Livestock producers receive wolf update from CPW in Craig Monday

December 19, 2023 Shannon Lukens

wolf-update-for-livestock-producers-moffat-053

By Shannon Lukens.

Ranchers from Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt, and Jackson counties were at the Moffat County CSU Extension Office in Craig Monday night for a Wolf Update for Livestock Producers. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials were there to answer questions about what happens next, now that wolves are on the ground.

Halfway through the meeting, CPW Area Manager Kris Middledorf told the ranchers that five wolves had just been released a few hours earlier, onto public land in Grand County. The two females and three males were weighed and measured and fitted with a GPS satellite collar for tracking before being released in the undisclosed location. A pool report for Colorado media said, “Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which is overseeing the reintroduction, may reuse the release site and is concerned about protestors or the public attempting to stop or watch future releases.”

The wolves released from Oregon are:

2302-OR: Juvenile female, black color, 68 lbs., Five Points Pack
2303-OR: Juvenile male, gray color, 76 lbs. Five Points Pack
2304-OR: Juvenile female, gray color, 76 lbs., Noregaard Pack
2305-OR: Juvenile male, black color, 93 lbs., Noregaard Pack
2307-OR: Adult male, gray color, 108 lbs., Wenaha Pack

Courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

About 45 people were invited to Grand County to watch the release, including Governor Jared Polis who opened the cage door, with the First Husband, Marlon Reis.

“Everybody here is just in reverent awe at seeing these animals in their natural habitat and knowing that they have not been part of our ecosystem for close to a century and now they’re returning to their historic role and there’s a lot of science from Yellowstone and other areas and it’s really going to be exciting.”

Local media and representatives of that district, Senator Dylan Roberts and Representative Julie McCluskie, were not invited to the release, and were informed of the release after it had happened.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says more wolves will be captured in Oregon and released this week in either Eagle, Grand or Summit counties.

Video of capture in Oregon

Video of release in Colorado

The POOL REPORT for media is listed below.

The press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife is also below.

Back in Craig, CPW agents had slides and information and tried answering the many questions of the ranchers. Here is some of what was said.

Jonathan Lambert is the CPW area manager in Craig. He explained how the wolf reintroduction is tasked by the state statute that directs CPW to limit conflicts between gray wolves and livestock. He told the group they will answer their questions as best they can and that the meeting is “For those of you who may have to encounter wolves one of these days.”

Lambert said CPW will provide fladry, fox lights, crackers shells, and propane cannons. He says they are starting to stockpile these items in areas around the state, including Meeker. “It’s all coming to a head now and we’re all learning together.”

He said they are bringing on more staff. CPW is adding four game damage specialists to their staff.

Lambert said that ranchers can be compensated for livestock losses from gray wolves. That livestock includes cattle, horses, mules, burros, sheep, lambs, swine, llamas, alpaca, and goats. If CPW says there is a 51% chance of depredation confirmation made by a wolf, then the rancher will be compensated. They are also training their agents to recognize wolf depredation. They have been freezing wolf depredations to show the agents the signs of a wolf.

The fair market value for a livestock depredation is $15,000. Also, the state will pay up to $15,000 for a veterinarian’s bill for a depredation, which means $30,000 per animal from a confirmed wolf depredation.

The ranchers were told to keep good records to use for compensation, and that a wolf depredation incident should be reported within 24 hours. Records would include paw prints in snow, game cameras, or sightings. Also, drop a pin on where a wolf was sighted. CPW is working on a Wolf Depredation Guide for ranchers.

With mitigation, livestock owners are being asked to implement what they can but not everything works for everyone. CPW said guard dogs can be effective.

Adam Baca is the Wolf Conflict Coordinator for CPW. He said his job is to try to figure out how to help ranchers and producers and when to escalate mitigation, depending on the wolf severity and interaction.

He said wolves are adaptable, hearty, and can cover a lot of ground. “They are going to do what they have to do and we have to adapt.”

