TRAVELS: What animal have you seen increase in number the most?

[Edy Coyote]

Colorado natives are hard to come across these days! I pride my self being one from a once a small town north of fort collins. Last ten years its hard to tell where ftc starts stops and welltown picks up


Wolves is one animal that ive seen more of in the last ten years. Game and fish would argue that they arent here YET. Spent enough time in the wild to know when something for sure isnt a coyote. Also sense the release of moose a while back you use to maybe see one. Now you see more and more. Spend alot of time in walden colorado and its the moose capital of the country other than alaska

Every year I see moose a couple times. Last year I saw some in the hills above Steamboat and in those ponds on top of Kenosha pass. Last month I saw a couple in Jamestown. Definitely more common now.

 

[Edy Coyote]

Do fire ants count as animals? I always see lots of those.

Not sure if you're joking but they are spreading North.

 

[Boostpowered]

Thanks to the local poachers i havent seen much of anything in last 2 years a few opossums here and there, usually the area im in is full of coyotes, hogs and deer.

 

[Sidetrekked Overland]

Not sure if you're joking but they are spreading North.

Yes I was joking but I've heard they are definitely moving north. The wild hogs are really bad and spreading like crazy as well. Around here the deer and coyotes are abundant since there's no hunting.

 

[old_man]

Every year I see moose a couple times. Last year I saw some in the hills above Steamboat and in those ponds on top of Kenosha pass. Last month I saw a couple in Jamestown. Definitely more common now.

When I grew up southwest of Walden, there were no moose in Colorado. Around 40 were released over by Rand around 1975 and now they are everywhere. I had one walk across my lawn by Boyd Lake two years ago.

You don't normally think about seeing moose way up above tree line, but they had to go over some pretty large mountains to get over the continental divide and down to the front range.

 

[Roam_CO85]

I didnt wanna butcher the date.. I always joked with some ranchers west of coalmont that I hauled hay off their place. That they needed to drop the cow biz and focus on the moose market. John would say oh i know it they are thick! Guided moose hunters north of chambers for a long time. Dont know if youve ever hiked or been into shipmen park over the top of ute pass before but its crazy with moose. Top of the rawahs where you can look down into walden had a moose charge my horse one time and thought this was where I buy the farm but got away pretty quick.

 

[old_man]

Moose actually kill more people in North America than any other mammal, including bears.

 

[Roam_CO85]

They scare me more than other animals. The bears around here are just big raccoons

 

[old_man]

Moose tastes better than bear.

 

[Desert Runner]

Colorado natives are hard to come across these days! I pride my self being one from a once a small town north of fort Collins. Last ten years its hard to tell where ftc starts stops and welltown picks up


Wolves is one animal that ive seen more of in the last ten years. Game and fish would argue that they aren't here YET. Spent enough time in the wild to know when something for sure isn't a coyote. Also sense the release of moose a while back you use to maybe see one. Now you see more and more. Spend a lot of time in Walden Colorado and its the moose capital of the country other than Alaska

What was it 2 or 3 years ago, a varmint hunter, looking for coyotes, shot that wolf near the Grand Canyon. It had traveled from Idaho or Montana, all the way South, and had started it's journey back North. Coyotes can be scraggly or bushy, depending on their genealogy and food sources. That hunter was a very unhappy guy. Mistaken identity is not a excuse, per the law, but you would not think a wolf would be within 2 States of there. As stated by another poster, Fish and Game says NO.....and it's only with photographic proof, will they reluctantly admit to it.

 

[Climberbry]

Mountain Lions are Expanding their Range Eastwards

A mountain lion doing what all cats do best: sleeping. Catching a few Z’s by Valerie. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Many months ago, I wrote a post about the remarkable journey of the Connecticut Cat: a mo…

thejaguarandallies.com

..May or may not have seen one on the eastern edge of Sevier county, TN.

 

[Desert Runner]

Yes I was joking but I've heard they are definitely moving north. The wild hogs are really bad and spreading like crazy as well. Around here the deer and coyotes are abundant since there's no hunting.

When you think of all the damage wild pigs do, you would think that all those landowners in Texas (90% privately owned), would open their property to hunters with the hope that they could greatly reduce the pig numbers. You watch YOU-TUBE where farmers pay large $$$ to helicopter depredation control companies, and even with the quantity killed, they just put a dent in the population. It is basically a losing battle, and yet you have some landowners that charge for the privilege to hunt.....STUPID. The pigs will do more damage than can ever be recovered by hunting. Agriculture, water sources, are prime examples. Saw a documentary where in one night, a large field was devastated, causing massive losses to the wholesale crop.

