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The big, bad wolf

TALES FROM THE ONO RANCH
Mad Jack Hanks
Wellington, Colo.

Gentle readers, I watched a program on RFD television and the subject matter was reintroducing wolves into Colorado. This was a panel discussion with a wildlife scientist from Canada, a couple of ranchers and one other feller I didn’t get his DNA as I tuned in a little late. I was shocked to hear that there is legislation (if my hearing was correct) pending to bring 500 wolves into Colorado.

That’s what I said, 500! Jeepers creepers Batman, that is alarming! We have wolves in Colorado already. There have been reports over the past several years of wolf sightings, etc. We must stop this legislation and stop it before it goes any farther. I know, I know, there are some of you out there that would love to have the big, bad wolf roaming the mountains and plains. They are scary, right?

We all like to be scared knowing that there is a dangerous animal present somewhere out there. Who knows? Maybe just around the bend or just outside our tent.



The Canadian feller showed graphs and photos of how wolves had wiped out complete herds of elk and moose. Those animals were forced to get completely out of their habitat to survive. One rancher told how wolves got into his herd of yearling steers and they took off towards the house and the corrals where they felt they would be safe. He came outside during the commotion to find 400 steers that had penned themselves in the corrals for safety. “Livestock and wildlife will come to man when they realize that is the only safe place to be. I can’t afford to feed a large herd of elk, some moose and all of my livestock because they can’t utilize their natural feed grounds!” I paraphrase some of this the best I remember. I may be off a word here and there but you get the gist of it.

“We all like to be scared knowing that there is a dangerous animal present somewhere out there. Who knows? Maybe just around the bend or just outside our tent.”

I also want to remind you folks that the little lap dog you are being comforted by at this moment or the big ol’ goofy family pet is a predator that under the right circumstances will chase livestock or wildlife along with his buddies and many times the chase will result in death or an animal being crippled to the point of having to be put down. I know, I’ve been there. I’ve been there more than once when town dogs got together to run and play and discovered our steers on a wheat pasture a mile from town. There were some of those dogs that didn’t get back to town as we shot them on the spot during the chase.



Why would we want to add more stress to the folks that feed us by dumping the big, bad wolf in his back yard? A pack of wolves will kill and kill and kill just for the fun of the chase. They, many times, don’t begin to eat all the calves and sometimes grown cows and of course full-grown elk, moose, buffalo and who knows what else. If you want to see a wolf, go to a wolf sanctuary. Yep, we got one just outside of Fort Collins, Colo. A wolf in the wild is exciting. He is most exciting if he is chasing you in 2 feet of snow, sure nuff!

Stay tuned, check yer cinch on occasion and above all stay on top of this subject and I’ll c. y’all, all y’all. ❖


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