Baca said that all wolves brought in to Colorado will be collared, and that they are incredibly tough on their collars.

Baca emphasized the importance of filling out a Wolf Sighting Form on the CPW website, if you ever think you see a wolf. He told the ranchers “We cannot replicate the time that you spend on the ground. Please continue reporting.” He added, “If we don’t know there is a problem, we don’t know how to help you.” Wolf Sighting Form

One woman in the room spoke of the frustration with CPW for not telling livestock producers where the GPS collared wolves are. Baca said that they will give a general idea in the future, especially if a sheep rancher decides to use an area for sheep when there might be a den nearby. Baca said there is a lag time with the GPS data, and that wolves will cruise through properties all day long. They also are hesitant to have it reported publicly as it would be a protection issue and trespassing issue if people are out there looking for wolves.

About the fladry, stashes of it are available and CPW will help, if needed. The fladry worked at the Gittleson’s for awhile. It can be loaned to a rancher for 45 to 120 days. Eventually, the wolves get used to it. Fladry is a type of fencing with flags or streamers on it.

CPW agents were asked about the penalty for shooting a wolf. Lambert said they are figuring that out, including if an animal can be shot using lights, when in regular hunting it can’t. They said the 10J Rule is overarching meaning all wolves and it gives CPW management authority. “In the act of,” includes biting, chasing, wounding your livestock. That’s when you can shoot that animal. But the rancher needs to have a Chronic Depredation Permit. CPW determines that, if there is multiple, repeated depredation incidents for that producer. The depredation has to be within 30 days and the rancher has to have used some mitigation tools.

They also suggest the removal of a carcass, to keep other predators away.

Jackson County rancher Don Gittleson was at the meeting in Moffat County. CPW agents made their presentation. But then Gittleson started answering questions of the ranchers. He provided first-hand experience about what has and has not worked for him on his ranch in Jackson County, where he has had at least seven head of cattle killed or injured by wolves. The bodies of two newborn calves were never found. Gittleson says wolves will eat all parts of a newborn calf, including skull and bones. Three working ranch dogs have been killed, and one pet. Three lambs were also killed by wolves in Jackson County in November.

This calf was attacked by a wolf on Gittleson’s ranch Wednesday, Dec. 13, and confirmed by CPW.

Gittleson was asked if he can hear the wolves in his yard and in his pastures. He said he doesn’t necessarily hear the wolves, because they are very quiet as they come in at night. But he hears his herd of cattle, and they are distressed and making noise. And his dogs know if there is a wolf out there. He heard the wolves once, and that was when there was a pack of eight wolves and they went out to scare them off and the pack got split up so they howled to find each other.

He said the wolves typically come from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and especially from midnight to 4 a.m.

Gittleson agreed to take really good records as it helps with confirmation for reimbursement. He says to take lots of pictures with your phone.

He said fox lights don’t work at all. He said fladry works but you have to maintain it. The ribbons wrap around the wire in the wind. You have to raise the fencing up when the snow gets deep and you have to lower it when the snow melts. He said the Range Riders were worthless.

Gittleson said if there are tracks along your property, such as from a vehicle, or a trail, that is where the wolves like to travel because it is easier for them to get through there than in the snow.

He said his cattle have learned to be more aggressive and protecting of each other. If one calves, they get back with the herd more quickly. This is something that has to be learned within the herd.

Gittleson was also asked by a rancher in the room if he has ever gotten mad and lost his temper. He said the one thing that has made him the maddest is that the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center started a contest to “Name the Wolves” among middle school students throughout the state. He said, “Kids shouldn’t be put in the middle of this.”

POOL REPORT for MEDIA issued Dec. 18, 2023

RELEASE SCENE

In the frigid air and with patches of snow on the ground, roughly 45 people mingled around large trucks. Five of the trucks each held one crate with a wolf inside. Through circular holes in the crates poked the wolves’ fur, their bodies rising and falling with their breath. None made a sound.

