STATEWIDE — In 2020, voters in Colorado passed, by a narrow margin of 51% to 49%, a ballot measure to reintroduce wolves into the state after their eradication in the early to mid-1900s. Charged with creating and implementing the plan for reintroduction, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) held public meetings, developed a plan and ultimately reintroduced two groups of five GPS collared wolves into Grand and Summit Counties on Dec. 19, 2023. 

Reintroduction of wolves only directly impacts a very specific population of Colorado – ranchers in the areas where the wolves are introduced and those in the areas where the wolves travel. Quite naturally, ranchers in other parts of the state also track what’s happening with the program. 

Hunters are impacted but to a much lesser degree as, according to information posted on the CSU Extension website, Colorado has over 430,000 mule deer and 280,000 elk, the largest elk population of any state. The largest mule deer and elk herds occur in western Colorado. 

“At a statewide level, wolves are unlikely to have a major impact on overall big game populations or hunting opportunities in Colorado based on evidence from northern Rocky Mountain states,” the website reads. 

Yet, even among those not directly impacted, the reintroduction of wolves continues to be an evocative topic with strong feelings on both sides. 

While celebrated by many as a step toward restoring balance to the ecosystem, the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado did not go as well as hoped and the program was beset with problems almost from the beginning, with criticism growing louder after wolves were repeatedly attacking livestock in Grand County and CPW refused ranchers’ requests to kill them.  

And now, starting in January of 2025, 15 more gray wolves coming from British Columbia will be reintroduced in Colorado. In a lengthy statement released by CPW and the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), CPW pledges to do better this time around. 

After listing partnerships with five different agencies and additional NGOs, CPW Director Jeff Davis states, “…we are in a position to offer Colorado livestock producers an even more robust program that includes the tools, support and resources needed to minimize wolf-livestock conflict.” 

The Conflict Minimization Program will include free site assessments, which are a critical tool for identifying the most appropriate and effective non-lethal tools and techniques specific to each individual operation 

CPW and CDA is also hiring additional staff, including five more wildlife damage specialists to add to their existing staff plus a non-lethal conflict reduction program manager and two non-lethal mitigation specialists. These staff are available, along with CPW staff, to connect producers to available resources, including equipment, site assessments, and compensation claim submissions.   

The establishment of new criteria will help field staff in addressing wolf conflict and attacks, either before or after incidents occur.   

“Many wolf depredations are a one-time event; however, more aggressive intervention may occur in scenarios with multiple depredations, nearby wolf den and rendezvous sites, and evaluation of pack territories or behaviors,” the release states.  

The release also cites “early and aggressive hazing efforts to change the behavior of depredating animals”, which can be very effective in changing undesirable behavior.  

CPW and CDA are also employing another approach to minimizing conflict, namely the Range Rider Program which will begin in early 2025.   

Range riders are trained personnel with a specialized set of skills who spend time with livestock to monitor for the presence of wolves and deploy hazing techniques to deter wolves. The job requires working closely with livestock producers as well as a strong understanding of animal husbandry and stockmanship techniques.  

After reaching out to other states, the CPW and CDA developed a list of best practices for disposing of carcasses in wolf country.  

The release also announces that grants up to $20,000 will be available to multiple producers in supporting tactics for non-lethal conflict management and implementing programs like the Range Riders and removal of carcasses. 

During and after the first reintroduction of wolves in Colorado, CPW was criticized for their communication to local community members; there were claims of not enough communication or important information was not shared or that information came after  wolves were already introduced in an area.  

In response, a full list of past and upcoming workshops can be found on CDA’s website where producers can also find the link to register for the educational workshops.  

Finally, this month, CPW will publish a Wolf-Livestock Conflict Minimization Program Guide to provide producers a full list of all conflict minimization tools, methods, state staff support available including contact information, and funding sources. The guide will also describe CPW’s depredation investigation process, compensation program and lethal management criteria, including the definition of ‘Chronic Depredation’. 

CPW Director Jeff Davis concluded the release by saying, “Some loss of wolves from the initial restoration was anticipated. Any reintroduction effort includes eventual mortality and was incorporated into the plan, which states that a review would occur if survival was below 70% in the first six months. 

“Wolf survival was 90% for the first six months after translocation from Oregon. Wolf survival in Colorado is within normal margins for a wolf population in the Rocky Mountains.  

“The biological importance of continuing the releases of wolves to supplement the first round of releases done last season must be emphasized. Adding animals to the existing population will increase the likelihood of pairing, breeding and pack formation. This will create more consistent territories that allow CPW to monitor patterns within a territory. Thus, improving our ability to collaborate with ranchers on active behavior and coexistence strategies to best protect livestock. 

“CPW staff and our partners have been working hard, learning and adapting throughout this first year of wolf restoration in Colorado. The deployment of this stronger conflict minimization program is critical as we prepare to release wolves this upcoming season. I want to reiterate that we take our responsibility for the wellbeing of the ranchers, their livestock and the wolves very seriously.  

“We are confident we will be successful restoring a healthy, sustainable population of gray wolves to Colorado as mandated, while avoiding and minimizing impacts to our critical ranching industry and rural communities.”