How the re-introduction of wolves is impacting Colorado 

Please re-introduce grizzly bears into LA.

Large dogs used by ranchers can have a definitely positive effect on the cattle lost to wolves. Europeans have used guard dogs for years. Dogs like great pyrenees, anatolian shepherd, kuvasz and other livestock protectors.

I’m a railroader and saw my first wolf near Granby (Frasier Canyon) a few weeks ago. “Whoa, that’s a massive coyote!” Then he stopped and watched the train go and both of us in the cab said, “That’s a wolf, right?” I wish we had footage, but it was grey blue in color with long legs. Bigger than a husky or malamute so I’m pretty confident. We see a lot of awesome animals (lions, bears, lynx, bald eagles, moose, elk, ringtails), but I’m not going to lie, wolves make me slightly nervous to walk a train through 3ft of snow at night. I also believe we still occasionally get a Grizzly or two in Colorado, but that’s a debate I want to prove with video. Edit: “lions” means mountain lions. My channel is called Colorado Mallcrawlers not African Mallcrawlers lol 😉

There are dog breeds that are specialists at protecting livestock from predators, wolves and cougars. Farmers and ranchers in Italy have been living with wolves forever and it works just fine.

I’ve lived in the Colorado Rockies my whole life and solo backpack regularly, and can tell you first hand that wolves have been “back” in Colorado for several years. Part of the state voting yes to reintroduce wolves, includes the allocation of funds to both monitor those wolf populations, as well as set up programs to reimburse farmers and blunt the wolf’s negative impacts during the transition. The point is, even if Colorado voted no, the wolves were already coming south naturally as the wolf population grows and new food sources were needed, so at least now there are funds and oversight to help “curate” the populations. All of that said, this conversation often skips over the benefits the wolves bring to an ecosystem, particularly one like Colorado with over an population of both deer and elk, which has detrimental effects of forest health and erosion. After a few years of wolf predation, a more manageable deer population will be unable to eat the majority of aspen saplings and our famous aspen groves will once again grow.

Wolves were reintroduced in 1995 in Yellowstone NP AND Bitterroot/Selway Wilderness in Idaho. Not just Yellowstone NP.

as a colorado resident who voted to reintroduce the wolf here, examining the good and bad is very important. yes, there will be livestock kills and there are also ways to reduce/negate that. the wolf is not the bad guy here. the exorbitant urban growth with no thought of the natural inhabitants is to blame.

As a Zimbabwean who lives near a wildlife rich area, what I find interesting in this report is the empathy shown towards the ranchers. It's rare for Western media to afford the same attitude when discussing human elephant conflict in my local area.

As a Midwesterner, the decline of native wolf populations has caused raccoon and deer populations to get way out of control(coyotes see cow calves as easier targets and barely go after adult deer anymore)

It may not always be easy, but we should make sure there are wild spaces for wolves to a reasonable degree within their historic habitat. They are very important species as well as being amazing creatures in their own right, they were here long before us and we need to share this massive country.

My family ranches in Oregon, the boost in the wolf population has had zero effect on us, yes we have had wolves on the property, but we have VERY high deer, turkey and elk populations for them to eat. Our cattle have horns and are a larger breed, the wolves do not seem to bother them and we keep a substantial pack of very large dogs that seem to scare them off. I strongly suspect some ranchers are lying about wolf losses, none of the people responsible about writing reimbursement checks seem to check too much into it so there is less screaming by the ranching community also coyote predator losses seem to get blamed on wolves as well, so far the wolf population sadly has made a minimal dent in the coyote population around here which seems to be afraid of nothing, their packs use females to try to sucker our dogs off to be attacked. Maybe the coyotes will go away when the wolf pack around here gets bigger. I always found it odd fellow ranchers make such a giant stink over wolves like the world is ending yet just deal with the huge livestock losses from coyotes like it is no big deal.

Ranchers need to get protective dog breeds. I know it’s a new normal to deal with but we can have a world with both cattle ranching and wolves.

I remember seeing my first ever wolf in the wild at Denali National Park. They're so underpopulated there that the chances of seeing one on my first bus tour in the park was one to nearly a million.

If you want to read a great book about Boulder Colorado and the effort to attract the deer to the park areas of Boulder that backfired with multiple deaths of humans. Read "the beast in the garden" by David Baron.

We need to look at Europe and how they've been able to mitigate human-predator conflict in recent decades with their wolf reintroduction programs. They've incentivized the use of livestock guardian dogs for ranchers and it's proved a great success with far less livestock and wolves being killed. It's even worked in Canada in some areas where huge wolf packs and grizzly bears still roam.

The pros far outweigh the cons of having wolves back in their old historic territories.

Wolves gonna be wolves.

