I wouldn't presume to tell you how to feel about wolves - everybody is entitled to their opinion and even hunters are all over the board on this issue. But cherokee included some bad information in his post and everybody should be working from the facts on this issue. First, the Colorado DOW doesn't have the authority to reintroduce wolves or any other species. The legislature passed a law after the lynx reintroduction that requires legislative approval prior to any reintroduction. There is no way that the Colorado Legislature would approve the reintroduction of wolves. There have been discussions about how to control wolf populations in RMNP. Wolves were listed as an alternative but they wouldn't be reintroduced by the DOW - they would have to be reintroduced by the Park Service or Dept. of Interior. Although in theory the Federal Agencies could act (under the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution) to reintroduce wolves without seeking state legislative approval - it is very unlikely that they would do this becuase they could not provide assurance that the wolves would stay in the Park (which of course they won't). Trapping elk and moving them from RMNP is not an option because CWD is endemic in the wild population and it would be grossly irresponsible to move animals that may have CWD. Finally - the lynx reintroduction was funded almost entirely by Vail Assocaites and very little sportsmen dollars have gone to the project - and again - a blanket statement that sportsmen don't support species reintroduction is far too broad. Wolf Killer said that Ed Bangs stated that Colorado has viable wolf habitat and that is a correct statement - Bangs said it and "biologically" Colorado has viable wolf habitat. Bangs has never said that wolves should be reintroduced into Colorado. He has talked at length about the potential for wolves to migrate into Colorado from both New Mexico and Wyoming. The DOW is trying to develop a plan to deal with wolves if they migrate, but there are NO plans to reintroduce wolves into Colorado.

Hope I didn't unnecessarily ruffle any feathers - I am ambivalent about them myself but I think everybody should have correct information when you discuss them.