CPW Commission talks wolves and how "we have to get past this point of constant contention"

March 5, 2025 Shannon Lukens

By Shannon Lukens. (Image is from Tuesday’s presentation to the CPW Commission.)

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission held their monthly meeting in Denver Wednesday, and they are meeting again Thursday.

The commission first approved wildlife damage claims for two ranching operations in Grand County that had multiple wolf depredations. The payout is $343,416.27. The vote was unanimous. That is less than half of what the ranchers were claiming. Some of that is still being negotiated. Agenda with payout details

Public comment had multiple wolf advocates speaking against the payout to the ranchers, with accusations of grazing their cattle on public lands and failure to use non-lethal tactics.

Ellen Kessler is one of the wolf advocates.

“All I am asking is that you do not placate these ranchers. We deserve transparency and not government handouts shrouded in secrecy.”

Rhonda Dern said if you remove wolves, the whole eco-system will collapse.

“The problem has never been wolves. Wolves are almost a zero threat to people and livestock. The problem is the misinformation that wolf hate groups spread throughout our media, and the refusal of many producers to attempt to use non-lethal co-existence strategies which diminish conflict.”

CPW Northwest Regional Manager Travis Black said both Grand County claims used a lot of tools for conflict minimization. And it was confirmed that the Grand County claims were on private land and not public land.

“So early on, I think it was after the first couple of calves were killed, the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association received one of the grants from the Department of Agriculture to hire a range rider. So they employed that range rider pretty quickly after the first few animals were found dead. Working hand-in-hand with CPW staff, we were trying to keep them appraised of wolf locations which focused the area on where that range rider was trying to protect livestock. We provided conflict minimization tools, such as cracker shells, fox lights, things of that nature to that producer. In fact, after the first four yearlings were killed, CPW staff spent five nights in a row out there helping that producer do night patrol just to try to minimize the conflicts there. And that was early on in that process. The producer also ended up getting livestock guardian dogs for his sheep, and even though he had sheep, wolves still had an impact on those sheep. Likely they reduced the amount of impact that they had on sheep because of those dogs, so there were a lot of tools that were employed there. I hear quite often about, you know, a dead pit being there and that’s true. There was a dead pit there that likely was attracting some of those wolves. You have to keep in mind that, you know, early on in that calving season, it’s a time of year when the ground is frozen there’s snow on the ground, and they could not cover up that pit until it is thawed out enough, basically, to move dirt to cover that pit. Eventually, this producer did voluntarily cover up that pit as well. So did they use every tool at their disposal? Maybe not, but there’s certain tools that work in certain situations so they’re not always gonna work in every situation.”

Another discussion was about a wolf in Moffat County, that is not collared and not part of the introduction efforts. Eric O’Dell, is the Wolf Conservation Program Manager for CPW. He spoke of the overall wolf status in his wolf presentation.

“We started early January with about nine animals on the ground. In a matter of a week or so by releasing the 15 animals from British Columbia plus the five animals from Copper Creek, we then had 29 animals. We since discovered the DNA of another animal in Moffat County and so we continue to get reports of other animals. So it is a constant evaluation of those kind of reports. But it was a big change, right? So we’ve gone from a couple handful of animals now 29 animals, 30 animals. And we’re heading into the breeding season so we don’t know yet, and we get asked a lot if we are going to have dens yet? We don’t know. Breeding season is mid-February. They’re certainly animals that we can tell are moving around in pairs. We certainly expect there to be some reproduction and some recruitment this year. But we don’t know yet if dens are starting to be established. The females will be active outside of a den right up until denning time it won’t be until mid April, that we will have any kind of insight as to what that looks like.”

The wolf presentation and public comment lasted just under two hours. It started with a presentation from Eric O’Dell. He explained the timeline and progression of the entire process for capturing the 15 wolves in British Columbia to relocate in Colorado, in great detail, with pictures.

The presentation also discussed the hiring of nine range riders, with three more looking to be hired.

There have been 158 requests for site assessments, and 129 have already been done.

The link to the YouTube feed for the meeting is below, and the presentation starts at 6:42:00.

LINK: Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission Meeting – Day 1

The meeting ended with comments from commission members about the continued dissension among those on both sides of the issues.

Commissioner Murphy Robinson of Littleton said each side needs to stop treating each other as enemies.

“Thank you, chair. I thank everyone for the Public Comments. I think you know given the varied comments, there are a few things. I just want to touch on. The themes continue that producers are the enemy and I just wanna say on record from my standpoint we’ve got to stop looking at each other as enemies and friends. I think we’re all in this together. We’re all Coloradans. And our producers are not the enemy.

You know, when we when we say things like, ‘Get those ranchers.’ And you know, ‘These producers,” you know they’re dealing with a set of circumstances that I’ve learned to really just listen to that allows for us to put ourselves in their shoes. Right?

