Private+Hunter

Stakeholder: Private Hunter
Ralsey 11/6/08 Is it true that private hunters do not want wolves introduced in Colorado? Well I found out there are two different thoughts about whether or not wolves being introduced to the mountains of Colorado is a good thing. One side is the private hunters who want wolves because they would help the elk population. The other side is the private hunters who don’t want wolves because they would kill too many elk and there would not be enough to hunt. After doing the research I have come to the conclusion that I don’t want wolves in Colorado. Some ranchers and private hunters do not want wolves in Colorado simply because they think it would ruin their business and they would lose all their customers because the wolves would kill too many elk, deer and other large animals. With fewer elk there would not be as much game to hunt. Then, there would be fewer and fewer hunters who would be able to actually find the elk because the herd had been killed off. With less elk to find and kill, the hunters would not enjoy themselves and would stop coming out to hunt. So if the number of hunters decreased it would be bad for the ranchers and their workers because they may lose their jobs. This is because if fewer people hunted, the ranchers that allowed hunters on their land for money would then lose money and if they lost money, they may have to let their workers go and those people would lose their jobs. My partner and I researched to find out how the wolves would affect hunting. We called Winter Hawk, a hunting company. Their receptionist said around 75% of their customers, when they come to hunt actually get game. Another resource said they got about 20 to 30 elk a year on their property, which is not very much. We concluded that wolves would affect hunting in a non helpful way. Ranchers and farmer as well as mountain communities agree that they don’t want wolves. Tim Swan, a family friend, is a big hunter. He thinks that wolves probably are not so welcomed by the ranchers who keep animals on their ranches. The wolves have been known to kill their livestock. If the wolves kill too many of their animals, then their income would be hurt. Tim said that in his opinion, wolves are most likely not welcomed by the farmers because of this fact. Some members of Estes Park residence agree that it would be a terrible thing if wolves come into Colorado, because they would worry about their small children and their beloved pets. All these people agree that wolves don’t belong in Colorado. I think it would benefit everyone to come to a compromise with hunters and the animal rights activists. I believe that because it is not pleasant to argue with people you barely know. The way we could compromise is by having boundaries. For example, if a wolf enters twelve times, you could tag the wolf or tranquilize and relocate the wolf. Another compromise is, if we were to hunt wolves, we would have a limit to the amount of wolves we could hunt. Overall, coming to a compromise would help everyone, it is a win win situation. I concluded that it would not be appreciated by us hunters if wolves were introduced into Colorado. The wolves would reduce the amount of large game, so there would not be enough to hunt. There would be a decrease in game, and some hunters would not be able to obtain a license because too many elk would die. Those who would lose their licenses would not be pleased. Farmers and ranchers agree that wolves would kill their livestock. Wolves are great creatures, but they haven’t been in Colorado since the 1970’s. I argue
 * Position**
 * Rationale and Evidence**
 * Allies**
 * Compromise**
 * Conclusion**

Stakeholder Analysis Ryan M 16/11/08

My name is Ryan Merrifield and I am a private hunter stakeholder and I think wolves should be let into Colorado because it would help the eco-system maintain and help control balance. I kill elk for meat. I and a group of other hunters have a tournament every year in Colorado to see who can get the most total pounds off kills. Since the overpopulation of elk, the elk have been weak and thin. . It would make a better hunting, experience which would make people want to hunt in Colorado more. Rationale & Evidence I want wolves for other reasons too. It would help even out the balance of elk so they don’t die because of lack of food. That would mean the all the newborn elk would have food to eat and thus balancing out the population of elk. If wolves are released back into Colorado, the elk population would be better because of the more food they would have. The wolves would do well. My allies are hunting guides. Because they would help us have a better hunt, and hunters would pay much money for a good hunting guide. If wolves were reintroduced, in a fair amount of time hunters might pay hunting guides more to hunt wolves. So hunters would have a better hunt, and the hunting guide companies would make more money. The two stakeholders have a very dependant balance with each other. Another ally of ours is the national parks association because if wolves were released back into Colorado they would have a more in depth study of wolves. I could see that a rancher would not like wolves in Colorado. If wolves were introduced back into Colorado, I would encourage trying to get the Colorado Division of Wildlife to talk to statewide grocery companies to see if they would agree to raise the price on beef so that a rancher would get more money to buy fences and cages. Also I would also encourage giving ranchers a right to tranquilize and capture any wolf who tried to kill livestock. Also if the population of wolves was great enough to be put off the Endangered Spieces List give a right to any Estes Park resident or civilian of Colorado the right if attacked and if necessary to kill a wolf. By reintroducing the wolves back into Colorado, the ranchers would also benefit by making more money and the ecosystem would also benefit from the wolves coming back to Colorado because it would even out the elk population and stop shortage of food for other elk. The national park association would also benefit from getting more information on this amazing creature. The ranchers would benefit from making more money on their beef. The elk would get larger, better and make the Colorado hunting experience a more enjoyable one, and that’s what every hunter looks for.
 * Position**
 * Allies**
 * Compromise**
 * Mediation Result**

