DENVER, COLORADO — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has launched an operation to capture and relocate the Copper Creek wolf pack after a series of livestock attacks in Grand County. The decision, announced on August 27, 2024, comes amid growing tensions between ranchers and wildlife managers. However, the move has sparked significant controversy, with conservation groups arguing that it undermines Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program.
CPW Director Jeff Davis emphasized that the operation, supported by federal partners under the 10(j) experimental population rule from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), was necessary due to the unique circumstances. “Our options in this case were very limited, and this action is by no means a precedent for how CPW will resolve wolf-livestock conflict moving forward,” Davis stated. “The goal is to relocate the pack to another location while we assess our best options for their contribution to the successful restoration of wolves in Colorado.”
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A Troubling Pattern of Depredations
The Copper Creek pack has been responsible for the most severe livestock depredations since wolves were reintroduced in Colorado in December 2023. On July 28, eight sheep were killed in a single afternoon, with five more missing and presumed dead, bringing the Farrell family’s total losses to six yearling cattle and nine sheep since mid-April.
Nellie Farrell, who has implemented a range of nonlethal deterrents, expressed her frustration in an interview with the Coloradoan: “We’ve done every nonlethal option… We have dogs, we have flashing lights, we make sounds… and the attacks on our sheep have been in broad daylight.” Ranchers in the region have reported 23 confirmed wolf kills of livestock since April, nearly equaling the total confirmed kills over the previous three years combined.
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Opposition from Conservationists and Questions About Management
The decision to relocate the Copper Creek pack has drawn sharp criticism from conservation groups. In a statement released Wednesday, Defenders of Wildlife denounced the state’s actions, attributing the decision to pressure from the ranching community and what they see as a failure to fully utilize nonlethal management strategies.
“This decision is being driven by politics, is not rooted in science-based management, and stands to significantly delay the progress of the reintroduction program,” said Mike Senatore, Senior Vice President of Conservation Programs at Defenders of Wildlife. “All parties involved in the events that led to this deeply flawed decision should be held accountable for failure to effectively utilize proven coexistence tools. CPW and area livestock producers need to demonstrate clear ownership for developing and executing plans to avoid this type of scenario from happening in the future.”
Senatore’s statement highlights a key concern: that more aggressive implementation of nonlethal deterrents could have prevented the situation from escalating to the point where relocation was necessary.
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CPW’s Documented Concerns and Delays in Nonlethal Measures
CPW’s decision to deny a lethal control permit earlier this year also sheds light on the complexities of the situation. Documents provided by the agency state that the rancher requesting the permit “delayed using or refused to use other nonlethal techniques that could have prevented or minimized depredations.”
According to the documents, the Colorado Department of Agriculture offered the rancher funding on April 5 to hire a range rider as a nonlethal deterrent before the first depredation occurred. However, the rancher refused this offer until April 29. During the 12 days before the range rider was hired, five wolf-related depredations occurred. In contrast, only two depredations have occurred in the 12 weeks since the range rider was brought on board. The documents suggest that if this nonlethal technique had been adopted earlier, it could have prevented some, if not all, of the depredations.
Additionally, after four depredations, the rancher accepted some hazing materials, such as cracker shells, foxlights, and Critter Gitters, and allowed CPW staff to conduct night-watch operations. Despite these efforts, the rancher repeatedly refused to use fladry, declined CPW’s offer to conduct diversionary feeding, and refused to pursue a nonlethal injurious hazing permit.
While the rancher eventually adopted more nonlethal methods, CPW notes that the delay allowed the wolves to repeatedly engage in depredation behavior, which reduces the likelihood that they will stop unless removed. This situation illustrates the critical need for early and collaborative efforts to prevent wolves from learning behaviors that lead to conflict, which can be difficult or impossible to reverse.
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Looking Forward
The Copper Creek pack’s relocation underscores the ongoing challenges of wolf reintroduction, especially in regions with active livestock operations. CPW’s balancing act between supporting ranchers and restoring a sustainable wolf population has never been more delicate, as the state navigates conflicting pressures from conservationists and the agricultural community.
Safety Tips for Coexisting with Wolves:
- Utilize nonlethal deterrents like livestock guardian dogs, lights, and noise-makers to keep wolves at bay.
- Secure livestock in pens or other enclosed areas, especially at night, to reduce the risk of attacks.
- Report wolf sightings to local wildlife officials to help them monitor wolf activity and take appropriate action.
Living with Wolves: Preventing Conflicts To learn more about how to coexist with wolves and prevent conflicts, visit CPW’s Living with Wolves page, where you can find valuable information on nonlethal deterrents and best practices.
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