In this episode, Scott Watley hosts a riveting discussion with Greg Lopez about the pressing issue of wolf reintroduction in Colorado. Uncover the intricacies of the federal involvement and the role of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, as Lopez sheds light on misinformation surrounding the program’s execution. Furthermore, get an update on Greg’s gubernatorial campaign and his efforts to pause improper translocation activities, advocating for a year-long reassessment to correct course without disrupting the ongoing program.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Sportsman of Colorado, Colorado’s premier outdoor radio show heard every Saturday afternoon on KLZ 560 with insights on hunting, fishing, archery, guns, and ammo from Colorado’s top outfitters featuring the industry’s leading experts on how to enhance your experience in the great outdoors. Now, here’s your host, Scott Watley.
SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome to the show. Glad you are with us today. We’re going to kick things off with our good buddy, Anthony Pace. It’s freedomhunters.org. Great organization. Been familiar with for several years. I know over the last couple of years, we’ve gotten to do some events together. And I want to get Anthony Pace back on with us as I’ve got a few things going on we want to let our listening audience know about. So, Anthony, welcome, sir. How are you, my friend?
SPEAKER 15 :
Doing great, Scott. Man, I appreciate you getting us on air and letting us talk a little bit about what we’re doing.
SPEAKER 06 :
You bet, you bet. So for those that have not heard you on the shows before, and you’re on our Sportsman of Colorado show as well as Haystack Help Radio, tell us how this kind of came about. You know, I always like to hear those stories of how something came to fruition, so to speak. So how did Freedom Hunters come about?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, well, I happened to be having dinner with a friend of mine in the industry, and we were talking about – how to support the troops and pretty much went home that night and came up with the idea of Freedom Hunters and been running with it ever since.
SPEAKER 06 :
Wow, that’s cool. And, you know, that seems to have really spurred a lot because there are a ton of organizations now. But I would tell people this, and, hey, I don’t think you would mind me even saying this, but, you know, there’s nothing wrong with checking out organizations. You know what I mean? Just make sure their mission is what it should be. And, you know, you guys have just done a terrific job here. And, you know, man, just watching some of the folks and being around some of those folks this year, a couple of different events with you and everything, man, we don’t really understand for those of us that have never been in service, you know, of really what they’ve gone through. And, hey, some of them, you know, have been in battle. Some have not. But you know what? I always tell everybody they still sign that dotted line, so to speak, to, hey, I want to help our country. That’s the way I look at it.
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely. Our mission is to serve all that have served or are currently serving. We work with veterans. We work with active duty. We work with families of the fallen, kids of those that are serving as well. It’s the whole family that serves. Again, not everybody serves in combat, but it takes the whole operation to make it work, from guys doing logistics back at home to you know, guys that are kicking indoors on the front lines. So it’s, you know, they’re a special breed, and I think they should hold a special place in everyone’s heart.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, absolutely. All right. Tell us about some of the events that, you know, you’ve done. I mean, hey, we’re in almost the last quarter here. So tell us what’s gone on throughout the year for you guys.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, so far we’ve had over 640 veterans out. doing everything from fishing trips to out shooting to hunting. You know, the hunting season is just now really kicking off, but, you know, we’ve been to British Columbia hunting bears. We’ve, you know, been doing some waterfowl stuff and dove hunting, so a little bit of everything right now, and you know, most of the big game stuff is kicking off. So we’ll really be hitting it in high gear here in the next few weeks.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I saw some of the bear pictures there. Those were pretty cool, man.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, it was nice. We had eight veterans up there and all eight were able to take bears. And again, that’s a special place up there. It’s just the scenery is amazing. You know, this year, I think The bear count that they saw was a little low. I think they only saw like 60 bears.