The group walked a few hundred feet to a clearing of yellow grass surrounded by pinyon, spruce and aspen trees. Tire divots of a dirt road led up through the clearing, turning left into the trees.

The first two crates were placed on one side of an old, barbed wire fence and were flanked by Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers, two of whom held plywood shields to help guide the wolves if they made a 180-degree turn instead of heading toward the forest.

Onlookers stood behind the barbed wire fence, quietly watching in anticipation.

___

FIRST TWO WOLVES

Two siblings:

— 1-year-old male; mottled gray with bits of black and brown; size of a very large dog

— 1-year-old female; also mottled gray with bits of black and brown; size of a very large dog

A wildlife officer pulled a release cord on the first crate and the wolf — a 1-year-old, shaggy mottled gray male — bolted up the golden grass, running partially sideways to keep an eye on everyone behind, then turning left into the trees.

The crowd watched in awed silence, then some hugged each other and low murmurs started up.

When the latch on the second crate flipped, the wolf didn’t budge. Everyone waited as Gov. Jared Polis peeked into the cage.

After roughly 30 seconds, those around the crates stepped back, giving the wolf space. The female, similarly colored to her brother who’d just disappeared into the trees, slowly rose inside the crate then bounded up a snowy divot in the dirt road.

When she reached the tree line, she stopped and turned to look back at her silent audience for two heartbeats, then disappeared into an aspen grove, its branches barren.

___

SECOND TWO WOLVES

Two siblings:

— 1-year-old female; mottled gray with bits of black and brown; size of a very large dog

— 1-year-old male; black coat; size of a very large dog

The second two crates were driven up, and lifted from the truck bed by four Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officers.

The first wolf, a 1-year-old male with a black coat, stayed in the crate when the door swung open. After a few minutes, they opened the second crate, and the second wolf darted up the same tracks on the dirt road, keeping an eye backward in a side run. She had a mottled gray coat, a year old, and disappeared into the trees.

Then the male wolf took her first running steps out of the crate, barreling in the same direction into the trees.

—

FINAL WOLF

— 2-year-old male; coat a dark black; larger than the other four

When the final crate opened, the oldest wolf — a two-year-old male with a black coat — immediately darted out, making a sharp right past onlookers with binoculars and into the trees. He didn’t look back once.

When it all ended, viewers let out their breaths and small applause broke out.

___

CAPTURE AND TRANSPORT

The wolves were all caught in Oregon on Sunday. Once they were located, a helicopter with a gunner flew in close — as close as 10-feet — and the wolves were shot with tranquilizer darts. They were put in crates overnight, then flown to Colorado Monday morning.

___

QUOTES AND COMMENTS

— Joanna Lambert, professor of wildlife ecology and conservation biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

“This is a moment of rewilding,” she said. “Of doing something to stave off the biodiversity extinction crisis we are living in … to make a difference in this era of extinction. And moreover, this is a source of hope not only for all of us standing here but for our younger generations as well.”

Lambert said she lost her breath when she saw the wolves gallop into the woods. For years, Lambert and wolf advocates have been working to get wolf “paws on the ground” and she felt herself gasp when “all the sudden, it happened.”

“It was exquisite in every way,” she said.

—-

— Gov. Jared Polis

“There is great respect of these animals. They have larger-than-life places in human imagination; in the stories we all grew up with and tell each other. Wolves are an iconic and legendary animal, and to know they are part of the Colorado landscape that has been an important part of their history and our history, it’s truly an important first.”

“I’ve seen wolves before but they have been in zoos and at rescues, but to to see them in their natural habitat and turn and around look curiously at any us before darting into the forest is really, really a special moment that I will treasure for my entire life.”

“Everyone here is just in reverent awe at seeing these animals in the natural habitat and knowing they have not been part of part of our ecosystem for close to a century and now they are returning to their historic role.”

