wolf Seminars and the CPW Range Riding Seminar. I am an Outfitter and volunteer range rider from Redstone, CO. I know many Ranchers and Outfitters across the entire western slope, from the ones first affected by wolves prior to release, to ones being affected now, and ones that aren't affected. We will just say that regardless i have a very large reach across this state and what has been going on between Ranchers/Outfitters, CPW Staff and wolves.
If you all have not noticed that Ranchers and Outfitters are pretty upset with the CPW Commission, Director Davis and the Senior Staff calling the shots. If you all havent noticed the exasperation from the general public being affected by these wolves and the ones you made promises to, i highly suggest you get informed quickly. i'm sure many of the boots on the ground CPW Staff is grinding their teeth smooth from having to be the face of this anger and disapproval, all while trying to perform their normal duties. If you haven't noticed the biggest thing we are all upset about is the lack of transparency that was promised to us in January, directly by Director Davis.
The way the January release was carried out really made a lot of folks feel betrayed, especially when just days before, they were pushed aside by 10 of the 11 commissioners, im not sure why some of our commissioners who are supposed to represent the sportsman and agricultural side went against us, hope it wasn't from political pressure or threats from the pro wolf community, since you are a volunteer board for the people not political agendas. But promises were made for more transparency, information and resources. That has been a complete kick in the pants, and there's many out there Director who wouldn't shed a tear if you stepped down from your position. Speaking with ranchers, some get told of wolves in the area, some don't get told, Ranchers find tracks and never get a confirmation of any wolf in the area. This is how the rumors get started and then people get more and more upset when they think Bob was told but they weren't. That being said, i want to get onto my request to assist not only the CPW try to rebuild some trust with the community that ultimately supports them, but also give us all a little more of your promise and that's a little transparency.
Now this transparency isn't going to be that big of a deal in all honesty its really not a whole lot but i guarantee that if this is done it will benefit not only Ranchers and Outifitters, but the general public and the wolves. So here is my request, there are 28 Collared wolves in CO, i am asking that when CPW releases their watershed map that on the first day of that map or randomly some time in that 30 days that CPW releases an exact location of each wolf. Now yes releasing a point of a wolf shows where they were, but when its 30 days old it shouldn't be an issue. This will just let the people know where those wolves were exactly for one GPS point in a 30 day period. Once the wolves have been confirmed denning, then CPW just releases at the bottom of the map that Female Wolf X and Male Wolf X have denned and will not be reporting GPS locations any longer. This is a really simple way to give more transparency without in fact hurting anything in the long run. I know, i know, were all scarred that the blood thirsty SSS crowd is going to use this to their advantage and go kill all the wolves. But lets be truly honest with ourselves 10 collared wolves released and made it through half a winter, summer and hunting season. 2 died of now we know natural causes (other wolves and a mountain lion) and one was still supposedly shot. If wolves were truly in danger, people could have used the watershed map alone and went and killed all these wolves, there has been enough press release on the wolf in Mesa County and the one in Park County for anyone that was serious to go find them and kill them. The ranchers alone in Grand and Jackson County would have simply killed them off them selves if they truly were going to do it. But they haven't and until the person that shot the other wolf is found or USFWS releases the Necropsy results, we most likely will never know what actually happened to that wolf.
I am asking the Director and the Commission to give us all a little transparency and just give us 1 GPS location per wolf per month, i am going to guarantee that this little act is going to have a huge impact on CPW and the tension this Ballot Initiative has brought between the department and the Ranchers/Outfitters.
Thank you for the consideration and if i need to i will be filing a motion for this to be an agenda item at the Commission, otherwise we could just agree to do it and make it a really simple and easy gesture to the Ranching, Outfitting and Sportsman Community that you all have said to represent.