SPEAKER 06 :
Wow. How cool is that? If you’re just joining us, Anthony Pace is with us, and he’s the founder of FreedomHunters.org. All right. A week or so ago, you told me about something that’s really cool, and I believe it’s called Benelli Invitational?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, sir. So this is the 11th annual Benelli Invitational event. They’ve been putting on a sporting clay shoot for us, raising money for the last 11 years. This one is great. I think this year we should break over a million dollars that Benelli’s raised for us in those 11 years. Kind of a special mark to hit that. They’ve always done such a great job. Great partners. They’ve been out with us. Everybody from gunsmiths to uh, the, uh, CEO have been out with us on, on hunts with our veterans and, uh, they do take it, you know, very serious about, uh, supporting us and, um, just so proud of that relationship that we’ve had over these long years. Now this one, where’s this one being held? This is out in Maryland. It’s at, uh, the Pentel point, um, out in Queenstown, Maryland. Um, so it’s, uh, It’s been sold out for several weeks now, but the nice part is we’ve got the online auction that everybody can support across the country.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. Now, is what you sent me the link to give out? Yes, sir. Okay, so I believe it’s Benelli25.givesmart.com. Does that sound correct? Yeah, that sounds correct. So Benelli, B-E-N-E-L-L-I 25.givesmart.com. And man, looking on there, bud, there’s some There’s quite an array of things there. When you go to that, you’ll see something about the clay shoot, and then you’ll see browse, bid, and buy. And you can view items on there. And so I’ll let you kind of say what you’d like to just about the auction itself.
SPEAKER 15 :
Sure. And if you’ve got a problem getting to that, I know it’s hard to write down information on websites, but if you go to freedomhunters.org, we’ve got links to that. But, you know, we’ve got… I mean, we’ve got hunting trips all across the country and some international stuff. We’ve got a great duck hunt down at Mossy Pond in Georgia. And with that comes your own dog. So they’ve got a trained puppy for you. We’ve got habitat flats in Missouri. We’ve got duck hunts in Washington State and down in Arkansas. I’ve got an upland hunt in England. We’ve got big game hunts in Africa and Argentina. So if you can’t find an adventure that you want to go on there, man, you’ve got something wrong with you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Man, no doubt.
SPEAKER 15 :
You know, firearms from, you know, Benelli, Stoger, Franke, you know, Springfield, Daniel Defense.
SPEAKER 06 :
I was just about to say Daniel Defense. I’m looking at it right now, yeah.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, so it’s – and we’ve got just about anything and everything from knives to, you know, backpacking gear. Yeah, some good optics.
SPEAKER 06 :
Some good optics as well. Absolutely. Yeah, Burris and Steiner and a lot of things on here. So, yeah, I’m telling you, a great array of there. And that will be closing out the 26th, is that correct?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, noon. Denver time.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, noon on the 26th. All right, good deal. Yeah, they’ve got a crossbow. I mean, man, all kinds of stuff. Waiters. I’m just shopping here for a minute, but, hey, a lot of great things there. And, folks, hey, here’s an example. Here’s a Benelli Super Black Eagle III, all right, and the fair market value is $21.79. Now, look, we all like to get a good deal, but that’s not the deal here, right? Hey, we want you to help out this organization, freedomhunters.org. And right now, like that, just one item I’m looking at, it’s got a bid of $550. So, hey, throw $1,000 on there and let’s help them out at freedomhunters.org. And I assure you this money is well used. And, Anthony, you know, I’ve said this to many times now being around you guys. Sometimes you’re around some of the, you know, men and women, you know, that have served our country, and you’re thinking, well, man, they’ve retired from the military, whatever. And they look fine on the outside, but we don’t know any of their stories of what they’ve been through, what they’ve seen, and the internal injuries, so to speak, mentally, physically, all the different things. And you’re right, man, we owe every one of them so much for the freedoms that we have today. But it is something when you get to see, and I’m sure you could take an hour and just talk about different stories of how people have come to you and said what some of these adventures have meant to them to get out. So I don’t know if any one particular one comes to mind or any recent one comes to mind, but anything else you’d like to add to that?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah. You know, you, you do hear the stories of, um, opportunities like we have and whether it’s a half day fishing trip or back country, all kind. Um, You know, the opportunity to get the guys outdoors and engaged and off the couch has saved lives. And we’ve heard those stories, you know, all across the country, different volunteers that we have. You know, we’ll hear back from veterans that, you know, say, hey, I was that person with a, you know, pistol underneath my pillow, you know, waiting to take my life. And I got the call or the e-mail. you know, asking us out on an adventure and, and it, and it changed their lives. And, you know, for every one of those that we get, you know, how many others, uh, our stories that the guys just never really come out and, you know, confess where, where they’re at and the demons that they’re fighting and let you know, you know, that it did change their lives. Yeah. So, you know, those opportunities, uh, again, whatever they are, um, can make a huge difference. And, you know, again, thanks to people who, who go on the auctions and, and support us, um, throughout the year. Um, you know, you are making a difference.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, for sure. Now, freedom hunters.org, that’s a place where people go find out all about your adventures. Um, if someone wants to nominate someone for one of your adventures, they can just go on there. And I think it says apply for an adventure.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah. So you, you can do that for someone or, you know, a veteran can apply for themselves.