Polis was there with his husband, Marlon Reis.

—-

— Dan Gibb, executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources

“It’s been blood sweat and tears. … It’s been complex. We’ve seen wolves be listed, delisted, worked closely with FWS and other states. … I’m really excited.”

“If there is any state wildlife and parks agency in the country that could pull this off .. it’s CPW. I couldn’t be more proud of the team here.”

“The consensus-driven process really sets us apart,” said Gibbs, noting the state’s wolf plan offers ranchers who lose livestock or working dogs to wolves up to $15,000 per animal. “Listening to ranchers and the agricultural community to really recognize (their needs.)”

Gibbs said the process of developing the reintroduction plan was about finding the “sweet spot” between the people who support wolves and those who don’t.

“My hope and my philosophy is really that we will learn to live with wolves and not against wolves,” Gibbs said.

Now his team at the Department of Natural Resources will begin working on re-establishing wolverines in Colorado.

“DNR is really focused on biodiversity, and we are working to become the nation’s leader on biodiversity,” Gibbs said. “We are going to continue to work to bring back species that used to be native to Colorado. It’s fun to be part of history right now.”

—-

— Eric Odell, species conservation program manager at Colorado Parks and Wildlife who has shepherded the wolf introduction plan since 2020. Odell was heading back to Oregon on Tuesday to help collect five more wolves. He was among 13 CPW employees in Oregon on Sunday helping to locate, dart, crate and ship five wolves.

“Today was a personal relief. … We met the deadline, and we met our statutory agreements. There was a lot pressure really leading up to this point, and it feels really, really good.”

“It’s an exciting day, for sure. There has been so much invested in this. It feels really good to have all this work come to fruition.”

—-

— Reid DeWalt, assistant director for the aquatics, terrestrial and natural resources branch of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, started looking at potential release sites this summer, using state lands as a filter but also considering the populations of ungulates so the wolf can eat, as well as proximity to airports for delivering wolves and the ability to reach the sites in the middle of winter.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife ended up with a list of about five locations in the northern release zone inside Eagle, Grand and Summit counties.

Press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife; Dec. 18, 2023

Colorado Parks and Wildlife successfully releases gray wolves on Colorado’s Western Slope

COLORADO – Today, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) experts released five gray wolves onto public land in Grand County in a historic effort to create a permanent, self-sustaining wolf population and fulfill voter approval to re-establish gray wolves in Colorado.

The gray wolves were captured in Oregon where CPW veterinarians and biologists evaluated them to determine if they were fit for relocation to Colorado. Criteria for release included the age, sex, health and body condition of each animal.

Each gray wolf was weighed and measured. Staff collected genetic material – tissue and blood samples – before fitting each with a GPS satellite collar for tracking upon release by CPW staff. Then, the wolves were given vaccines and were placed in crates and flown to Colorado for release back into the wild.

Meet Colorado’s new wolves:

Note: All wolves captured, collared and released in Colorado will use the same naming convention: The first two numbers (23) will indicate the year the animal was captured. The second set of numbers informs biologists of the wolf’s gender (males will have odd numbers, females will have even) and the order in which it was collared. *The “OR” suffix indicates the wolves came from Oregon.

CPW will repeat the process until at least 10 – 15 wolves have been reintroduced in Colorado by mid-March 2024. As outlined in the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, CPW hopes to release 30 to 50 wolves over the next 3 – 5 years using wolves captured from nearby northern Rockies states from several different packs by trapping and darting them in the winter.

Gray wolves are listed both state and federally as an endangered species in Colorado by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated the Colorado wolf population as Experimental under Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. This provides management flexibility that would otherwise be prohibited.

CPW’s reintroduction program builds on work started by the USFWS in 1995 when that federal agency began restoring gray wolves in the Western U.S., starting with an experimental population released in Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Wolf reintroduction efforts eventually spread to Wyoming, Idaho, New Mexico and Arizona.

