"Reintroduction considerations ?Reintroduction technique: Alternatives hard release; soft release; and a combination of soft and hard release all have technical merit, with hard release preferred to soft release and to a combination of soft and hard release. There are pros and cons to consider for both techniques; however, hard release has greater technical merit as well as greater logistical and economic feasibility and is thus recommended by the TWG as the preferred technique.
?Time of year for reintroduction: Alternatives spring and summer do not have technical merit; alternatives winter and fall both have technical merit; and winter is preferred over fall.
?Considerations for where wolves could be released: All of the following considerations have technical merit: land ownership; livestock presence; geographic context; prey base; likelihood of supporting multiple packs; proximity to state border; vote results; and seasonal elk supply. Vote results have least preference as a technical alternative to guide reintroduction location, but it is recognized that sociopolitical considerations will also be at play in selection of release area(s). A site where a wolf is released is not expected to be necessarily where the wolf will stay.
?Number of release sites (and number of release areas): The alternatives of flexibility in specific release sites for an area with multiple release points; multiple release areas; and one release area were all determined to have technical merit. The alternative to have flexibility in specific release sites for an area with multiple release points is most preferred.
?Pace of wolf reintroduction: All of the following alternatives have technical merit: about thirty to forty- wolves reintroduced for one year (fast); about ten to fifteen wolves reintroduced per year for two to three years (medium); about five to ten wolves reintroduced per year for three to six years (slow); and “be flexible” (note: numbers are not concrete and are meant to suggest relative pace). The general technical preference is for a “medium” pace, followed by a “slow” pace, and, least favorably, a “fast” pace. It is important to be flexible and adapt the specific logistics of these paces according to conditions of the reintroduction. It is also important to be adaptive around specific dates and numbers. The overall goal is ultimately to establish a self-sustaining population. The goal of the initial translocation and restoration is to introduce enough wolves at an adequate pace to establish a growing population that can ultimately achieve a self-sustaining population. Without specifying what that might look like from a numerical perspective and/or other indicators, there are a variety of ways (i.e., paces) that could work to achieve a growing population. Note: discussion of this topic focused specifically on the number of wolves actively reintroduced, not long-term population goals or management thresholds.
?When to stop and/or pause reintroduction: The following alternatives all have technical merit: after about forty animals have been moved; indication of pack establishment; indication of pack establishment with some documented reproduction; two packs raising two pups for two consecutive years; and a flexible approach (i.e., do releases (e.g., of thirty to forty wolves) and then pause to see what happens) all have technical merit. The preferred option is to do ‘a bunch’ (undetermined number) of releases (e.g., release a total of approximately thirty to forty wolves), then pause, assess, and adapt based on whether the initial restoration phase has resulted in an adequately growing population that will ultimately achieve a self-sustaining population.
Agenda Item 25, ?Keystone Update on Wolf Planning: - SAG Report on Regulated Public Hunting? - SAG Outreach and Education Report - SAG Report on Ungulate Management - TWG Wolf Management Considerations Report - TWG Final Recommendation
Once again everybody will be impacted by woke policies. Can't wait!
JohnMC's Link
Billygoat is right, we will never have a wolf season here because of the way Colorado politics are now