SPEAKER 07 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 15 :
But that’s where it starts is, you know, we’ve, we’ve got a database of warriors all across the country and, uh, you know, we try to pick the right opportunity for, for that veteran, whether, you know, they’ve, they’ve got a mobility, this, uh, uh, disability where, where they have an issue with mobility. Um, or whether it’s somebody that’s able-bodied. And we try to, again, fit the right person for that adventure.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, right. And there’s also a place people can donate. I mean, I guess that’s the biggest thing that we need help with is just funds because these adventures are not cheap. I mean, everything’s expensive nowadays, but especially these things in the outdoors. And people can do that, I think, as a one-time gift or monthly, right? Yes, sir. Yeah, either way. Okay. All right, it’s freedomhunters.org. And once again, let me get to my message here and give you the information on this awesome auction here. It’s the Benelli Invitational. It’s in Maryland. Again, I realize that’s a long ways from here, but it’s already sold out anyway. But the big thing we wanted to get Anthony on for was wanting to let you know about freedomhunters.org if you’re not familiar with them. And then also Benelli, B-E-N-E-L-L-I 25.givesmart.com. And that will close noon our time on September 26th, that Friday. So don’t waste time. Get in there and bid on some items. And as Anthony said, there’s quite an array from all kinds of firearms, optics, trips, you name it. Everything is in there. Anthony, as always, man, we appreciate it. And man, thank you for what you do. I know this is a life mission, it seems for you. So man, thanks for all the time you’ve given to this. And man, we appreciate it. And I know the veterans that you’ve helped do as well. So we appreciate it, bud.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, Scott, I sure appreciate your support. I know how much you do support those that serve. So Thank you again for all you do and getting the word out there.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, man, we’re happy to and honored to do so. So we appreciate it. Check out freedomhunters.org. And, hey, folks, hey, you know what? Pretty much all of us, and I know things are tight and things are expensive, but, you know, hey, $25 a month? Hey, go on and do that and just give a monthly gift of $25, a couple of less trips to Starbucks, whatever the case may be. and really make some changes in people’s lives and help them. And again, we’re helping those that have helped us and served our country. So freedomhunters.org. We’ve got to hit a quick break, and we’ll be back with more right after this.
SPEAKER 14 :
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SPEAKER 12 :
This is KLZ 560 AM, your home station.
SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome back to the show. Thank you so much for being with us today. Well, it’s always a privilege and honor to have Greg Lopez with us, former U.S. Congressman and a gubernatorial candidate to be your next governor here in Colorado. So, Greg, thanks again for being with us. How are you, my friend?