And so I think we have to stop hating each other so much and figure out that common ground.

I think because the wolves are here to stay and the producers are here to stay. We are an agriculture state. We are a producing state and we need to stay a producing state. It’s a huge piece of our economy and so I just wanted to say that because it’s so important that as much as we love the wolves, we have to love each other too, and we have to learn to bring that common ground in and then stop to look at each other as enemies and so I would ask that as we continue these wolf comments and future meetings, let’s figure out how to be nicer. Let’s figure out to work together a little more and I think you can see that the common ground that our staff and the producers and everyone has laid out for us because just the fact that we came to the ability to have the agreement on the consent agenda that shows a lot of progress because I was fully prepared to have a debate about this.

But the fact that the producers and the staff came to common ground after much investigation and after much research and progress and communication, it speaks highly of both populations and so I just wanted to say that, Chair, and I yield my time.”

File photo

Commission Chair Dallas May ended the meeting with the same sentiment.

“I have one more comment. Producers, especially in Middle Park, are so often demonized through this even though they were the ones that provided this ability and anybody who saw that film of that female wolf and the three pups playing in the rain puddle last fall, I think you should go back and think about that. The producers that were suffering these losses were also the ones that allowed that to happen. And I think that’s what both sides have to come together on through this. Rather than fighting each other continually, we have to get to the point these sides are working together to make this Colorado Wolf Reintroduction Plan a success and we’re well on our way to that happening, but we have to get past this point of constant contention.”