S**takeholder Analysis Ian 11-17-08** Stakeholder Position and Rationale My stakeholder is a private hunter, and my position on wolves coming back into Colorado is undecided. For one thing, if wolves weren’t in Colorado, it would bring more hunting competition for game. However, with wolves in Colorado the games’ population would go down, which means it would be harder to hunt the animals, since there aren’t as many of them. Another thing is if wolves were to come back into Colorado, eventually the games’ population would go back up to the conditions if wolves weren’t in Colorado, there for making it the same hunting conditions as usual. Without wolves, the elk would over-populate. The over-population would bring lots of hunting competition since there are so many elk. Another issue is if the wolves don’t come back into Colorado, then the elk population would be very high. Since there are so many elk and not enough food for all of the elk, most of the elk would be weak and not have much meat on them. Hunters will have to kill twice as many elk to get the same amount of meat. This means hunters will use more ammunition, which will cost them more money, because ammunition is pretty expensive. So altogether, hunters will spend a lot more money on hunting the elk. If wolves did come back into Colorado, then all of these problems would not exist. If the wolf population became big enough then there might be a wolf-hunting season.

My first piece of evidence is from a hunting guide named Rolf. He is paid by hunters to take them hunting in Colorado. His opinion is not to let wolves back into Colorado. He thinks this because, for one thing, it would lower the population of elk and other game. If the population goes down, then not as many people will want to be taken out to hunt, since there aren’t as many animals to hunt. So his business would go down. The next opinion I researched is from a private hunter (someone who goes hunting alone or is taken hunting by a hunting guide) in Montana. He doesn’t like wolves either. His first thought is: If wolves came back into Colorado, it would lower the games’ population. That would bring lots of attraction to the good hunting spots and then it would be even harder to hunt the game. The third and last opinion I researched is from another private hunter named Earl. He is undecided about whether wolves should come back into Colorado. He thinks that in the short-term, the games’ population would go down, but long-term, the population of the game would go back up to the usual hunting conditions. If wolves are allowed back into Colorado, the wolf pack would likely stay in its territory. Since the elk are prey to the wolves, the elk would likely move away from the wolves. Then, as a hunter, you could narrow down a good place to hunt the elk. Earl also thinks that if the wolves weren’t in Colorado, the elk would become over-populated in areas. This would attract lots of people to the good hunting spots. That would make it harder to hunt because there is more competition. But, if the wolves were in Colorado, it would bring the elk population down, and then there wouldn’t be as much competition in the same areas. Allies and Similarities with Allies One of my allies is a hunting guide. Some of our similarities are as follows: we are both undecided and we have lots of the same thoughts and questions. For instance: if wolves were in Colorado, would it affect our hunting? We also have very similar rationales. For instance, if wolves were allowed back into Colorado, the elk population would decrease and this would make it harder to hunt. And last, but not least, we are both in the hunting business. Another potential ally of mine is environmentalists. They are my allies because if there are too many elk the number of plants and other vegetation that elk eat will drastically drop. If wolves were in Colorado, the elk population would decrease and the plants would have time to re-vegetate. Two of the stakeholders I need to compromise with are Animal Rights Activists and the Defenders of Wildlife. I think this because the animal rights activists would say that the wolves should never be hunted. And the idea of having a wolf-hunting season is one of my big rationales. A compromise I would suggest is having a shorter hunting season for wolves. Two more stakeholders I need to compromise with are the Tourism Companies and Park Residents. I need to compromise with them because if there was a wolf hunting season they would say that the noise from the gunshots during the hunting season would be disturbing and might negatively affect tourism. A compromise I would suggest is having set times during the day for hunting. For instance, hunting is prohibited between the hours of 7:00 PM-8:30 AM. My ideal wolf management plan is as follows: if the wolves eat too many elk, to the point where they are under-populated for a long period of time, and are on the endangered species list, I would like the wolves to be removed. I also think that if the wolves were to get off the endangered species list, a wolf-hunting season should be highly considered. To determine when the decision should be made to put my plan into action, I think that every two months the wolf and elk population should be recorded. I am a private hunter and my position on whether wolves should come back into Colorado is undecided. My main rationales are A) If wolves were to come back into Colorado it would lower the elk population, and make it harder to hunt the elk; and B) If wolves weren’t in Colorado, the elk population get higher then the elk would be weak, and not have much meat on them, because there are so many elk, and not enough food. http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/SpeciesOfConcern/Mammals/GrayWolfManagement.htm
 * E**vidence
 * Compromises**
 * My Ideal Wolf Management Plan**
 * Conclusion**
 * The end!**
 * Websites**