SPEAKER 13 :
I’m doing good, Scott. Hey, it’s always a pleasure to be on your show with you.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, man, I appreciate it. I tell you, we’ve been doing this for like five years together, man. So, hey, it’s awesome. Hey, so update us a little bit on your campaign and some of your recent stops around, and then I wanted to get into a specific topic with you, but kind of give us an update.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, look, you know, I’ve been traveling the state. I’ve been addressing certain issues. One of the things that I’ve been doing is focusing a lot with, different groups and organizations visiting with them that are not necessarily politically driven, right? These are nonprofit organizations. And I’ve been spending a lot of time in Denver, believe it or not, talking to a lot of different groups that are concerned about the quality of life that Denver has to offer you, right? The cost of living and so forth. And so, you know, the campaign’s going well, you know, Always encouraging people to go to my website, greglopez.co, and think about making a contribution and those types of things. This is the coming of the end of the second quarter of the year. It’s like it’s here so fast, right? Every morning it gets a little chillier. It sure does. Yeah, but no, things are going well.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, good, good. Hey, you and I have talked quite a bit about this and you just sent me something just the other day and that’s why I wanted to get you on to let you update our listeners a little bit because I think many of us, and I’ll say it that way, many of us have thought this wolf issue in our state was a thousand percent on the shoulders of our Colorado Parks and Wildlife. And so we stand corrected and I want you to update our listening audience about this and some things that you’re looking into and some things you’re not only looking into, but some things you’re doing right now.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, you know, Scott, you’re absolutely right. Look, we all know that the reintroduction of the wolf was probably not introduced correctly through a ballot initiative that barely passed, you know, and then it was rushed. You know, CPW rushed it, which, okay, you know, those are the things that happen. But There is a misinformation out there that everybody believes that it’s the state of Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife that are making all the decisions as it pertains to the reintroduction of the wolf. And I’m here to tell people that’s not correct. That is not true. Colorado Parks and Wildlife works as an agent for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. And their job the federal life service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, is to oversee the Endangered Species Act. So they are the final decision makers of what happens with the gray wolf here in Colorado. It is not CPW. CPW has been identified as an agent, and that’s a key word, as an agent of the United States Fish and Wildlife to implement not only the federal rules, but also to implement the management plan that they presented to the federal agency on how they were going to manage the wolf. And the United States Fish and Wildlife approved that plan. So if they’re violating the plan, then they’re violating the relationship with the agency. If they’re violating what’s happened, what they stated in the 10-J rule, which everybody’s familiar with, then they’re in violation of the relationship with the agency. The biggest violation that has occurred is that unilaterally, all by itself, it appears that CPW went outside of the continental United States to bring wolves from Canada into the United States. Nowhere, nowhere. in the endangered species act or the 10 J rule or the memorandum of agreement, does it grant them the authority to do that? And yet they did it. And so I’m holding the federal agency accountable for the poor behavior and the poor mismanagement of what CPW is doing because they are an extension of the agency. So it’s up to the agency to fix the matter, and all I’m asking for is for a one-year pause on the translocation of more wolves. I’m not asking them to change their management plan. I’m not asking them to rewrite the 10-day rule. I’m reminding them that there are some problems, and by a pause, it’s not going to hurt the success of the reintroduction program. It doesn’t fly in the face of the voters of Colorado because the program is still active. And CPW still has to manage the wolves that are currently walking within the state of Colorado.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. If you’re just joining us, Greg Lopez is with us, again, gubernatorial candidate to be our next governor here in the state of Colorado. So just like with any contract, pretty much, so correct me where you need to, you hire me to do something. The rules are laid out of how I’m supposed to do that. If I don’t follow those rules, then you have the right then to negate that contract and agreement, correct? Correct.
SPEAKER 13 :
That’s correct. That’s correct. And if you read the 10-J rule, the 10-J rule clearly articulates that the agency can terminate the United States Fish and Wildlife, can remove CPW from being an agent with 90 days notice. And then you read the MOA, which is the memorandum of agreement. In the memorandum of agreement that is signed by both parties, it says that they can… cancel the agreement within 60 days’ notice. And I’m not asking them to cancel anything. All I’m asking them to do is do not bring more wolves into Colorado until you solve the problems that are currently happening so that when you do choose to bring more, you have a better management handle on how you’re going to manage the wolf. That’s it.
SPEAKER 06 :
And you spend a lot of time talking to a lot of ranchers, haven’t you?
SPEAKER 13 :
I did. I did. You know what? I saw, I went to different producers. I spent time on their property. They showed me some of the dens. They showed me some of the rendezvous areas. You know, I literally spent a lot of time on this issue. And the reason I’m doing this, Scott, you know, is because, you know what, not only am I running for governor, and this is exactly what a governor or candidate should be doing, is when you’re out there and you’re seeing problems, you should try to solve them. You don’t need a title to make a difference. You know, why would I wait, you know, for another 16 months before I engage on an issue that is hurting families, hurting the economy, undermining the, you know, the long generational operations here in Colorado? I’m not. You know, and so These are the things that I focus in on, right? I’m putting people over politics. I’m not playing the political game. I’m fighting for the producers and the small business owners and the economy. And a lot of people don’t even understand that this is impacting outfitters, hikers, campers. It’s impacting everybody. And yet it takes true leadership to step into this area and say, enough, enough. It’s time for us to reevaluate what we’re doing. And a lot of people don’t know this, Scott. You know, it is legally the terminology that’s utilized in the contract is the wolf is considered here in Colorado by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as a, listen to this, as a non-essential experimental population. What that means is that, you know what? It doesn’t matter whether the wolf survives here in Colorado or not, because it’s not going to undermine the success of the species within the United States. It’s not. And the other thing that people don’t realize is, you know, a lot of people think, Scott, that the wolves will only be on the western slope. No! You know, what people misunderstood is that that’s where they’re going to be released. But… The state of Colorado asked the federal agency to identify the entire state of Colorado to be the environment by which the wolf can exist. And the tracker shows it’s been in Boulder County. It’s been in Jefferson County. And so when it starts migrating east, because they want to have anywhere from 200 wolves up to 1,000 wolves. living in Colorado. These wolves are going to create their own territory and their own area by which they will hunt and survive.
