News of wolf depredations in Colorado has slowed down since the last calf was killed at the end of April. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials confirmed a new depredation last week on May 11.
The Middle Park Stockgrowers Association told Sky-Hi News that one yearling was killed, bringing the count up to nine cattle since wolves were released in the state of Colorado last winter.
A user on a private Facebook group named Colorado Wolf Tracker, dedicated to monitoring wolf updates, shared that three wolves may have been killed near William Fork Reservoir in Grand County.
The news of another depredation comes after Colorado ranchers, with assistance from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, implemented more non-lethal deterrents, including nighttime patrols and range riders.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding, the CDA is working closely with CPW to anticipate and prepare for predator and livestock incidents. This includes help and education around non-lethal deterrence methods, such as range riders or the use of fladry.
Producers began voicing their concerns over the choice of wolves for release in December when it was confirmed that the first five wolves released into Colorado were from a depredating pack in Oregon.
So far, Colorado has reintroduced 10 gray wolves into Summit and Grand Counties. There are also two known collared wolves whose territories include Jackson County.
Despite outcry to eliminate the wolves from cattle associations and producers in the area, CPW maintains that offending wolves are likely denning in the Middle Park area and cannot be killed.
CPW is also set to bring 15 more wolves from Washington, who were secured earlier this year from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Capture is slated for December 2024, with relocation set to occur in March 2025.
“It is anticipated that wolf reintroduction efforts will require the transfer of about 30 to 50 wolves in total over a three- to five-year time frame,” says CPW. “CPW will aim to capture 10 – 15 wild wolves annually from several different packs over the course of three to five years by trapping, darting, or net gunning in the fall and winter.”