Stephanie Butzer joined the Denver7 team as a digital producer in June 2018, became the senior digital producer in February 2023 and as of December 2023, is the team's executive producer.
JACKSON COUNTY, Colo. — Growing up on a ranch in northern Colorado, hard work was quickly rooted in Philip Anderson's life. It's a habit that he has carried ever since, and even more so now, as he operates a ranch and grapples with raising livestock while gray wolves roam the landscape.
“Showing that creative out-of-the box thinking is how we're going to get through this and move into the future and keep ranches viable and keep that good habitat for wildlife," he said. His father bought the ranch from Anderson's grandmother, married a woman from Chicago, and had three boys. Anderson is the youngest. His two brothers have passed away.
"It's a good way to raise kids. It's a good way to raise your family," he said."We have kids that come work for us in the summertime. It's just a great way to be part of this community. And there's a wonderful community we live in.
"Although wolf depredation on cattle and sheep accounts for less than 1% of the annual gross income from livestock operations in the Northern Rocky Mountains, these costs are unevenly distributed and localized," the center said."As such, low average industry-wide costs could mask high costs for some individual producers."
"I thought, 'Wow, is that the weirdest thing you ever saw? How's that gonna work?'" Anderson recalled."I knew that flag whipping around on there, and especially when it blows... I guess if I was a wolf, I would probably stay away from it. But I'm not a wolf. But it's not just a flag in the wind. It's electrified."
“And the idea is just to bump them off their route, so they're not interacting with the livestock," he said. There is still a long way to go before, if ever, ranchers in northern Colorado will feel at ease with the wolves. And how the reintroduction started, plus some recent movements in Denver, have not eased their fears and frustrations.
In Jackson County, which Anderson has called home his whole life, 87% of residents voted against the proposition. It is the second-highest"no" percentage in the state, after Rio Blanco County. And the aftermath has felt like an attack on his home, Anderson said. “If you can take and prove that that happened, then we could probably do that right now," he said."But can you imagine the amount of expense we'd have to go through? We'd have to get some lawyers, you know, to back us up. And all of that."
Philip Anderson: "How can we teach you to help us take care of this wolf issue?" "So, am I going to bust the law or break the law by taking a wolf out? No," he said."I will try to go ahead and follow what the Colorado voters said. They wanted wolves. And I will do what I can to keep them from taking away my livelihood, short of breaking the law and taking one out."
Baca, who is from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was hired as CPW's first statewide wolf conflict coordinator in June 2022 after working for years in a similar capacity in Montana. He is the point person for helping livestock producers minimize conflict with wolves on agricultural land and training CPW wildlife officers on the various deterrents.
The purpose of installing conflict mitigation at these ranches is to teach the wolves that it is an uncomfortable space and should be avoided. CPW provides some of those resources, namely cracker shells, fladry and foxlights, while the Colorado Department of Agriculture is leading the charge with carcass management and range riding, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing leadership on how to use guard dogs, Baca said.
Colorado Ranchers And Wolf Colorado Ranchers And Wolves Colorado Ranchers Jackson County Colorado Ranchers Parks And Wildlife Colorado Ranchers Philip Anderson Colorado Ranchers Wolf Attack Colorado Ranchers Wolf Depredation Colorado Ranchers Wolf Livestock Colorado Ranching
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jayson Boebert, ex-husband of Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, accepts plea dealStephanie Butzer joined the Denver7 team as a digital producer in June 2018, became the senior digital producer in February 2023 and as of December 2023, is the team's executive producer.
Read more »
Douglas County man twice convicted of sexual exploitation of child was just arrested on same chargeStephanie Butzer joined the Denver7 team as a digital producer in June 2018, became the senior digital producer in February 2023 and as of December 2023, is the team's executive producer.
Read more »
Driver dies in crash on S. Timberline Road in Fort Collins early WednesdayStephanie Butzer joined the Denver7 team as a digital producer in June 2018, became the senior digital producer in February 2023 and as of December 2023, is the team's executive producer.
Read more »
Two adults, two children die in apparent murder-suicide in La Junta, CBI saysStephanie Butzer joined the Denver7 team as a digital producer in June 2018, became the senior digital producer in February 2023 and as of December 2023, is the team's executive producer.
Read more »
Small fire burning on Barr Lake State Park property is containedStephanie Butzer joined the Denver7 team as a digital producer in June 2018, became the senior digital producer in February 2023 and as of December 2023, is the team's executive producer.
Read more »
Hiker reported missing was likely hiking Triangle Peak in Pitkin County on SundayStephanie Butzer joined the Denver7 team as a digital producer in June 2018, became the senior digital producer in February 2023 and as of December 2023, is the team's executive producer.
Read more »