Straight talk from the field — no fluff, no filters, just the hunt and the headlines.

Grab your coffee and let’s dig into what happens when ballot-box biology meets real-world wolf management, how Montana residents are getting squeezed by non-resident pressure, and why you never steal Walmart camo before poaching a deer.

Here’s what’s worth your time this Wednesday.

🐺 Colorado Wolf Roadblock
🏔️ Montana Non-Resident Pressure
⚡ Quick Hits
🎒 Gear Drop
💪 Fit to Hunt
🎯 Caliber Corner
📝 Field Notes

Feds Block Colorado From Importing Canadian Wolves — And the States Who Know Wolves Won’t Help

Colorado’s wolf reintroduction just hit the wall everyone paying attention saw coming: they can’t use Canada as a wolf source anymore, and the states that actually know how to live with wolves want nothing to do with sending them animals.

The Trump administration told Colorado this fall that, under the current 10(j) rule, they can only source wolves from the Northern Rockies population: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, plus parts of Oregon, Washington, and Utah. No more imports from Canada. Colorado Politics+1

Problem:

Colorado’s wolf tally sits around a few dozen animals after initial releases from Oregon and planned additions from British Columbia. Newsweek+1 But the Copper Creek pack — built from imported wolves that already had a livestock-killing history — has been blamed for repeated depredations on cattle and sheep in Grand and Pitkin counties. The Colorado Sun+2The Colorado Sun+2

Now, multiple Copper Creek wolves have been killed after repeated livestock attacks, pups have died, and Colorado’s “feel-good” reintroduction is turning into a case study in how not to mix ballot-box biology with working ranch country. The Colorado Sun+2The Colorado Sun+2

If you want to dig in:

Bottom line:
This is what happens when urban voters in Denver condos make wildlife decisions for ranchers and outfitters who have to live with the consequences. Biology and economics don’t care how the ballot language made you feel in 2020.

Non-Resident Elk Hunters Up 21% While Residents Stay Flat

Montana’s elk story basically boils down to this:

Starting in 2026, Montana’s new law bumps the base fee for non-resident hunters from $15 to $50, with the extra money earmarked for public access programs. Good for access, but it doesn’t slow the tide of trucks with out-of-state plates. KTVH

The Montana Outfitters and Guides Association will tell you non-residents pump serious money into the economy — and they’re right. But if you’re a resident who’s hunted the same drainage for 20 years and now every pullout has a rental truck from Texas parked in it, “economic benefit” doesn’t help you find elk on public land. facebook.com

Read the breakdown:
https://www.ktvh.com/news/montana-news/looking-at-non-resident-hunter-numbers
https://www.ktvh.com/news/montana-news/new-montana-law-could-see-millions-for-public-hunter-access-funding

Grizzly Mauls School Group in BC
A grizzly sow with two cubs charged a group of fourth and fifth graders and teachers from Acwsalcta School in Bella Coola, British Columbia, injuring multiple people — several critically or seriously. Teachers used bear spray and bangers to drive the bear off. Officials are calling it an “exceedingly rare” unprovoked attack, and it’s reigniting debate around BC’s 2017 grizzly hunting ban. AP News+1

Wolves Hauling Crab Traps Like Tools
Researchers in coastal British Columbia caught footage of a female “sea wolf” grabbing a crab-trap float, hauling the line to shore, and chewing through the netting to get at the bait — basically using the gear as a vending machine. Some biologists say it might qualify as tool use; either way, it proves (again) wolves are a lot more adaptable than most people want to admit. The Guardian+1

Stolen Camo, Poached Deer, Terrible Alibi
In Tennessee, a man allegedly stole about $120 of camo from Walmart, then later turned up with an illegally killed deer, fresh hide, and no valid hunting license. His excuse? He claimed he “picked it off the side of the road.” Law enforcement, plus the bullet hole in the carcass and rifles in the house, disagreed. He’s now facing charges and a court date. facebook.com+2WCYB+2

A Few Solid Picks for the Late Season

These aren’t sponsored — just solid pieces that fit how most of us actually hunt.

🔭 Vortex Crossfire HD 1400 Rangefinder
A no-nonsense rangefinder that covers 99% of Western shots without killing your whole gear budget. HD glass, simple controls, and Vortex’s “we’ll fix it no matter what” warranty. Vortex Optics+1

🗡️ Outdoor Edge RazorPro G (30 Blades)
Replaceable-blade knife plus a dedicated gutting blade. Field-dress a couple deer or an elk, pop in a new blade, and keep going — no sharpener required in the pack. Outdoor Edge Cutlery

🥾 KUIU Attack Pant
Mid-weight, quick-drying, four-way stretch pant that’s become the “one pant quiver” for a lot of Western hunters. Good from early season through late with the right baselayers. KUIU+1

Colorado voters who pushed wolf reintroduction from their Denver apartments are now finding out that wildlife management isn’t about vibes — it’s about biology, economics, and the people who actually live with the animals.

The ranchers could’ve told them this would happen. The outfitters could’ve told them. They just weren’t the ones writing the ballot language.

Stay sharp out there.

— Western Vantage