3 Great Pyrenese on that dudes tiny plot would be very effective. I have family with 8000 acres, and predatory kills are insignificant with 5 LGDs.

I truly can see both sides and I feel bad for the ranchers. That all said how many people have had their cars totaled from hitting a deer or moose? How many people have lost their pets to various animals. Wolfs are part of the food chain and they keep things in check. I was hiking the Long Trail in Vermont and the trail ran through the farmers field. His chickens were guarded by four of the biggest baddest dogs I had ever seen. They were Great Pyrenean Mountain Dogs and they weighed at least 150 pounds and they took guarding those chickens very seriously. There are options, maybe not perfect but nothing in life is.

Here's the solution to the predator conflict issue: 1: raise bison instead of cows, they're tougher and less vulnerable than cattle to predation, not to mention healthier to eat. 2: use guard dogs bred to protect livestock, or better yet get some donkeys for your herd. We need more predators to keep our ecosystems stable, and coexistence is an important issue for us all to overcome

Ranchers who lose livestock to wolves should be reimbursed for their losses. It seems like a reasonable expense to me. But as a bigger and better thing… let’s stop leasing public land to ranchers. Let’s give it back to the wolves.

How about using Pyrenees or other dogs or donkeys?

The best way to think about a wolf is when you compare it to a domesticated dog who’s been bread to maintain the puppy mental state of mind even in adulthood, however a wolf achieves full K9 adulthood if they don’t die First.

Got to love the news playing up the same storyline that led to wolves almost going extinct in the first place

It is a loose loose...who paid the rancher for the losses...government did NOT...the money comes from hunting and fishing license fees....then the numbers of elk will be decimated thus reducing the number of hunters and thereby money (from license fees)....These license fee monies help ALL wild animals/fish...ALL. So loose as money diverted from wild animals to ranchers and less hunting license fees.

Wolves, bison, grizzlies and many other animals were there long before humans came and killed them all. Something to think about.

That rancher's problem isn't wolves, it's that he's working alone. No guard dogs, no other ranch hands...

I remember learning about this in science class in middle school back then. That’s cool to see the long term results.

I think a few wolves and some bears would be good in central park san francisco and l.a.

While cattle might appear to be easier prey than elk or deer, ranchers have the ability to build fences or raise guard dogs to help protect their livestock. Preventive measures like this is should encourage the wolves to stick to their natural diets.

That pack of wolves literally lived off of those cows that winter. They weren’t hunting many wild animals that winter

So my only question is when do we reintroduce grizzly bears across the entire state of California I think it would be amazing to see bears there again , after all they were there first 🤣😂🫵💪

wolfs are essential for nature & we must respect this beautiful & highly intelligent animals

I saw a Wolf in Smith Valley Nv a handful of years back he was chasing a Coyote the Coyote was smart he timed it perfectly and ran out in front of the vehicle I was driving causing me to brake the vehicle the Coyote got away and the Wolf had to come to a quick stop or risk getting run over the Wolf was huge and very beautiful grey in color he was we were returning from the Pinenut festival in Schurz Nv to me I took it as a Spiritual Sign and Message

The entire time the rancher was talking I was just saying to myself, " get dogs, get dogs, get dogs" you need to make the wildlife the easier target than the livestock

*adds a singular donkey to the herd* *local wolf population dissapears* There are ways to control animals outside of shooting them

A fair presentation of the issues. Thanks

For 1,200 acres, 4 livestock guard dogs will keep the wolves looking for a better place to find food. Bringing your pregnant cows into a calving area will also help. You will take a loss here and there but let the dogs do the work. The State should provide the dogs to the ranchers, along with vet care for the dogs. The cattle losses will drop 90%. It should have been in the legislation that brought the wolves back.

Thank you fir sharing.

The key to solving this is to understand how domesticated livestock can fit into the natural ecosystem, and possibly involve the historic indigenous tribes with the respect to their history, woven into the history of these ecosystems. That, wildlife corridors, and defensive livestock for ranchers, I hope are all possible tools.

There is already a Federal Wildlife Program to control predators. Agents are authorized to help ranchers by capturing or killing animals. Wolves are not protected from Federal Agents. Ultimately, ranchers will have to get Bigger Dogs as best protection. Thank you very much.

The wolves are a keystone species. Better for the environment overall that they be there than not.

Where I am from Wolves were wiped out. The last one was killed in 1786. There have been talks about reintroducing them cause we have a massive Deer population problem. The Deers are culled annually, which costs the taxpayer. I do think that if farmers are well compensated or maybe be allowed to defend their land. It would be a good idea.