http://biggameoutfittersdirectory.com/colorado_elk_hunts_hunting_outfitters.html

http://biggameoutfittersdirectory.com/montana_elk_hunts_hunting_outfitters.html

http://biggameoutfittersdirectory.com/wyoming_elk_hunts_hunting_outfitters.html

http://fwp.mt.gov/wildthings/wolf/gamefaq.html

__**Stakeholder Analysis**__ Friday, November 7, 2008**
 * By Rebekah

Deep in the forest, all my senses are on alert. Then I see it. A great, big, male elk with five-point antlers. My hand brings the gun to my eye, slowly and surely. I close my left eye and… bang! I fire the first bullet! The elk is hit, but runs away from me. The game is on. Rationale, Position and Evidence

I am a private hunter and I hunt elk for a living and I make money selling the meat, hide and antlers. I live near Yellowstone National Park in the state of Wyoming. My life and the lives of many hunters up in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana are changing for the worse because of the increasing and uncontrolled wolf population. You folks in Colorado should learn from our experience and oppose the reintroduction of wolves to your state. Reintroducing wolves to Colorado is a terrible idea for several reasons. First, wolves hunt by splitting up the wildlife herds into smaller groups. Wolves hunt in packs, and when they hunt the divide herds and scatter animals. For hunters like me this is a big problem. Smaller herds are more difficult to find. That means I have to drive longer and work harder just to find the game. I have less of a chance for a successful hunt.

Second, allowing the wolf population to grow is awful because wolves compete with me for game. Wolves will hunt and eat just about anything! It’s true that they kill sick and weak wildlife, but they also kill a lot of healthy animals too. Since wolves have been reintroduced in Wyoming, for example, there has been a decrease in the elk population. Fewer elk means there is less game for me to hunt. Less game to hunt means I have less meat, antlers and hides to sell. Like so many other hunters, I am having a difficult time making money. I may have to do something else to survive and make a living.

Third, wolves are dangerous. They are not just dangerous to game and livestock, but they’re dangerous to humans. Wolves have been known to attack and kill people. A wolf may attack a person if it feels provoked or threatened, but wolves can also attack if they’re hungry. If a person enters a wolf’s territory, the wolf or wolf pack could go after the person. That person might be a hunter with a gun like me, but it could also be an unarmed man, woman or child.

Finally, if wolves are reintroduced to Colorado, they will prey upon the elk and deer population. Fewer elk and deer mean the State will issue fewer hunting permits. As I mentioned before, hunters who rely upon hunting to put food on the table may go hungry if there are fewer animals to hunt. But it’s not only hunters like me who will be hurt. Guides and outfitters throughout Colorado who depend upon their loyal customers every hunting season would also suffer from a decline in business. Even people who don’t hunt could be hurt. Money from hunting permits helps support the parks, land and open space that locals and tourists love to visit. If the Colorado issues fewer hunting permits, the state will have less money to support these parks. Fewer people will be able to enjoy the great outdoors and the fish, birds, deer, elk and other wildlife that many come to see. These are some of the many reasons wolves should not be reintroduced.

__**Allies**__ Some of the stakeholders I agree with about the wolf management problem are ranchers and hunting guides. Hunting guides oppose the reintroduction of wolves. As I mentioned above, wolves scatter herds and reduce the deer and elk population. If there are fewer deer and elk, the guides have a more difficult time making a living because the animals are getting harder to find. People will not want to hire a guide to track an elk if there are no elk to track!

Ranchers, even more than hunters, oppose the reintroduction of wolves to the wild. Ranchers have a difficult time keeping their sheep and cattle protected and safe because the animals are spread across so much land. Wolves don’t know where a state or national park ends and where private property begins, so they will come onto a rancher’s property and prey upon their sheep or cattle. Obviously this is a huge loss to the rancher.

Hunters, guides and ranchers are stakeholders who believe wolves are making our lives harder, costing us money, and making it more difficult to make a living. We’re now competing with the wolves for deer and elk and the wolves are winning the battle.

__**The Areas of Compromise**__ I understand that I will have to compromise with the stakeholders that are favor the reintroduction of the wolf. The pro-wolf people include recreationalists, environmentalists, animal right activists, and some tourism companies. Environmentalists want the wolf reintroduced because environmentalists believe wolves kill sick and weak elk or deer. The environmentalists think this keeps the elk population healthy and under control. Tourism companies also want wolves around so they can make money by bringing people (like recreationalists) to places like Yellowstone National Park to see the wolves. Animal rights activists believe that reintroducing the wolf will help restore the balance of nature.