Steamboat Radio News Past Coverage of wolves in Colorado

March 5, 2025 — CPW Commission talks wolves and how “we have to get past this point of constant contention”
Feb. 14, 2025 — Jackson County Rancher says CPW has confirmed a wolf kill of his cow
Feb. 13, 2025 — Colorado Parks and Wildlife updates wolf movements and more
Jan. 19, 2025 — Twenty wolves have been released in Eagle and Pitkin counties
Jan. 16, 2025 — Here is how you can become a Range Rider
Jan. 15, 2025 — Colorado legislators are told that CPW agents are being threatened
Jan. 12, 2025 — New wolves may have arrived from British Columbia
Jan. 11, 2025 — Up to 15 new gray wolves from British Columbia will be in Colorado within two weeks
Jan. 8, 2025 — Video of the CPW Commission vote, denying the Wolf Citizen Petition
Jan. 7, 2025 — Ag producers on Ad Hoc Wolf Working Group speak out before Wednesday’s CPW Commission meeting
Jan. 7, 2025 — STATE LEGISLATORS DISCUSS WOLVES AND THE UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jan. 2, 2025 — A reward is offered for the person who shot a gray wolf in Grand County
Dec. 31, 2024 — Producers submit three wolf depredation claims for over $575,000
Dec. 23, 2024 — CPW releases definition and stipulations of Chronic Depredation and Lethal Management of wolves
Dec. 21, 2024 — CPW says they’ll recommend denying petition request for delaying next introduction of wolves
Dec. 9, 2024 — Colorado Parks and Wildlife has started the operation to bring 15 gray wolves to Colorado from British Columbia
Nov. 14, 2024 — Wolf Update — November 14, 2024
Nov. 3, 2024 — A collared wolf has crossed I-70 to the south, for the first time
Nov. 3, 2024 — CPW responds to requests from Club 20 about Wolf Reintroduction
Oct. 15, 2024 — Livestock producers have access to livestock protection dogs for free from USDA
Oct. 11, 2024 — Fifth wolf pup has not been captured
Oct. 8, 2024 — CPW Commission gets another letter asking to pause wolf reintroduction
Oct. 6, 2024 — CPW Commission hears wolf updates at meeting
Sept. 30, 2024 –– A 5th wolf pup is spotted in Grand County and will be captured by CPW
Sept. 30, 2024 — Colorado Ag Organizations petition CPW Commission before further wolf releases happen
Sept. 26, 2024 — No producers show for first Non-Lethal Wolf Conflict Reduction Training Meeting
Sept. 23, 2024 — CPW confirms a cow and a calf killed by wolves in Grand County
Sept. 16, 2024 — The Wolf Conflict Reduction program is hiring two field specialists
Sept. 14, 2024 — The next set of wolves coming to Colorado will be from Canada
Sept. 13, 2024 — Middle Park Stockgrowers ask CPW not to release any more wolves there
Sept. 12, 2024 — Another wolf is dead in Grand County
Sept. 10, 2024 — Grand County ranchers are reporting more wolf kills
Sept. 9, 2024 — The Copper Creek Wolf Pack has been captured and CPW says the adult male was unhealthy and has died
Sept. 9, 2024 –– Ranchers with the most wolf depredations ask U.S. Fish & Wildlife to take over wolf management
Aug. 27, 2024 — The Copper Creek Wolf Pack is getting rounded up and relocated
Aug. 23, 2024 — CPW confirms the next wolves introduced will again be in Northern Colorado
July 31, 2024 — Eight more sheep confirmed killed by wolves in Grand County
July 31, 2024 — Colville Tribe says they won’t send wolves to Colorado now
July 29, 2024 — Two more sheep die from wolves in Grand County
June 24, 2024 — CPW REPORTS LESS WOLF ACTIVITY IN ROUTT AND NONE IN MOFFAT
June 20, 2024 — WOLF PUP CONFIRMED IN GRAND COUNTY
June 19, 2024 — CPW CONFIRMS SOUTH ROUTT WOLF KILL
June 17, 2024 — PRODUCER REPORTS SUSPECTED WOLF KILL IN SOUTH ROUTT COUNTY
June 16, 2024 — CPW DIRECTOR JEFF DAVIS ANSWERS QUESTIONS AT JACKSON COUNTY GATHERING
June 13, 2024 — CPW TO FORM WORKING GROUP REGARDING WOLF RESTORATION
June 12, 2024 — NORTH PARK PRODUCER WHO LOSES CALF SPEAKS OUT
June 10, 2024 — CPW CONFIRMS ANOTHER WOLF DEPREDATION IN JACKSON COUNTY THIS WEEKEND
June 5, 2024 — Wolf Video posted from Grand County
May 26, 2024 — DON GITTLESON SAYS ANOTHER CALF HAS BEEN KILLED BY WOLVES ON HIS RANCH
May 15, 2024 — HERE’S THE LATEST LETTER TO MIDDLE PARK STOCKGROWERS FROM CPW DIRECTOR DAVIS
May 14, 2024 — Suspected mountain lion kills the collared wolf
May 6, 2024 — MIDDLE PARK STOCKGROWERS SEND EIGHT-PAGE LETTER TO CPW
April 30, 2024 — GRAND COUNTY RANCHERS TO GET HELP WITH PROTECTING THEIR LIVESTOCK
April 30, 2024 — NORTH PARK STOCKGROWERS SEND ANOTHER LETTER TO CPW AND GOV. POLIS
April 28, 2024 —ANOTHER WOLF KILL IN GRAND COUNTY SUNDAY
April 24-2024 — COLLARED GRAY WOLF ACTIVITY MAP RELEASED FOR APRIL
April 23, 2024 — A WOLF HAS DIED, AND MIDDLE PARK STOCKGROWERS HEAR FROM CPW
April 22, 2024 — MULTIPLE LETTERS SENT TODAY TO GOVERNOR POLIS AND CPW ASKING FOR ACTION ON WOLVES
April 18, 2024 — FOUR MORE HEAD OF LIVESTOCK KILLED BY WOLVES IN GRAND COUNTY
April 9, 2024 — AG PRODUCERS MEET WITH CPW OFFICIALS IN KREMMLING ABOUT WOLVES
April 8, 2024 — ANOTHER CALF KILLED BY A WOLF OR WOLVES IN JACKSON COUNTY
April 3, 2024 — A WOLF OR WOLVES HAVE KILLED A NEWBORN CALF IN GRAND COUNTY
April 3, 2024 — Denver 7 Calf killed in first confirmed report of gray wolf depredation since wolves were released in December
Feb. 29, 2024 — COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE OFFICIALS COME TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS TO TALK WOLVES
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. 21, 2023 —WOLF 2101 RECAPTURED AND RECOLLARED IN JACKSON COUNTY
Feb. 21, 2023 —10J RULE MEETINGS WITH REGARDS TO WOLVES SCHEDULED FOR NW COLORADO BY US FISH AND WILDLIFE
Jan. 17, 2023 —STATE LEGISLATORS HEAR MORE ON WOLF REINTRODUCTION AT JOINT COMMITTEE HEARING
Dec. 13, 2022 —MORE WOLVES VISIT GITTLESON PROPERTY IN JACKSON COUNTY THIS WEEK
Dec. 12, 2022 —NORTH PARK RANCHERS MEET WITH CPW REGARDING WOLF REINTRODUCTION PLAN
Dec. 10, 2022 —CPW RELEASES DRAFT COLORADO WOLF RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN
Nov. 19, 2022 —ANOTHER WOLF ATTACK REPORTED IN JACKSON COUNTY
Oct. 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
May 10, 2022 ––THIRD CALF DIES ON JACKSON COUNTY RANCH; CPW DOES NECROPSY
April 11, 2022 —A NEW LITTER OF WOLF PUPS IS EXPECTED IN JACKSON COUNTY
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