 

[Roam_CO85]

What was it 2 or 3 years ago, a varmint hunter, looking for coyotes, shot that wolf near the Grand Canyon. It had traveled from Idaho or Montana, all the way South, and had started it's journey back North. Coyotes can be scraggly or bushy, depending on their genealogy and food sources. That hunter was a very unhappy guy. Mistaken identity is not a excuse, per the law, but you would not think a wolf would be within 2 States of there. As stated by another poster, Fish and Game says NO.....and it's only with photographic proof, will they reluctantly admit to it.

I wont get into the wolf debate. Being from a ranching back ground i am against them. Makes for forest grazing permits pretty much useless. And grazing cattle on public land is good for the ecosystem if its managed properly. Same with logging and a “good” fire every now and then.

But wolves are hard on wildlife and livestock. Theyve faught pretty hard to get them reintroduced to colorado. They did that up in montana idaho northern wyoming now they have a pile of hunting seasons to control them. I was once told how far a small pack oven a singleton can travel. Mountain lions ranges can be up to or more of 100 miles. You can go into an area of thousands of elk two years later go into an area that’s had wolves and the elk pop has gone down hard.

The first time i ever saw a wolf ( hunted coyotes sense i was 12). Saw these two big dogs playing in the middle of nowhere had a pack string of horses at the time. But pulled up binos and watched them. You could tell what they were. Ran into a game warden a week later told him what an where I saw it. Hes like they arent down here yet. They couldnt of made it this far! I dont think they were ready for them or really could track their ways. Like @old_man was saying they released 40 moose on an area by walden in 1975. That population blew up for what they are now.. wolves roam abit more than a moose does


Those hogs down south are like rabbits. They cause billions of damages a week. Its a shoot on sight kinda deal down in texas. Think one sow can bring 14 pigs into the world at a time.

 

[Roam_CO85]

A big coyote doesnt way more then 50 lbs. a wolf can weigh like 200? Face structure bone structure is night and day difference

 

[Desert Runner]

I wont get into the wolf debate. Being from a ranching back ground i am against them. Makes for forest grazing permits pretty much useless. And grazing cattle on public land is good for the ecosystem if its managed properly. Same with logging and a “good” fire every now and then.

But wolves are hard on wildlife and livestock. Theyve faught pretty hard to get them reintroduced to colorado. They did that up in montana idaho northern wyoming now they have a pile of hunting seasons to control them. I was once told how far a small pack oven a singleton can travel. Mountain lions ranges can be up to or more of 100 miles. You can go into an area of thousands of elk two years later go into an area that’s had wolves and the elk pop has gone down hard.

The first time i ever saw a wolf ( hunted coyotes sense i was 12). Saw these two big dogs playing in the middle of nowhere had a pack string of horses at the time. But pulled up binos and watched them. You could tell what they were. Ran into a game warden a week later told him what an where I saw it. Hes like they arent down here yet. They couldnt of made it this far! I dont think they were ready for them or really could track their ways. Like @old_man was saying they released 40 moose on an area by walden in 1975. That population blew up for what they are now.. wolves roam abit more than a moose does


Those hogs down south are like rabbits. They cause billions of damages a week. Its a shoot on sight kinda deal down in Texas. Think one sow can bring 14 pigs into the world at a time.

Good post..... It is a shame that too many people just look at the nostalgia aspect, and don't stop to consider the whole picture, and the ramifications that go with it. Wolf packs cause population numbers to crash quickly, if their numbers are not managed. Like dogs, look at how many pups are born in a litter. Deer don't have a chance, Elk fare only slightly better, especially in winter. There are numerous videos of Buffalo being taken down by a pack. Even big Grizzly's can be intimidated by wolf packs. The do gooder's have a bad habit of tying up DOW (Dept. of Wildlife) decisions in court, so that when a green light...FINALLY... is given, it is usually to little and too late.

Here in the desert, and most places......one coyote,...ignore it,....two, keep your eye on them,......3.....you better have a weapon of some sort, as they are fear hunters, and numbers give them courage. In Vegas, coyotes have become so bold that you see them during the day. In fact they have started grabbing small dogs right off the leash as they are being walked on the streets side walks. Mountain lion encounters are usually 2 or 3 a year, as they wonder in from the hills/mountains, into town, by way of the washes that funnel thru town. They are more often then not juveniles/young cats.

I have seen police car recordings of stray dogs in NYC. DOGS...nope they are coyotes or as my cousin photographed in Massachusetts, COY-DOGS. More bold, and less fear around humans.

 

[Roam_CO85]

Good post..... It is a shame that too many people just look at the nostalgia aspect, and don't stop to consider the whole picture, and the ramifications that go with it. Wolf packs cause population numbers to crash quickly, if their numbers are not managed. Like dogs, look at how many pups are born in a litter. Deer don't have a chance, Elk fare only slightly better, especially in winter. There are numerous videos of Buffalo being taken down by a pack. Even big Grizzly's can be intimidated by wolf packs. The do gooder's have a bad habit of tying up DOW (Dept. of Wildlife) decisions in court, so that when a green light is given, it is usually to little and too late.

