CPW releases new map on Collared Gray Wolf Activity

March 27, 2024 Shannon Lukens

By Shannon Lukens.

(This graphic shows two maps of Collared Gray Wolf Activity. The one on the left is from Jan. 23-Feb. 27. The one on the right is the one released today, from Feb. 28-March 25.)

The monthly map on Collared Gray Wolf Activity has been released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The map only shows watershed areas where collared wolves in Colorado have been in the last 30 days. A watershed is a geographic unit that drains water into a specific water body. For a watershed to be included, it has to have at least one GPS point from a wolf collar to be recorded.

CPW adds, “Simply because a watershed indicates wolf activity, it does not mean that a wolf or wolves are present throughout the entire watershed.”

Notable updates from CPW:

One of the wolves from Oregon has a collar that isn’t providing signals anymore. That animal is traveling with another animal that has a collar that works, so CPW can continue to monitor that animal. CPW confirms that animal is alive based on visual confirmation from an airplane.
Another wolf has a collar that partially works and CPW isn’t sure it will keep working in the near future.
No wolves have died in Colorado.
There have been no reported livestock depredations in the last 30 days.

Also, much more of Rio Blanco County and Eagle County is included in the current map than the month before. Less of Moffat County is included.

Here is the full press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife; March 27, 2024.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife releases updated collared gray wolf activity map on general areas inhabited by gray wolves in Colorado

Collared gray wolf activity recorded by Colorado Parks and Wildlife from Feb. 28 to March 25, 2024. A larger map is linked below and available at cpw.state.co.us.

DENVER — An updated map was published today on Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s website to continue informing the public, recreationists, and livestock producers on where collared wolves have been in the past month. CPW will update this map with new information monthly to reflect data for the past 30 days or so, produced on the fourth Wednesday of every month.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife – Collared Gray Wolf Activity Map – March 2024

Notable Updates

This map was created using GPS data from all functioning collars in Colorado.
One of the collars placed on a wolf translocated from Oregon is no longer providing signals to CPW biologists. The animal with the failed collar is traveling with another animal with a functional collar, which currently allows CPW to monitor that animal. CPW has confirmed that the animal with the malfunctioning collar is still alive based on visual confirmation from an airplane.
A collar on another wolf has been identified as partially functional and may not be fully functional in the near future.
There have been no wolf mortalities in Colorado and no reported livestock depredation in the last 30 days.

About the GPS collar data

Currently, the collars are programmed to record a position every four hours.
Once four locations are recorded, the packet of four locations is then transmitted via satellite to CPW biologists.
Some factors, such as dense cloud cover and closed terrain, can delay the frequency of position recording and data transmission.
By looking at the data, CPW staff can learn where wolves have been, but they cannot tell where wolves are at a current point in time, nor can they predict where the wolves will go.
To protect the wolves, specific GPS data will not be shared.

This map depicts watersheds where collared wolves in Colorado have been for the last 30 days. A watershed is a geographic unit that drains water into a specific water body. These are also known as Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUC). Information is shared at the HUC 10 level. Watersheds are the appropriate mapping unit to display wolf activity information because wolves are far more likely to use geographic features to affect their distribution than they are political boundaries. The HUC 10 scale provides detailed information that can help agricultural producers be informed of the general areas where wolf activity is known to exist without being too general (i.e., as a county-level map would be) and also is not so specific to risk the protection of individual wolves (as a finer scale HUC12 map would be). Learn more about HUCs at https://water.usgs.gov/GIS/huc.html.

For a watershed to indicate wolf activity, at least one GPS point from the wolf collars was recorded within the watershed’s boundaries. Because a watershed indicates wolf activity, it does not mean that a wolf or wolves are present throughout the entire watershed or that they are currently in it.

CPW reserves the right to buffer maps that will be shared with the public if doing so protects wolf welfare during sensitive times of the year (e.g., breeding, denning, or other sensitive times).

Through immigration from other states, potential collar failure or loss, and the natural reproduction of pups, the proportion of wolves with collars transmitting data will be reduced over time. Therefore, the accuracy of this map will diminish over time as the activity of uncollared wolves may not be included in it. The long-term intention is to maintain at least two collars in each pack.

To learn more about wolves in Colorado, visit the CPW Wolves in Colorado website to find a variety of educational materials. Online resources include:

Listen to the new episode of the Colorado Outdoors Podcast, “The Colorado Gray Wolf Reintroduction.” In our latest episode, we hear from our Colorado Parks and Wildlife team members actively engaged in reintroducing gray wolves in Colorado. Tune in as they share their experiences, recounting their work in Oregon, where wolves were captured for relocation to Colorado, and from the release sites in Colorado.

Steamboat Radio News Past Coverage of wolves in Colorado

March 27, 2024 — CPW RELEASES NEW MAP ON COLLARED GRAY WOLF ACTIVITY
Feb. 29, 2024 — COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE OFFICIALS COME TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS TO TALK WOLVES
Feb. 17, 2024 — TWO COLLARED WOLVES HAVE TRAVELED TO MOFFAT COUNTY
Jan. 30, 2024 — CPW SENDS UPDATE ON WOLF SIGHTINGS SINCE 2004, AND MORE ON THE MAP
Jan. 24, 2024 — ELECTED OFFICIALS GRILL DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CPW AT HEARING WEDNESDAY
Jan. 22, 2024 — CPW GETS HARSH LETTER DEMANDING ANSWERS FROM ROBERTS AND MCCLUSKIE
Jan. 19, 2024 — COLORADO’S NEXT WOLVES TO BE REINTRODUCED WILL BE FROM TRIBAL LANDS IN WASHINGTON
Jan. 12, 2024 — CPW CONFIRMS WOLVES WERE IN SOUTH ROUTT BUT AREN’T (YET) IN MOFFAT
Dec. 22, 2023 — FIVE MORE WOLVES ARE RELEASED BY COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Dec. 22, 2023 — CPW DENIES GITTLESON’S REQUEST TO IMPLEMENT 10(J) RULE ON JACKSON COUNTY WOLVES
Dec. 21, 2023 — THREE OF THE FIVE WOLVES RELEASED IN COLORADO WERE IN PACKS THAT KILLED OR INJURED LIVESTOCK IN OREGON
Dec. 19, 2023 — LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS RECEIVE WOLF UPDATE FROM CPW IN CRAIG MONDAY
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
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