"We are grateful to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for working with our agency on this critical next step in reintroducing gray wolves in the state," CPW Director Jeff Davis said in a news release. "This agreement will help ensure Colorado Parks and Wildlife can meet its statutory mandate to begin releasing wolves in Colorado by December 31, 2023."
Colorado will pay for all costs associated with capturing the wolves in Oregon, CPW said. They plan to use helicopter crews and spotter planes during the operation.
Once the wolves are captured, CPW said it will test and treat the animals for an diseases on site. Then they'll place tracking collars on them, and take measurments of the animals.
They plan to transport the wolves in sturdy aluminum crates back to Colorado, either by truck or airplane.
“The wolves will be released at select sites in Colorado as soon as possible once they arrive in the state to minimize stress on the animals,” CPW Wolf Conservation Program Manager Eric Odell said in a news release. “CPW will aim to capture and reintroduce an equal number of males and females. We anticipate that the majority of animals will be in the 1- to 5-year-old range, which is the age that animals would typically disperse from the pack they were born in.”
Wolves will have to reach a certain standard to be selected for reintroduction. CPW said it won't take wolves that have several broken canines, missing eyes, fractured or missing limbs, mange or lice infestation.
“Oregon has a long history of helping other states meet their conservation goals by providing animals for translocation efforts. Some of our wildlife populations were also restored thanks to other states doing the same for us, including Rocky Mountain elk, bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat,” Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Curt Melcher said. “The wolves will come from northeast Oregon, where wolves are most abundant in the state and where removal of 10 wolves will not impact any conservation goals.”
What took you so long? Portland and 2020 did it for me.
They moved onto my best elk hunting areas this year. I’ve never hunted around wolves, it definitely changed the elk behavior big time.
KSflatlander's Link
Paul - Are they dumping these 10 in one spot or are they spreading them out?
How in the hell can they lie like that and get away with it?
Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho
A Nez Perce Tribe spokesperson told the Coloradoan on Monday it will "likely" be able to provide source wolves to Colorado to help meet its deadline.
Aaron Miles, the Idaho tribe’s natural resource manager, said the tribe is willing to help and that conversations between Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who strongly supports wolf reintroduction, and Shannon Wheeler, chairman of the tribe's executive committee, have taken place and continue to take place to work out the details.
Colorado hopes to release 10 to 15 wolves during its first year of reintroduction.
"Yes, we are working hard to develop that plan and the Nez Perce Tribe has every intention of helping Colorado be a source of wolves," he said. "Our executive committee has given us the go-ahead as a department to begin working on this. I think it is likely we could do it to meet their deadline."
It's a matter of logistics, Miles cautioned, if wolves can be captured and translocated to Colorado in time to meet the ballot initiative's mandated deadline.
Obstacles include finding experts to safely capture the wolves and whether the area receives enough snow to aid in helicopter capture of the wolves, he said. Nez Perce tribal land encompasses millions of acres in the heart of Idaho's wolf country, spilling over into Washington, Oregon and Montana.
Nez Perce's willingness to help comes as good news after Wyoming, Montana and Idaho governments told Colorado they won't serve as source states for the reintroduction. Washington is mulling over the possibility but said it can't provide wolves for Colorado this year. Oregon is still contemplating if it will provide wolves to Colorado.
That prompted Colorado to turn to the Nez Perce Tribe. Miles said conversations between Colorado and the tribe began about a month ago.
The unexpected uncertainty of whether Colorado will be able to find wolves in time to meet its deadline has put increasing pressure on the state.
The situation became so dire that Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis cautioned Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission members at its Aug. 25 meeting to not put undue pressure on the Washington wildlife commission to vote to provide wolves to Colorado.
"Let’s talk before we just barrage Washington’s commission," Davis told the commission. "I say that because (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly) Susewind is navigating the complicated situation and it's super sensitive, so if too many people are barraging folks or lobbying folks, you’re likely going to do more harm to our likelihood than have success."
Does the Nez Perce Tribe have the authority to capture wolves and give them to Colorado?? The tribe does not need the blessing or backing of the Idaho state government to capture and translocate wolves because the tribe is a sovereign nation, which basically allows for self-government. Miles said that was secured in an 1855 treaty with the federal government.
The tribe was instrumental in reintroducing wolves to Idaho in 1995. The state of Idaho balked at helping with the federal government's Northern Rocky Mountains wolf reintroduction, which also included Yellowstone National Park, so the tribe stepped in and led the effort.
Miles said many of the tribe's wolf experts have retired, making it more difficult to help Colorado with source wolves.
"We largely no longer have the technical capacity of those people involved with the (1995) reintroduction, so we have our work cut out for us," he said. "It's now figuring out the details because you just can't get anyone to capture wolves; you have to have the right people and do it right. But if you have the energy on both sides to make it work, like we and Colorado do, you make it work."
Miles said wolves are revered in the tribe and, as such, it wishes to see proliferation of the animals.