SPEAKER 06 :
Is what you’re understanding as you visit with people that they thought the only place they could be released is in some certain areas in the West?
SPEAKER 13 :
Here’s the thing. No, yes, release.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, release.
SPEAKER 13 :
Not live. There’s a difference, right? So people don’t understand that if you see a wolf, if you’re out there camping, if you’re out there hiking, and a wolf decides to attack your dog because a dog chases it, you cannot kill a wolf. You cannot do anything to that wolf. Right. You must watch that wolf kill your dog. And a lot of people don’t understand that. Now, here’s the latest. And I got this from… information that the Copper Creek Pack, this is the pack that’s been known and been classified as a chronic depredator that is eating and killing calves, cows, and sheep. Well, they’re back. They’re back at Lost Marble Ranch. They’re back at the den, and they’re back at the rendezvous pass, the rendezvous area. So what does that tell you? They tell you that they come down the mountain and they’re going to start to survive. They’re going to kill cows.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER 13 :
And yet, CPW has no idea on how they’re going to manage that. They have no clue. That’s what I’m talking about, mismanagement. And this is where I’m confident and I’m hopeful that the regional director, Matt Hogan, that’s his name, Matt Hogan, the regional director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for this region, has full authority to say we’re not bringing any more wolves until we solve these problems.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right.
SPEAKER 13 :
And that’s what I want him to do.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yep. Folks, I’m telling you. And I know you see a lot of names, you know, that are going to be running for governor and all. And if you have not made yourself familiar with Greg Lopez, I highly suggest you do. GregLopez.co. And, Greg, any upcoming events that we need to mention or next few weeks we can, if there’s nothing on the agenda right now where folks can come to and meet you and see you?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it’s a busy calendar.
SPEAKER 06 :
I know. You’re everywhere.
SPEAKER 13 :
I can tell you this. You know what? I’m going to be out in Routt County, out in Steamboat, next Saturday on the 27th. Okay. You know, talking to people and engaging with the community. I may be… There’s plans right now that are being… They’re trying to solidify that Friday I may be in Glenwood Springs, in Pitkin County, in Eagle County, and, you know, talking to them.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right.
SPEAKER 13 :
And then… Sunday, I may be in Gunnison talking to what’s happening with the producers and so forth. But I will tell you this. On October 2nd, I am scheduled to be in a gubernatorial forum at the Denver Press Club downtown. And that is a debate forum, and it’s open to the public. So if you want to see all the candidates out there, October 2nd, at the Denver Press Club is where the event’s going to happen. We’re going to put that on our website, but yes, those are just some of the ones that are kind of on the forefront in my mind right now is all the activity that’s going on.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, good deal. Folks, go check out greglopez.co. Hey, if you’re so inclined, please make a donation. If you need to know more about Greg, get in touch with me here. We’ll try to help you, and we’re doing everything we can just on a personal level here and again this is just me speaking not the station whatever Greg’s our guy so hey we want to see him be our next governor here in the state of Colorado so Greg thanks for all you’re doing there thanks for keeping us informed and as things progress please let me know and we’ll get you back on sir sounds great hey you have a great weekend all right you as well that is gubernatorial candidate and former congressman Greg Lopez we got to hit a quick break and we’ll be back with more right after this
SPEAKER 08 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, we really do have something in common.
SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 12 :
AM560 KLZ, your home station.
SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome back to Sportsman of Colorado. Thank you so much for being with us today. All right, we’re going to go to the phones now and talk to our good buddy, Henry Ferguson. And Henry has had quite the September and wanted to get him on here for the day because, man, so happy for him. We all know the Moose tag is a hard, hard thing to get here in Colorado. And Henry had some great success in the draw and in the field. So, Henry, welcome to the show. How are you?