The Oregon wolves released represent CPW’s determination to fulfill the wishes of Colorado voters who, in 2020, directed the agency to begin reintroducing wolves by Dec. 31, 2023. The new wolves will be managed by CPW using the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, approved by the CPW Commission in May 2023, after more than two years of extensive statewide stakeholder meetings and outreach via a series of public hearings.

Ultimately, CPW plans to recover and maintain a viable, self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado while balancing the need to manage interactions between wolves, people and livestock.

This project marks another milestone in the long CPW tradition of species recovery in Colorado. These include the black-footed ferret, one of North America’s rarest mammals, the 1999 effort to reintroduce the lynx, the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, the greenback cutthroat trout, and many more.

“Today, history was made in Colorado. For the first time since the 1940s, the howl of wolves will officially return to western Colorado. The return of wolves fulfills the will of voters who, in 2020, passed an initiative requiring the reintroduction of wolves starting by Dec. 31, 2023. What followed were three years of comprehensive listening and work by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to draft a plan to restore and manage wolves that included public meetings in every corner of the state and was inclusive of all points of view and weighed the needs of a wide range of communities with a deep interest in the thoughtful outcome of this effort,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. “I am proud of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff for their hard work to make this happen. The shared efforts to reintroduce wolves are just getting started and wolves will rejoin a diverse ecosystem of Colorado wildlife.”

“Today’s reintroduction of the gray wolf is a tremendous accomplishment for Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the citizens of Colorado,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Department of Natural Resources. “This would not have been possible without the tireless work of CPW staff and the Parks and Wildlife Commission, the members of both our advisory boards and the citizens and stakeholders who engaged and weighed in to make our wolf management plan the best for all Coloradans and for wolves that once again grace our Colorado landscapes.”

“This is a historic day for Colorado,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis. “We want to thank the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their work to complete and approve the 10(j) designation that lists wolves in Colorado as a nonessential, experimental population. This helps us to follow all of the conflict mitigation plans we accounted for in the final Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. Having the rule in place in early December helped CPW to stay on track to reintroduce wolves in 2023 with the ability to use the appropriate management tools. We’ll continue releasing animals based on our plan to have wolves not just survive but thrive in Colorado as they did a century ago.”

“Pulling off a successful first wolf release in Colorado touched all corners of our agency,” said CPW Assistant Director Aquatic, Terrestrial, and Natural Resources Reid DeWalt. “This has been two years of work to approve the plan plus another year of work to secure our first source population and get us to this release day. We are grateful to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for working with our agency on an agreement for up to 10 wolves and for all the CPW staff who contributed to this historic day.”

“It was an honor to participate in this historic effort,” said CPW Wolf Conservation Program Manager Eric Odell. “We were thrilled to have great conditions for capture and early success in Oregon. Weather conditions and information on pack locations provided by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff combined to help us capture five gray wolves on day one of capture operations in northeast Oregon and release them earlier today on Colorado’s Western Slope.”

