Colorado Parks and Wildlife has initiated an operation to capture and relocate the wolves from the Copper Creek Pack, which have been involved in multiple depredations — instances of preying on livestock — since wolves were reintroduced in the state in December.
CPW announced Tuesday evening that this process was already in progress, with technical support from its federal partners. Director Jeff Davis explained that the decision was made after careful consideration and feedback from various stakeholders.
”Our options in this unique case were very limited, and this action does not set a precedent for how CPW will address wolf-livestock conflict in the future,” Davis said. “The ultimate goal of the operation is to relocate the pack to another location while we explore the best options for them to continue contributing to the successful wolf restoration in Colorado.”
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The Copper Creek Pack, named in June, consists of at least one breeding pair and three pups. A wolf pack is formed when a pair reproduces, which was confirmed on June 18 when CPW biologists observed a single wolf pup at a den site in Grand County. The Copper Creek Pack is the first confirmed wolf pack in Colorado since the reintroduction in December.
The wolf pups were recently captured on video — the first public sharing of the footage — and state officials confirmed that all the young animals appeared to be healthy.
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The specific details regarding when and how CPW plans to capture the wolf pack, and where they will be relocated, are not yet clear. CPW stated that more information will be released at a later time in response to follow-up questions from Scripps News Denver.
A section of the federal Endangered Species Act for this wolf reintroduction allows Colorado officials to relocate the wolves, providing the state wildlife organization with management flexibility for the animal. This includes management tools like aversive conditioning and lethal take to protect people and livestock, especially after reintroduction.
“Management of the nonessential experimental population would allow gray wolves in the NEP (nonessential experimental population) to be hazed, killed, or relocated by the Service or our designated agent(s) for livestock depredations,” the document states.
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To safeguard the animals, CPW is not disclosing precise details of the Copper Creek Pack’s location. However, during last week’s CPW Commission meeting, CPW Assistant Director Reid DeWalt mentioned that the main issue with depredation continues to be the breeding pair in Middle Park.
“We are actively addressing that situation to find solutions and opportunities for improvements,” DeWalt stated. “While there have been depredations from a few other wolves, they have not reached the same level as those in Middle Park.”
As part of efforts to better understand wolf depredations, CPW has hired five predator damage conflict specialists focusing on wolves, black bears, and mountain lions.
Throughout the planning and implementation of the wolf reintroduction project, CPW has collaborated with wildlife biologists, federal partners, and livestock producers, a collaboration that will continue throughout the process.
As of Tuesday evening, 24 animals — sheep, calves, and cows — had been injured or killed by wolves since the December 2023 release. These incidents occurred in Jackson County, Grand County, and Routt County, with the most recent involving eight sheep in Grand County on July 28.
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Currently, Colorado is home to 11 known adult wolves — nine introduced in December (originally 10, but one was killed by a mountain lion in April) and two previously moved into Colorado — along with three pups.
The wolf reintroduction was mandated by voters in 2020. The Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan was finalized in May 2023 after years of community discussions and meetings. By the end of the year, 10 wolves had been released in Grand and Summit counties.
Since then, they have spread to various watersheds in the state, as shown in the latest gray wolf activity map below. The map is updated on the fourth Wednesday of every month here. As of the time of the map’s publication, the wolves have not moved south of Interstate 70.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
The next wolf reintroduction is scheduled to start this winter in the northern zone, as outlined in the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. This is represented as the upper oval in the map below.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
In July, a rancher in the Middle Park area, who had experienced multiple confirmed wolf depredations, applied to CPW for lethal take of a wolf due to chronic depredation. CPW had documented several instances of wolf-related injuries and deaths to the rancher’s livestock.
However, CPW denied the rancher’s request for a lethal take permit, outlining the reasons in a response letter to the rancher. They highlighted four criteria that needed to be met, with only one meeting the standard.
The conclusion of the letter appreciated the rancher’s cooperation with CPW. The public is encouraged to report any wolf sightings, especially with photos or videos. To submit a report, visit CPW.info/wolf-sighting.
Read the full wolf restoration and management plan below or here.
This story was originally published by Stephanie Butzer at Scripps News Denver.
