Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW’s) Rachel Sralla, an area wildlife manager, facilitated a meeting at the Nucla Community Center on May 12 for the public to hear information about the wolf reintroduction. She said she wasn’t aiming to change any minds on the wolf issue; she only wanted to disseminate information as CPW works to comply with the ballot question approved by voters in 2020 to release wolves in Colorado.
Sralla showed a wolf activity map, which indicates where wolves have been. She said CPW can’t share live locations. Officials can only say there is a wolf presence northeast of Montrose, for example.
According to the tracking collars, there are 20-something wolves on the ground. Some of the collars may not be working. Yet, those collars can help identify depredation of livestock, if the collar indicates wolf presence where a rancher clearly has loss.
She said the activity maps are updated monthly, and they show watershed areas. Even if a wolf was only at the top of a watershed, the whole watershed will be marked.
Sralla said one female wolf covered 1,200 miles in 60 days. Another went to Saguache and settled. She said CPW is learning, as is the public.
“We are working to keep on eye on things,” she said.
When asked if wolves are monitored once they cross into Utah, Sralla said she can’t see that activity. However, Colorado has an MOU with Utah, and Utah doesn’t want the wolves. In the event of one crossing state lines, the animal might have to be recovered.
She said CPW biologists pay attention around mid-February to wolf breeding, and then they watch around mid-April for denning. Right now, biologists are looking out for any pup-rearing activity. When summer begins, any wolf pups will be big enough to travel into a summer site, close to water and a food source — ideally elk, according to Sralla.
She said elk calves are easy for the wolves to catch. May to June offer a food source to the wolves, so livestock producers should take care before and sometime after that.
Sralla said CPW recommends hazing, noisemaking, yelling and more, if wolves are near livestock.
“Human presence is the best tool for conflict resolution,” she said.
Sralla said the current situation is that it’s all unpredictable. That’s because there is no set denning area and no packs have been established. At some point, patterns will create some predictability.
She said county officials should help spread the word in the meantime, and CPW is not able to issue press releases on wolf activity.
Sralla recommended producers read the 30-page book on conflict minimization. It defines “chronic depredation” as “three kills in 30 days.” Then, lethal take is allowed. Though the wolf is endangered at the state and federal level, there is a 10(j) ruling in place. That ruling states that Colorado’s wolves are not essential to wolves remaining in the American West. And, if a producer catches a wolf in the act of taking livestock, they can kill it then.
There’s a 1:6 ratio, which means that if one kill of a sheep or cow is confirmed by CPW, and a rancher is missing others, that rancher can claim up to six for compensation.
Sralla stressed good record keeping by ranchers, as data will be needed. Some compensation is allowed for reduced conception rates and weaning weights too, based on wolf presence.
She admitted nobody can say how wolves will affect deer and elk populations, and currently outfitters can’t receive compensation; neither can property owners who live in elk territory.
CPW’s plan says they’ll release 10 to 15 wolves annually for three years, but Sralla isn’t sure what happens in the fourth and fifth years yet. Things could change after wolf reproduction in the next few years.
The law states wolves cannot be released 60 miles from the state line or from tribal nations. The next wolf release locations and dates are to be determined, but secretly after CPW officials were stalked and photographed. Sralla said safety takes precedence over transparency.
Still, county officials can spread the word to take care, as can cattlemen. They’ll have some information as it becomes relevant to them.
The plan specifies wolves be released west of the Continental Divide, not on the eastern plains. Srala doesn’t make the decision; CPW directors do.
She said for anyone with suspected depredation, they should get photos, including detailed shots of a carcass, video and be sure to call their district wildlife manager. She said CPW has done depredation investigations for years for bear and mountain lion. She wants all to know claimants are protected by law. CPW cannot share information on who received compensation. Those ordering CPW site visits, either proactively or reactively, are also protected by law with confidentiality.
Sralla asked that the audience report collar colors, if they see a wolf. She said to watch for tracks too, and that the tracks are very big with wolves, which weigh about 100 pounds on average.