SPEAKER 05 :
Scott, I couldn’t be better.
SPEAKER 06 :
No, you couldn’t be, bud.
SPEAKER 05 :
And I’m trying not to be jealous. I’m trying to still be your friend.
SPEAKER 06 :
Crazy. So, man, how many years you put in for a moose tag?
SPEAKER 05 :
I drew it on year 17.
SPEAKER 06 :
Year 17.
SPEAKER 05 :
And honestly, I know how fortunate I was to get it at 17 because – I know a number of guys who have been waiting since the late 80s when they started the Moose applications and still haven’t gotten a bull tag. So with that in mind, I was absolutely determined to go out there and give it everything I possibly could. Just, you know, leave it all on the field, so to speak, you know. Right. Scout like crazy and just have fun and enjoy the process.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. So let’s start there. What are a few tips you would give? Because, you know, like you say, we all put in, but we never expect to get it right. Then all of a sudden you get it, and then what do you do?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I’ll tell you what, Scott. I think it’s real simple. Wait for good fortune. That’s what worked for me. But really, I’ve heard a lot of people say that the hardest part about killing a moose in Colorado is getting the tag. And I don’t know that that necessarily is true, but it definitely is one of the more difficult parts of it. you know, once you get that tag, you just got to get out there and start learning that country. The beauty of, of having a moose tag or any of the once in a lifetime tags is that people tend to be real, real generous with, you know, helping you out on, on spots and, you know, and then CPW has a bunch of historical data too, that is, is really great, but it’s just kind of interesting. I mean, you know, there’s such a, it’s like drinking from a fire hose though, really, because there’s, there’s just so much to learn. It’s a new species. I hadn’t ever really spent a lot of time around moose. So I had a lot to learn. I felt like I was kind of starting at ground zero, but, you know, just spent a lot of time out there, a lot of time looking at moose and, you know, trying to figure out what, uh, what a big moose looked like. And that’s, that’s kind of what it boiled down to, you know, I, And just spend a lot of time out there. Right. A lot of time up in the mountains this year.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. So was your goal in mind when you went? You wanted a particular look from the moose?
SPEAKER 05 :
That’s the perfect way of phrasing it, Scott. I had a particular look I was looking for. I wanted… I wanted something wide. I wanted something with significant paddles. And I wanted something with good front end. I told a buddy of mine, I was chasing a real, real big bull opening weekend. And I just absolutely blew an opportunity. And over the next five days of looking for him, I never saw him again. So… But my buddy asked me, he goes, what do you think that bull scores? And I said, I have absolutely no idea because I have not spent one moment learning how to score moose. He said, you know, you ask me what a deer scores, I can tell you what the deer is going to score. But I just have not spent any time thinking about that on moose because I just wanted to enjoy the process. And when I saw a moose that really got me excited… don’t try to make it happen, you know? Right.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, how many days would you think, um, that you spent scouting just to show people you put in the work?
SPEAKER 05 :
I was thinking about that the other day and I wish I would have counted it. Um, and you know, I, I, I was able to get to my hunt unit in about two hours. So I did some mornings and some evenings. Sure. Conservatively conservatively 25 to 30. Wow. Okay. Yeah. I spent a lot of time up there and I was, you know, some of that was learning how to, you know, learning where moose call home. Um, some of it was looking at moose and trying to figure out again, like I said, you know, what a, what a good moose looks like so that I could be ready when the time came. And, you know, some of it was just Man, some of it was just looking at terrain and finding out where they aren’t as much as where they are. Sure. And you were archery, correct? So I had a season choice tag, and I actually shot them during muzzleloader season, but I did shoot them with my bow. Right. Okay.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. So tactic-wise, like hunting any other animal that you do with elk and deer?