"Our goal is different than someone else's goal," he said. "We have lots of legends based on animals that teach us how we fit into the natural world as people."
One of the first gray wolf pups born in Colorado is shown after being captured via helicopter and fitted with a tracking collar Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 in Jackson County.
Why snow on the ground is critical for the capture of wolves? Colorado Parks and Wildlife's wolf recovery plan cited helicopter capture of wolves as the preferred method, as it is generally agreed by experts as the quickest and safest option as opposed to using traps and snares.
In wolf captures, generally, a plane is used to spot the wolves. Then a nearby helicopter flies to the site and hovers over the wolf, which is shot with a tranquilizer dart. Colorado's plan calls for the wolves then to be immediately transported, likely by air, to their release site(s) in Colorado. The cages will be opened, and the wolves are then on their own.
Reid DeWalt, the state wildlife agency's assistant director, told the Colorado Wildlife Commission at its Aug. 25 meeting that the agency sees the wolf release season as mid-December until the middle of March.
"We really need that snow for helicopter capture," he said. "Wolves are fast and you're not going to really track them down with a helicopter (without snow), and we want to capture them quickly. But if it doesn’t snow, we will have to capture them in a different way."
Colorado Parks and Wildlife captured and collared a male wolf that naturally migrated into the state and one of its pups in February 2021 and 2022, respectively.
DeWalt told the commission it has 20 collars ready to place on the reintroduced wolves.
"December is coming quick and we have a lot to do," DeWalt told the commission. "But we expect to meet the deadline.''
Where Colorado plans to release reintroduced wolves? DeWalt told the commission a team is actively looking at around 10 potential release sites west of the Continental Divide in case weather eliminates some of the sites. It's likely releases will take place at two to three sites, according to the state's recovery plan.
The state's wolf recovery plan has identified the initial releases will take place on state and private land in an oval shape roughly with Glenwood Springs on the west, Kremmling on the north, Vail on the east and Aspen on the south. The area includes Interstate 70 running through the middle.
The area within the green circle is where Colorado Parks and Wildlife is recommending the state's first reintroduced wolves be released followed by the yellow circle.
ODFW uses what they call a “minimum known count” for the wolves
From ODFW:”
This annual count is based on verified wolf evidence (like visual observations, tracks, and remote camera photographs). The actual number of wolves in Oregon is higher, as not all individuals present in the state are located during the winter count.”
Therein lies the problem. Most people don't know what a law is and what the whim of a politician is...
It's upside-down world here.
Even if they wanted to do the right thing, the wolf intro is the result of a ballot initiative the people voted on.
Aspen Ghost's Link
Wow, can't believe he got away with the "self defense" argument in Oregon !
Maybe it will set a precedent?
Sounds like we have hit the MAXIMUM amount of wolves for for Oregon
I actually think they have just dispersed further into previous areas that didn’t have wolves, so the biologist haven’t seen them in the new areas to include in the “minimum count”.
“Minimum count” used to give the population is animals they have seen or caught on trail camera that can be identified as a different animal not seen before.
Imagine how many more there actually are.
Triggered the hell out of KS
I'm sure it's the same downstream from him
Priceless
Boebert’s not even qualified to give discrete handjobs LMAO.
What is triggering is fellow bowhunters advocating for poaching, SSS, and eradication/extinction of any native species. It’s perfect fodder for animal rights groups and completely destroys our (hunters) +100 year reputation as practicing conservationists. That’s alarming, concerning, embarrassing, and triggering. RK is a prime example of what we as hunters and conservationists shouldn’t be. A net negative on our hunting community.
Once again sexual references in explaining you position or the position of someone else
And as you said it's dead on arrival, so really no risk destroying any reputations or 100 + years of being conservationists.
As a famous actor once said, all MOO Points.
A LMAO moment for sure. Thanks Jaquomo !!
Because promoting behavior like Boebert’s on biology is no different than biology by popular vote. I see RK that you’re clueless once again and making my point for me. Thanks.
A bitch slap from the biggest fraud on the Bowsite Wooooweeee that hurt, NOT
Wildlife management by ballot box or wildlife management by activist judges. No difference. In your heart, you know wolves aren't "endangered".
Edit: Must’ve been typing same time as Lou.
“Fact is, wolves are recovered far past the objective numbers”
Lungshot- What does recovered mean biologically and what is the objective number? If you really think what you’re saying is true and so obvious then sue the USFWS to delist the wolf and you will win easily.
The ESA protection isn’t just about numbers. It’s about geography, genetics, diversity, population trends, habitat, disease, poaching, and many other factors. Most of all it’s about conservation and our societal value of wild things and wild places.
If you want more of it Lou then don’t complain when animal rights activists do it too. What Boebert’s doing is try to circumvent biology and it’s a dangerous. It gives animals rights groups all the ammo they need. The same dangerous precedent as the Colorado wolf popular vote. It will in no way help anything. You want to be a part of that then go for it.
And the cycle continues....