Studies show that wolves learn how to hunt from their mature family. So if the adult wolves in a pack are killed, and the young survive, they only learn how to hunt easy prey. The easiest prey are livestock that have been bred to be docile and raised in environments free of predators. Healthy wolf packs don't hunt livestock, they hunt wild deer, elk, bison, moose, and other prey. Most livestock predation is because ranchers see a wolf, assume it killed one of their livestock, and shoot it; thus leaving the young with only one efficient food source. But also, when livestock is killed by predators, ranchers can get reimbursements from the government. So a lot of livestock are reported as predator-kills rather than deaths by disease, dehydration, or starvation. And to justify the reimbursement, a predator needs to die. If we updated ranching regulations to discourage dishonesty, we'd have less wolf problems. Until that happens, wolf reintroduction will always be on shaky ground. P.S. Also if livestock dies to exposure, disease, dehydration, or starvation, all that is needed to claim it as predation is evidence that its body has been eaten. Wolves will eat carrion, especially in winter. Once it's been eaten, it's hard to determine a specific cause of death. But if ranchers were more honest about *why* their livestock are dying, we'd have fewer dead wolves.

Gittleson has been losing livestock to coyotes, bears etc because he lets his cows give birth all over the place instead of bringing them in. Several of his wolf claims turned out to be coyotes not wolves. He should be great full for all the volunteers who helped him get deterrents. He’s better off now. He’s not even a full time rancher. He has a day job in town.

Bring on the wolves. Ranchers must adapt or fail.

why are they standing 10 feet apart

Minnesota moose have been nearly eliminated thanks to the wolves. 80 percent of the calves are killed in the first 6 months

Denver voted heavily in favor of wolf reintroduction while areas that actually got them were opposed. Shouldn't the wolves have been released in areas that voted for them?

Here's a tip for the ranchers get yourselves a Pyrenees we have one and I have seen him chase off five Coyotes once I was scared and worried about him but he returned safely definitely has balls of steel

When you destroy habitat and take away the wolves food, you run into the risk of them going after cattle. Put up fences to keep the cattle from roaming all over. Cattle can also be the cause of overgrazing and erosion issues.

So many people on the earth is the problem.

They should introduce wolves to Los Angeles and New york.

The fact that Colorado has massive numbers of elk and deer suggest maybe a few wolves could keep them in check.

The ranchers need to get herds of donkeys and large protector dogs to guard their cows.

North Park is completely overrun with cattle. They're everywhere. I don't know how these ranchers expect the wolves to resist temptation.

I support reintroduction but there also has to be measures to help out the ranchers with de-predation efforts, whether that’s money for fencing or whatnot.

I like the idea of using dogs to keep the wolves away from livestock; also, hazing, as long as it doesn't injure the wolves. That said, Colorado is only used for grazing because so much open land existed for so long. Most of the pasture land, here, consists of short-grass prairie that actually rates as lousy for grazing. It takes more than 13 acres, here, to feed a cow with a nursing calf (a "cattle-unit"). By contrast, in most of the humid, tall-grass prairie of the Midwest, or the rainy meadows of the Old South, it takes less than a third of that land to graze. Up in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, not only does a cattle-unit need only about 3.5 acres (as compared to Colorado's 13 or more), the grass stays green for 10 months a year. In that part of Colorado, Gittleson probably sees winters that last 5 months. (The realities of agriculture economics would have been good to include in such a story, but television "news" has always been long on evocation of emotion and short on presentation of boring stuff such as *facts* ... 🙄) Still, that raises the question: Do we support a way of life that has existed for more than 150 years, in Colorado, even though the land has never been well-suited for it? Or do we return more of the territory to its natural state, knowing that other parts of the country can easily make up for any lost production, here, with land that's actually *better* for the job? For ranchers, the answer is easy -- but then, they have a vested interest. For the rest of us without a vested interest, not so much. In Colorado, we expressed our preferences for "not so much" directly, with the vote on the ballot measure.

Please reintroduce Manbearpig into Colorado as well

The solution is easy. The ranchers should get Kangal dogs and lots of them. This way the cattle are protected and wolf can go after elks and cayots...

The reintroduction measure that passed in CO ensures ranchers will get compensated for every cow they lose. Is it a perfect system? No. They have to provide all kinds of proof and the money they get isn't necessarily how much that specific cow may have been worth. But fight for ways to improve that system. Don't fight against the wolves that were here long before you.

Thank you CBS for reporting on this crucial issue to restore wolves and balance out the increase of other wildlife. Ranchers have a right to protect their livestock and need to be allowed to do so.

Wolves are such an important part of the ecosystem

They were here before all of these domesticated animals. Bring them back. Love ‘em

Now any rural resident knows that the Wolf being reintroduced without predator control is a mistake . The locals should have always had the right to defend their property, especially since they are not fully compensated. Outsiders need to mind their business. We don't tell them how to live .

