I have lived and ranched in Jackson County, Colorado, since 1950 raising commercial cattle with my family. Ranching is not an easy business but one I love. Over many years I have faced challenges and struggles but always managed to stay afloat in this industry. The stress brought on by wolves predating our cattle and even one of our highly trained and much-loved working border collies goes way beyond what the average professional will face in their career.
The compensation paid for wolf depredating on livestock and working dogs is a joke. No rancher wants to see the remains of a calf or cow torn apart by wolves. It is a grisly sight, and the animals suffer tremendously before they finally die.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers have specific limitations on their actions regarding wolf depredation investigations, and these constraints affect their approach to the task. I wonder what the First Gentleman would do if his dog were ripped to shreds by a wolf, I believe most people would be devastated if they lost a pet to one of these predators. Further, CPW officers are not always right in their investigations as I am certain the Charolais cow we lost in 2023, which we found dead far from the other cows was chased away from the herd by wolves into the deep snow and killed. Cows do not wander into deep snow on their own. This is a fact and CPW does not know the habits of cattle. CPW couldn’t confirm a wolf killed the cow, so no compensation was allowed, despite the clear signs of struggle in the snow. Ranchers are in front and center of wolves on our landscapes and we know more than most when it comes to cattle and their habits.
Now, myself and ranchers throughout the state of Colorado are facing a new challenge brought to us by the voters of Colorado — the reintroduction of wolves. I am sure this letter contains information you have heard many times, but as an 83-year-old rancher, it is important to me to have my say too.
First, why the decision to reintroduce wolves was put to the voters of Colorado makes absolutely no sense. What does the pubic know about wolves. Ranchers are now left with the detrimental consequences of Colorado voters majority vote, which I truly question is even legitimate. The state and Gov. Jared Polis are now faced with huge deficits in the budget which is in part due to the extremely high cost relating to the reintroduction. Not only has the state paid for the basic program to start the process, including relocating wolves from other states and Canada, the death of nine wolves since they were brought to Colorado is a travesty and the clear result of selfish, stupid animal rights activists and their special interest groups with their own agenda. The state could have saved taxpayers money as the wolves were naturally migrating to Colorado. That natural process would have been much easier for ranchers to swallow than having them forced on our livelihood by, as I said, uneducated voters of Colorado. Further, if ranchers relocated their livestock to roam public land, thousands of miles from their natural home, with no care and no way to thrive, ranchers would be prosecuted for animal cruelty, domestic animals or not.
Taking wolves from their naturally born habitat and throwing them into an area with little vast wilderness, forcing them to cross busy highways and encounter humans who want them dead seems very cruel to me.
I have acquired three livestock guard dogs since 2023. They are good dogs with good instincts and roam the ranch continuously. I worry about their well-being as they would not fare well against a pack of wolves.
As a rancher our husbandry practices are about raising stress-free, healthy cattle. Wolves have changed that for Colorado ranchers.
I do not allow hunting on my ranch as I enjoy seeing wildlife thrive. Now moose, deer, antelope are all in jeopardy along with the cattle we raise. The state spent millions of dollars reintroducing moose and big horn sheep to Colorado, which seems a waste as now wolves are depredating them too.
Let’s be real, this is not about the warm, fuzzy feeling of seeing wolves on the landscape, which would be rare for the average person visiting the areas of reintroduction. Colorado ranchers are much smarter than given credit and much smarter than the bureaucrats running the state. We are aware this is about running ranchers and their cattle off public lands and forcing them out of the cattle business.
I am not an expert of wolves or their behavior, but I do have common sense which is in short supply in our legislators in Denver.