SPEAKER 05 :
So that’s the funny thing. I hunted them— I tried to hunt them like a deer because that’s what I know how to do. I mean, I’m not a good caller. I’m just not somebody who’s good at talking to the animals. So I think that’s why I’ve naturally gravitated towards deer hunting in the past. But, yeah, I went out with a friend of mine, Ramon Fontanez, and we went out the day I shot that moose, and he called in a bull right at first light. because we saw a cow bed, and I’ll be honest, Scott, I almost shot that bull because it was going to be about 200 yards from the truck, and that sounded like the dream packhouse scenario. And so I drew back on that bull twice, and I did kind of consider it, and I’m like, no, it’s still real early. I’ve still got a lot of time. Everybody kept telling me, the experienced guys kept telling me that they’re the hunt got better as the season went on because that rut kicks in. And so, yeah, he called that thing into 28 yards for me and that was pretty neat, but you know, just wasn’t the bull I was looking for. So that evening we ended up in a totally different spot where I’d this basin that I’d been looking at a cow or two in there over the, over the summer. And just with the idea that, man, if they’re in there, if that cow’s still in there, surely that bull’s got to be coming. So sure enough, the bull popped up, and we were literally walking out at the end of the evening. We were done. And yeah, it just so happened, we’re about 50 yards into our mile-and-a-half walk back to the truck, and when we looked up and there was a moose. And so got a little better look at it and said, man, that’s a shooter. I’d love to take that ball. And, I mean, it took me literally about two seconds to make that determination because, you know, he had the width, had the battle, had the front end.
SPEAKER 06 :
And you can look at our Sportsman of Colorado radio page. We posted a picture of Henry with that moose on our page today to promote Henry’s appearance on the show today. All right, so for the archery folks that are interested, walk us through your gear a little bit, your arrows, your broadhead, and your bow.
SPEAKER 05 :
You bet. So I was shooting a Hoyt RX-9 Ultra. I think I was shooting, like, right at 70 pounds. And I was shooting an Easton 5.0 Arrow and a Grim Reaper 1-3 8-inch Pro Series Mechanical. And it… As far as most moose hunters are concerned, that arrow’s way too light. That’s not a good moose setup, but he went 25 yards.
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I was starting to say, it was effective.
SPEAKER 05 :
It worked. Yeah, it was just kind of one of those dream come true moments, man. I mean, when you literally watch him drop, it just doesn’t get much better than that. Yeah. man and you know elk a big animal moose built totally different but another big animal i had a friend who hunted uh hunted moose like four or five years ago and he said hey when you see it on the ground for the first time he goes you’re going to be looking at a clydesdale with paddles yeah and that was the absolute perfect description of it because we walked up there And Ramon and I are both very experienced with big game, and he’s killed a ton of elk. I’ve been on enough elk that I’ve killed four or five of them myself and family and friends. But, man, when you see that thing laying there, that’s like an elk and a quarter or something or an elk and a half. I don’t know. It was big. Wow.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, man, that is so cool. And then skipping a few weeks ahead of that, got you a nice buck.
SPEAKER 05 :
I did. You know, like I said, that’s usually my focus. I always want to get a big deer. And with all my moose scouting this year, I’d only gotten out scouting for deer I think three times before the season. And fortunately had a couple of good bucks picked out, one of them. I knew it was going to be a long shot, and one of them was a big – I mean, I call him a big three-point, but he basically was a four-point, but just had crab-clawed fronts. But I saw this buck last year. He was a big three, and I’d love to get those bucks off the landscape before the rut. So, yeah, on day one, I told myself I’ve got one to two days to go out and get a deer before I need to get back up there and start trying to pin down an elk before the season. And it just so happened on the first morning I was out, and this is just a testament to good scouting. I spent a lot of time out there and knew their patterns pretty well. But a little bit of luck did play into it because when I – literally sat down, put my binoculars on the tripod, and it took me about 10 seconds to find that deer bedded. And so I snuck in on him that morning and just had a doe and fawn walk around some aspens just as I was really close to getting in range. And that doe sat there and blew at me from a I don’t know, 15, 20 feet away, three times real loud. And so I peeked up over the saddle where those bucks were supposed to be bedded like 30 yards away and they were 130 yards away. So I just watched them and watched where they went and they fed over a couple of ridges and, you know, kind of, they kind of ran over the first ridge or two and then just kind of slowly fed up the third ridge. And when I saw him there, They sat there for like 20, 30 minutes looking back to see what had spooked them because they didn’t ever really know. They just knew that doe blew and was obviously concerned. So I just – I waited for a little bit, went back and shot a couple arrows through my bow and had some lunch and then made a move over there to the other side of that ridge that they had disappeared over. And sure enough, I found one of them up feeding it like one – 1 or 1.30 in the afternoon. And it just happened to be the buck I was after. So with no hesitation, I went ahead and shot him. And that was with the exact same setup that I hunted moose with.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. And you know, so many times, man, I know guys that 10 o’clock in the morning, they hadn’t done something, they go in, go back out at, you know, 4 o’clock. A lot of animals kill between 10 and 3 in their…