Here in the desert, and most places......one coyote,...ignore it,....two, keep your eye on them,......3.....you better have a weapon of some sort, as they are fear hunters, and numbers give them courage. In Vegas, coyotes have become so bold that you see them during the day. In fact they have started grabbing small dogs right off the leash as they are being walked on the streets side walks. Mountain lion encounters are usually 2 or 3 a year, as they wonder in from the hills/mountains, into town, by way of the washes that funnel thru town. They are more often then not juveniles/young cats.

I have seen police car recordings of stray dogs in NYC. DOGS...nope they are coyotes or as my cousin photographed in Massachusetts, COY-DOGS. More bold, and less fear around humans.

You are correct! Ive heard of packs of just stray dogs causing havoc on a community or a ton of trouble. Your right about the coyotes. Its usely one is none two is one and three is two. A pack of wolves is darn right errie. They are very violent things too.. ive read books on the mind set of coyote and how you are supposed to hunt them. How studying them and how that pack leader is picked off that pack crumbles.

Wolves operate in the same manner. They say those packs up yellowstone are 25 to 40 dogs big? Not sure if thats the correct number..

About a month ago. We had a trail runner get attacked by young mountain lion trail runner fought back and killed the lion ran back to the trail head for help. Most of the mountain lion attacks are just that most of the time a cat thats young and hungry. The scary thing about them is you wont see them tell its to late.

 

[Desert Runner]

You are correct! Ive heard of packs of just stray dogs causing havoc on a community or a ton of trouble. Your right about the coyotes. Its usely one is none two is one and three is two. A pack of wolves is darn right errie. They are very violent things too.. ive read books on the mind set of coyote and how you are supposed to hunt them. How studying them and how that pack leader is picked off that pack crumbles.

Wolves operate in the same manner. They say those packs up yellowstone are 25 to 40 dogs big? Not sure if thats the correct number..

About a month ago. We had a trail runner get attacked by young mountain lion trail runner fought back and killed the lion ran back to the trail head for help. Most of the mountain lion attacks are just that most of the time a cat thats young and hungry. The scary thing about them is you wont see them tell its to late.

I heard a first person account of a person's encounter with one. Seems that hunter during blackpowder season, was walking down a fence line, when the hair on the back of his head stood up. Seems that when he stopped and looked around,...there right behind him, maybe 25 feet away was a big Couger stalking him. Having just 1 shot, he didn't want to fire unless absolutely necessary. He walked backward more than 150 yards ensuring that he wasn't jumped.

One year I walked by some cliffs, while hunting.... it smelled like a litter box. Kept my head on a swivel for a long time. I had that same neck hair condition.

 

[Roam_CO85]

I heard a first person account of a person's encounter with one. Seems that hunter during blackpowder season, was walking down a fence line, when the hair on the back of his head stood up. Seems that when he stopped and looked around,...there right behind him, maybe 25 feet away was a big Couger stalking him. Having just 1 shot, he didn't want to fire unless absolutely necessary. He walked backward more than 150 yards ensuring that he wasn't jumped.

One year I walked by some cliffs, while hunting.... it smelled like a litter box. Kept my head on a swivel for a long time. I had that same neck hair condition.

I know for a fact that you can smell a mountain lions cat hole for a long ways away if the wind is right..saw one run across a trail in front of me once walking with a chain saw clearing down timber off a trail. Had my 45 colt on me at the time but seeing that and not knowing where he went. I left made sure I never stopped looking around. Got out of there pretty fast! Another instance was like you. Riding a horse through a bunch of cliff rock outcroppings and the smell was just horrible. The horse was freaked out more than I was just a gross urine smell but that feeling of being watched was little unnerving!

 

[Desert Runner]

I know for a fact that you can smell a mountain lions cat hole for a long ways away if the wind is right..saw one run across a trail in front of me once walking with a chain saw clearing down timber off a trail. Had my 45 colt on me at the time but seeing that and not knowing where he went. I left made sure I never stopped looking around. Got out of there pretty fast! Another instance was like you. Riding a horse through a bunch of cliff rock outcroppings and the smell was just horrible. The horse was freaked out more than I was just a gross urine smell but that feeling of being watched was little unnerving!

Yes, that smell was bad. I knew what it was, even though I didn't have the house variety at home. Even with all the snow I wondered if I would step in something while watching the rocks around me.

I have never seen one in person, but have come across tracks. Saw a print (fresh) right on the dirt road between houses 2 years ago. This in a wooded rural area of private homes and property.

 

[old_man]

That human attack occurred within 7 miles of my house. A few years ago a 5 yr old was snatched off of a hiking trail while with a church group, within 20 miles of my house. They found parts of his remains a couple of years later.