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Colorado’s wolves make their way across the western part of the state
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Colorado’s wolves make their way across the western part of the state

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice As seen in the newest map released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), "newcomers" from the north are making their way across the entire Western Slope. This might excite CPW officials and wolf advocate groups, but not everyone.      Josh Wambolt wrote the members of the Colorado Wildlife Commission in an open letter that reads, “If you have not noticed, the ranchers and outfitters are pretty upset with the CPW commission, Director Davis, and the senior staff calling the shots.," wrote Josh Wamboltin a letter to the members of the Colorado Wildlife Commission. "If you haven’t noticed the exasperation from the general public, and those being affected by these wolves, and the unkept promises you made to people, I hig...
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Bill to provide ranchers confidentiality in reporting of wolf depredation losses sailing through legislature
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Bill to provide ranchers confidentiality in reporting of wolf depredation losses sailing through legislature

By Brian Porter | Rocky Mountain Voice Relief from a state reporting requirement on ranchers most impacted by the reintroduction of wolves could soon be on its way. Senate Bill 25-038, introduced in the Senate by Western Slope Sens. Marc Catlin and Dylan Roberts, requires the confidentiality of personal information for anyone filing a claim related to wolf depredation or other damages. It sailed out of the House's Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee this week on a 13-0 vote and passed second reading on the House floor by voice vote. The bill earned a rare 35-0 vote of support in the Senate, before advancing to the House. When a new batch of wolves were released in the state earlier this year, it was done so with secrecy, Republican Rep. Ty Winter notes. "We thi...
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Ballot measure to overturn Colorado wolf reintroduction clears title board in first hurdle
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State, The Colorado Sun

Ballot measure to overturn Colorado wolf reintroduction clears title board in first hurdle

By Jason Blevins | The Colorado Sun Wolf reintroduction could return to the Colorado ballot next year.  The Colorado Secretary of State’s Title Board on Wednesday approved language for a proposed ballot measure that would ask voters in 2026 to end the reintroduction of gray wolves by the end of that year.  “The only thing we are doing with this ballot measure is asking voters to approve a day where wolves would no longer be introduced in Colorado by humans,” said Stan VanderWerf, a former El Paso County commissioner who helped write the ballot measure. “This proposal does not make any other changes to state or provisions that address the management of wolves or reimbursement for depredation. It’s a very simple proposal.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE ...
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Local ranchers get wolf training from Delta County Livestock Association
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Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Local ranchers get wolf training from Delta County Livestock Association

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice There have been no reported wolf depredation of cattle or sheep in Delta County, so far, but Robbie LeValley, on behalf of the Delta Livestock Association, gave a Feb. 13 presentation to more than 130 ranchers in Hotchkiss, Colo., emphasizing how critical precise record keeping will be — should and must likely when the quiet ranching community is impacted by wolf depredation. Hotchkiss is a small town with a population of 929 people, all of whom are impacted by the local ranching economy. Hotchkiss is located in the North Fork of the Gunnison River, between Paonia and Delta, in Delta County. “We are not here to argue about the wolves, they’re here. Wolves are close, they are on top of us,” LeValley said. The informat...
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Wolf 2307-OR died as a result of another wolf, not a gunshot wound as some theorized
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Wolf 2307-OR died as a result of another wolf, not a gunshot wound as some theorized

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Despite allegations and innuendos from animal rights activists, wolf 2307-OR died as a result of a fight with another wolf, not a gunshot wound last September. Wolf 2307-OR was found dead after his collar signaled that he had died, on Sept. 9, 2024, CPW reported in a press release Sept. 12, 20224, concerning the event three days earlier. CPW, at the time, said that 2307-OR was killed by another wolf, but then backtracked when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) noted there was a gunshot injury. Months later, the pathology report concluded that the gunshot was not a factor in the wolf’s demise. In a Jan. 8 meeting of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, commissioners heard repeated accusations from pro-...
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Jackson County rancher is first to have a confirmed livestock kill by wolves in 2025
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Jackson County rancher is first to have a confirmed livestock kill by wolves in 2025

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain voice It only took six weeks in 2025 for the first confirmed wolf livestock depredation to be reported, this one from Jackson County.  A rancher has reported that a cow, which was due to calve within the month, was killed by an uncollared wolf in Jackson County, approximately 10 miles south of the Wyoming border. The name of the rancher is not being disclosed for privacy reasons. First reported by Shannon Lukens of Steamboat Radio, the rancher said that CPW has been out and confirmed that his cow was indeed killed by a wolf. According to the rancher, who to his misfortune had been a victim of wolf depredation in 2024 and who had his dog killed by a wolf 30 feet from his backdoor, went out to feed his cows on Feb. 4, and al...
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In Grand Junction meeting, those from industries most impacted by wolves look for solutions
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

In Grand Junction meeting, those from industries most impacted by wolves look for solutions

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Those who represent multiple industries and who are seeking solutions to the challenges they face because of the growing populations of wolves on the landscape recently met. There were livestock growers; hunters and outfitters; big game agencies that have spent decades preserving and growing healthy and robust numbers of big game species; local, state and federal elected officials; and some that were not so obvious, such as oil and gas developers. They met seeking common solutions for all involved parties. One of the glaring takeaways from the meeting is this — one solution does not seem to fit all.  Discussions around repealing Prop. 114 had some support in the group, but others in the group were concerned that if Prop...
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Colorado hires range riders to protect livestock from wolves as Boebert pushes to delist wolves
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CBS Colorado, State

Colorado hires range riders to protect livestock from wolves as Boebert pushes to delist wolves

By Spencer Wilson | CBS Colorado Colorado wildlife officials are working to hire range riders to protect livestock from the recently reintroduced wolves as some elected officials are pushing to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list. Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, whose district includes much of Colorado's Eastern Plains, is part of an effort to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act aims to give states control over their own gray wolf populations. Ranchers have continuously raised concerns about wolves preying on livestock while wildlife biologists and environmental activists say wolves are vital to keeping ecological balance and preventing certain species from becoming overpopulated.  READ THE F...
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CPW has kept wolf parasites causing Hydatid disease, which can be lethal to humans, secret from public
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

CPW has kept wolf parasites causing Hydatid disease, which can be lethal to humans, secret from public

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer. Rocky Mountain Voice As if there aren’t enough controversies around the consequences of wolf reintroduction in Colorado — impacts to livestock growers, impacts to deer, elk and other ungulate herds — there is another danger that has gone mostly unspoken by wildlife officials. This danger is to humans, predominantly children, transferred to them by their beloved pets, after being exposed to the parasite. Echinococcus granulosus is a parasitic tapeworm that transfers to deer, domestic cattle, domestic sheep, elk and moose, along with domestic cattle, sheep, domestic pets and humans. Interestingly, infestations of the parasites are relatively benign to wolves, but for the ungulates wild and domestic, and pets, the risk of transfer to humans in...
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Wolves will continue to be a ‘burden’ to livestock producers, Cattlemen’s Association says at Farm Show
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Wolves will continue to be a ‘burden’ to livestock producers, Cattlemen’s Association says at Farm Show

By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice A little more than four years ago, voters statewide supported Prop. 114 to reintroduce gray wolves to Colorado. As long as it is the law, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials are directed to implement it, cattle raisers are going to have to face the challenge, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Erin Karney said Tuesday in a lecture kicking off the Colorado Farm Show. "It is going to continue to be a burden to livestock producers," she said. She argues, though, what might be viewed as a Western Slope issue is a concern on both sides of the continental divide, noting the operations of Eastern Colorado cattle raisers, feedlots, sale barns and processing plants. "A lot of our members are directly affected," Karne...
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