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, you are absolutely right. And I think, man, all of my biggest deer have come during that time period. During that, you know, usually 11 to 4 is kind of where I tend to kill most of the deer. So, you know, especially if you watch them bad, sometimes they won’t be in that first bed very long. I tend to kill… most of my deer getting up out of their first bed but you know a lot of people want to hunt them in that second bed so yeah for sure yeah stay out there hey the season’s short yeah no doubt speaking the season’s short the rest of the year to regret it is long absolutely hey i want to mention something here real quick and we’ve only got about three or four minutes here but
SPEAKER 06 :
Man, some tragic news out of southern Colorado. Two young hunters, Andrew Porter from Asheville, North Carolina, Ian Stasko from Salt Lake City, both guys 25 years old. And I don’t, you know, none of us really know what happened as of yet. But, you know, certainly unusual story of, you know, these two guys lost their lives there. Yeah. It is just a reminder. And, again, I’m not being critical of them because I don’t know what happened and what happens. Oh, yeah, for sure. But I’m just saying this as a reminder to all. Man, you get out. And it doesn’t even have to be really, you know, so-called the backcountry. Now, this was not an easy unit to hunt in. There are some treacherous areas in this unit. Absolutely, yeah. Yeah. But, man, you just got to be prepared. And, you know, my dad always taught me, and I’ll let you comment here too, but, you know, when I was younger, man, I’d say, I’m just going to leave my pack right here, and then I’m going to go up here and try to get on that animal. And he’d say, son, don’t leave it because you never know where you’re going. You’re thinking you’re going to start tracking an animal, and all of a sudden you don’t know where you are. So any thoughts you may have on this?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. I mean, first of all, this has been a tough pill for me to swallow because you know my son, Kyle, and he’s off of college right now, and he’s hunting his own unit in another part of the state. And I mean, the reality of this situation has hit me very, very hard, and it’s hit my wife very, very hard as well. just an absolute tragedy. And I, I mean, you know, people will say, Hey, at least they died doing what they love. Well, okay. I guess I could kind of see that to some extent, but one of those young men was engaged to be married next year. Yeah. It’s all just been cut short and it’s, it’s a, it’s regardless of what happened, it is an absolute tragedy. And, you know, it’s up to us as hunters to, uh, to learn from that tragedy and try to prevent that from happening to us in the future and happening to more people in the future. It’s my gosh, I just hope that those families can find some peace in this, in this situation. I mean, what a, what an absolute tragedy. I mean, you know, these are young bow hunters. They’re out doing what, what I love to do, what I live for. I live for the month of September and, just as they did. It’s just an unspeakable tragedy. I just encourage everybody, if they set up a GoFundMe or anything, to try to help out in any way you can.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, for sure. Man, something just hit my phone here. A search and rescue crew from Gunnison County rescued a lost hunter who was hypothermic in the Gunnison National Forest on Friday evening. He was soaked by storms and snow. called for help around 9 18 p.m and he did have a blanket wrapped around him but and i’m thinking from just what i’m reading that’s kind of what happened with these guys but again i don’t know that for sure so yeah i just don’t know but but just be prepared yeah the weather is so tricky this time it will from here forward really oh absolutely is our worst enemy out there quite often you know and just something that
SPEAKER 05 :
need to be prepared and be ready for as many of these situations as we can.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and certainly our prayers are with these families for sure. Absolutely. Well, Henry, congrats, man. I just want to get you on a few minutes today. Super happy for you and ready for some moose chili, bud, so you let me know.
SPEAKER 05 :
We’ll have you and Victoria over for moose.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, man, you got it. Can’t wait. All right, bud, we’ll be in touch.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thanks, Scott. All right.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you. All right. I want to thank all of our guests today, Anthony Pace, gubernatorial candidate Greg Lopez, and my good buddy Henry Ferguson. Hope you have a great rest of your weekend, and we will talk to you next week.
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The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
