Donze: Wolves in cuddly conservation clothing (letter)
Re: Feb. 24 Writers on the Range column, “Wolves will still find a way back home to Colorado”
Andrew Gulliford may be one of your Writers, but he certainly hasn’t been on the Range.
Yes, he is probably correct that wolves will make their way into Colorado again sometime, and tourists spend $35 million annually at Yellowstone hoping to perhaps see one.
Where he errs is on the range. That $35 million is a drop in the bucket compared to the huge economies of ranching and hunting in Colorado, both in the billions. Gulliford should talk to the ranchers and hunters in Idaho, which has seen exploding wolf populations there devastate the elk herds by 90 percent and feed ranchers fits.
Beware of unintended consequences. These are NOT cute, furry, playful creatures. I wonder if Gulliford would allow his grandkids to hike around the mountains by themselves without a firearm if he knew there were deadly packs of hungry wolves around. Doubtful.
Terry W. Donze
Wildernest
Summit County
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