I think hunters, ranchers and guides and the pro-wolf stakeholders should try to work out a compromise. For example, maybe the wolves could be confined to a fenced in area within Yellowstone where they could hunt deer and elk. The wolves would be unable to cross onto private land where ranchers keep cattle or other land where I can hunt. I think that would be a good compromise, since it would allow me to make a living hunting while allowing the pro-wolf stakeholders to reintroduce the wolf to a safe area.

__**Ideal Mediation Result**__ An ideal wolf management plan would try to please everyone. The plan should protect wolves but keep them more contained or managed. The plan might also consider setting aside some land specifically for hunting, where there were large herds of elk or deer. I think the government should work to reintroduce the wolves as far away from ranches as possible, and I think the government should pay the rancher for any sheep or cattle killed by a reintroduced wolf.

Hunters like myself usually oppose the reintroduction of wolves because the wolves compete with us for food. In my case, since I sell elk meat, hides and antlers, the wolves are also costing me money. Fewer animals means less money. But I know a successful wolf management plan cannot satisfy only the pro-wolf stakeholders or only the anti-wolf stakeholders. The plan has to consider both sides. I’m hoping the pro-wolf people and the anti-wolf people can reach a compromise. I think a plan that allows people like me to earn a living, while allowing wolves to roam in a large, confined area might work in Colorado.

My life would be a lot easier without wolves around, and I want to be clear that I am against the reintroduction of the wolf. But if wolves are introduced after the mediation, and you have to live with them, the best thing you can do is manage the population and keep the animals confined to an area where they can’t do much damage. Colorado has great elk and deer hunting and reintroducing the wolf to Colorado could damage the sport by greatly reducing the herds. The state will need to keep an eye on the situation and make sure the wolf population does not get out of control.

HUNTER November 17, 2008, India

POSITION I’m representing a hunter and I’m leaning towards no, on the issue of wolves being reintroduced into the wild. The reason that I don’t want the wolves back is because in this day and age people need to make a living, such as hunters and the wolves are keeping this a sustainable practice.

RATIONAL/ EVIDENCE The reason I’m not for the wolves being reintroduced into the wild is because the wolves will interrupt the natural balance that we have developed over the years. Right now, the environment in Colorado has been doing fine without wolves. There is no need for them to come back. I’m not saying that wolves are terrible; I’m saying that we would be fine without them for now. The environment adapts to what it needs to adapt to and it has adapted to the wolves not living in Colorado. Besides, if the people who want wolves back really care about the wolves, they would allow this to happen naturally. I think that the wolves should be able to come into Colorado by themselves when they are ready to. In addition, wolves are known to harass and kill livestock. Hunters generally take dogs with them while they go hunting, but now if the wolves get reintroduced, the dog will simply help lure the wolves closer to the hunter. The money made from hunting helps to support our forest service. If there are fewer animals to hunt, things such as hunting permit sales will decrease. We often use elk in many ways, and now in this day and age, we need as many renewable resources as we can and not limit them just because of a wild dog. Mother nature has a way of controlling the environment. It is not fair to reintroduce an animal into a particular area knowing the impact it will have on the life existing around it. If this were the case how would you feel about reintroducing the dinosaurs? That should be interesting!

COMPROMISE In my opinion, the wolves may have been here first, but Colorado has no problem without them being here. I think that hunters have the right to be upset, and my compromise is that wolves can be introduced back into Colorado naturally. However, if they end up on the hunting grounds, a hunter with a license should have the right to shoot the wolf.

ALLIES I interviewed a man from Winterhawk. Winterhawk is a local hunting agency (did not give his name), and his company felt that the wolves would only be a problem. They have no interest with the wolves coming back into Colorado. They also told me that it could in time, put them out of business and with the present economic crisis, it is the last thing they need. All in all, the true hunters would prefer that the wolves not come back.

MEDIATION RESULT At the mediation, I believe that the hunters and cattlemen truly got what they wanted for the most part. In the end of the mediation, the hunters got the right to shoot wolves if necessary and during hunting season if they have a license, which worked out for most of the stakeholders.

CONCLUSION I know that the people who want wolves back in Colorado have their reasons, but right now we are doing fine without them and they’re not sustainable for the private hunters. The supporters of the wolves need to understand there should be a balance between their believes and those of the hunters. If the wolves naturally migrate back it’s understandable, however they still need to be controlled. Wolves may have been here before us, but the Colorado wildlife evolved without them and there is no need for them.