I believe wolves are a part of Colorado's ecosystem that belong here. I would like to see more highway wildlife crossings under byways , I worked on Mt Massive when I saw my first wolf, couldn't believe it was real and forest service confirmed it.. mountain lions need a lot of range and our valuable predators need to be protected hard core. To be honest, they look tough, but they are the most vulnerable mathematically

Public lands ranching in the West accounts for less than 1% of the US beef supply. These ranchers ACT LIKE THEY OWN THE LAND. THEY DO NOT OWN THE LAND!!!

First pair of high-heeled hiking boots I've ever seen. 😂 I remember growing up in rural Texas in the early 70's farmers would hang the coyote skins on the fenceposts.

Reintroduce them to Colorado's major cities where the voting population resides; as that is what they voted for.

Let nature be nature !

We can't live without Nature, but Nature certainly can live without us!

AND the wolves being re-introduce...wait they are ALREADY in Colorado..as the Video documents......this "Yellowstone" wolf was NEVER historically in Colorado. Colorado had wolves, a smaller species...now extinct (sad) but the "yellowstone species" ..we have NO record of it being in Colorado

Coyotes and wolves are so beautiful

So many ranchers use public land for their profit of raising cattle. It’s public land your using and the public wants wolves. Long live the wolf.

sine the elk are so overpopulated in some of these states itd be nice if theyd transport them to states that dont have thema nymore that used to. They recently did it successfuly in kentucky and they are working on it in west virginia as well.

So awkward how they staged the interview with Joanna Lambert 12’ away. That felt weird.

Mother Nature has conducted nearly infinity experiments in order to figure out how things work. Human hubris to think we can manage the ecology is epic.

Denver city residents know what’s best for rural ranches

A high powered paintball gun would probably work better than chasing them. Wouldn't do any permanent damage either.

Ranchers should be compensated for all lost cattle. However, hopefully the wolves will cull the chronic wasting disease deer and make the deer population healthier.

I think the reintroduction of wolves to their former range is a good idea, but ranchers should be fully compensated for any and all losses. Like a problem grizzly or black bear any problem wolves should be removed either by relocation first or if they return hunted and killed.

Rancher welfare…. I use to hunt on lands owned by ranchers and farmers . Just a simple request to the the landowner . Now the landowner…. Ranchers/ farmers ask for $$$$ to hunt , then in turn they get game damage from the government . These same landowners condemn the government… yet have no problem taking money from the government ….

They're not introducing native wolves, but arctic wolves which are not, NOT indigenous to the area. If they want to thin the heards of wild deer and elk, why not lower the price of hunting tags so people can feed their families?

So glad to see the wolves thriving, so glad.

No mention at all of how this will effect big game hunting, one of Colorado’s largest industries and most popular activities. Also no mention if the big game populations can support these wolf populations considering they have been impacted severely by human encroachment in the last several decades.

This works out actually because theres also a big feral pig invasion going on too i see this balancing out

One solution for the ranchers is to substitute their cattle for bison. Bison are much better equipped to deal with wolves.

It's probably been mentioned, but can ranchers use donkeys, llamas or dogs to protect their herds?? I had a llama for my flock of sheep...worked very well.

Colorado didn't vote for this, boulder and denver did, big difference.

Go wolves!!!

Matters regarding wildlife and wildlife management should never be opened to a public vote. The people residing in cities will never have to deal with the problems. Thankfully, I live in a common sense state where wolf hunting is allowed but a liberal state like Washington or Colorado would rather spend millions in taxpayers dollars to reimburse cattle ranchers for dead cows than allow hunting of wolves once their population has skyrocketed.

Let the ranchers shoot wolves on their land. The surviving wolves will learn to stay away.

How much do people need to sacrifice for farmers growing a product that most doctors are telling us to stop eating? Bison are a more practical option

Easy for all the voters that live on the front range to say this is a great idea, when they don't have to deal with the wolves being released on a regular basis, nor have to worry about their livestock and extra money to deter/protect them from wolves. Should have let them naturally come into the state like they were doing instead of putting valuable resources toward their reintroduction...money which could have been better off increasing and making better quality habitat for current species struggling in the state, like the Lesser Pinnated Grouse and Sage Grouse. *sigh*

What type of wolf was reintroduced. Was it native to the area?

I didn’t even know there was wild wolves in America

Ranchers need to get over it. The environment is more important. There's no reason to let cows roam that far.

Yes❤

Let's be honest a lot of ranchers lease there land to hunters and probably make more money leasing then they do selling there cattle even though beef prices are at an all time high but that is a different topic. (Brandon was Supposed to Fix This) - So like I said the money is in hunting - Elk hunting is where the money is at and hunters don't want to compete with the Wolf.....

A rancher should be entitled to protect his farm from wild animals period! How stupid fish and game have become! Then they won’t let hunters hunt the wild game but thinks it’s great that wolves do!