Past Steamboat Radio News Coverage, from most recent to oldest

Dec. 13, 2023 — GITTLESON SAYS ANOTHER CALF WAS ATTACKED BY A WOLF TODAY
Dec. 11, 2023 — COMPLAINT FILED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT TO STOP WOLF REINTRODUCTION IN COLORADO
Dec. 4, 2023 — KEEP YOUR PETS CLOSE AND CARRY A BIG STICK – CPW HAS ADVICE FOR LIVING WITH WOLVES
Nov. 19, 2023 — THREE LAMBS KILLED BY A WOLF IN JACKSON COUNTY, SAYS RANCHER
Nov. 17, 2023 – CPW AND CDA ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT TO WORK TOGETHER ON WOLF REINTRODUCTION
Nov. 7, 2023 – U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SETS DATE FOR 10J RULE FOR WOLVES
Oct. 6, 2023 – COLORADO WILL RECEIVE WOLVES FROM OREGON
May 16, 2023 – POLIS VETOES 10J RULE WOLF BILL
May 3, 2023 – CPW COMMISSION APPROVES FINAL WOLF RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN
May 2, 2023 – MANAGEMENT OF GRAY WOLVES REINTRODUCTION BILL PASSES IN STATE HOUSE
May 2, 2023 –CPW MEETS THIS WEEK FOR FINAL WOLF MANAGEMENT PLAN
April 27, 2023 – CPW CONFIRMS WOLF SIGHTING EAST OF KREMMLING
April 8, 2023 – CPW WOLF COMMISSION MEETS IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
April 3, 2023 – CPW TO PRESENT FINAL DRAFT WOLF RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
March 28, 2023 – THE SOUTHERN UTE TRIBE ASKS THAT CPW RELEASES WOLVES ALONG I-70 CORRIDOR
March 15, 2023 – TWO DOGS DIE FROM WOLVES IN JACKSON COUNTY THIS WEEK
March 3, 2023 –COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION RELEASES WOLF REINTRODUCTION MEETING RECAP
21, 2023 – WOLF 2101 RECAPTURED AND RECOLLARED IN JACKSON COUNTY
21, 2023 – 10J RULE MEETINGS WITH REGARDS TO WOLVES SCHEDULED FOR NW COLORADO BY US FISH AND WILDLIFE
3, 2023 – TWO WOLVES ARE CAPTURED AND COLLARED IN JACKSON COUNTY THURSDAY
17, 2023 – STATE LEGISLATORS HEAR MORE ON WOLF REINTRODUCTION AT JOINT COMMITTEE HEARING
13, 2022 – MORE WOLVES VISIT GITTLESON PROPERTY IN JACKSON COUNTY THIS WEEK
12, 2022 –NORTH PARK RANCHERS MEET WITH CPW REGARDING WOLF REINTRODUCTION PLAN
10, 2022 –CPW RELEASES DRAFT COLORADO WOLF RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN
19, 2022 –ANOTHER WOLF ATTACK REPORTED IN JACKSON COUNTY
9, 2022 – WOLVES ATTACK CALVES IN RIO BLANCO AND JACKSON COUNTIES
July 14, 2022 – CPW UPDATES THE WOLF PACK IN JACKSON COUNTY
June 20, 2022 – WOLF MANAGEMENT DISCUSSED AT MEETING IN WALDEN
June 15, 2022 – WOLVES IN NORTH PARK ARE SUBJECT AT MEETING MONDAY, JUNE 20
May 30, 2022 – THE GITTLESON RANCH LOSES ANOTHER CALF TO WOLVES, THEY SAY
May 5, 2022 –AT LEAST TWO MORE CALVES KILLED BY WOLVES ON GITTLESON RANCH
March 17, 2022 – WOLVES ATTACK ANOTHER DOMESTIC COW IN JACKSON COUNTY
Feb. 10, 2022 – MONTANA STOCKGROWERS VOICE SUPPORT FOR COLORADO RANCHERS OVER THE WOLVES
Feb. 9, 2022 – WOLF MANAGEMENT DISCUSSED BY LOCAL RANCHERS AND OFFICIALS AT FORUM IN STEAMBOAT
Jan. 22, 2022 – WOLF MITIGATION OPTIONS
Jan. 19, 2022 – ANOTHER COW KILLED OVERNIGHT IN NORTH PARK BY WOLVES
Jan. 18, 2022 – TWO MORE COWS ATTACKED BY WOLVES IN JACKSON COUNTY TUESDAY
Jan. 12, 2022 – CPW ALLOWS WOLVES TO BE HAZED IN EMERGENCY DECLARATION
Jan. 10, 2022 – A WOLF PACK KILL IS REPORTED IN JACKSON COUNTY OVER THE WEEKEND
June 9, 2021 – WOLF DEN WITH PUPS CONFIRMED IN NW COLORADO