Wolves, You, & Hunting in Colorado

[WTFJohn]

In December of 2023, wolves were re-released into Colorado. There are 11 collared wolves remaining spread across the state West of I-25 and North of I-70 (for the most part). I wanted to start this thread to pass along some information, answer some questions, and to ask for your help.

First and foremost, the odds of you seeing a wolf are pretty low. If you do, don't be that guy and lob rounds at it. As a regular person you CANNOT shoot or kill a wolf unless it is in self defense or defense of another's life. Snag some pics, enjoy the rarity of the moment, then go on about your day.

Please don't post wolf locations online to reduce the chances of lookie-loo's following your footsteps. If you encounter anyone disturbing your hunt while they are 'looking for wolves', please contact your local CPW office. They are taking that type of thing very seriously (both pro-wolf people disturbing hunts, and anti-wolf people trying to find the wolves).

Second, a lot of public land in the west is grazed by local ranchers with federal & state grazing leases. This could be sage-covered BLM, rolling Aspen state trust land, or thickly forested USFS land; and they could be good stewards of the land or not-so-good. None of that matters in this, as I don't know anyone who doesn't care greatly for their animals. While they may spend weeks gathering animals off the permit area, sometimes the terrain can be prohibitive for checking everywhere and you sometimes come home light on the count without knowing why.

This year with wolves on the landscape, the count will be lighter for many more ranchers than usual. As hunters, we find ourselves off the beaten path quite a bit.

This is where I am asking for your help: If you come across a dead cow, calf, yearling, or sheep please do not touch it or disturb the area around it (even if it's an old kill, even if you can't tell what killed it, wolf kills are not always bloody). Please get GPS coords of the location (and if you can see a brand without touching anything), then get to service and contact the Colorado Brand Inspector for your area, followed by the nearest CPW Office. If it is outside of normal business hours, please contact CPW via the Game Thief hotline at 1-877-265-6648 and they can get you in touch with the on-call District Wildlife Manager. The Brand Inspector will probably know more about who's animal/permit it is based off of the location than CPW will, and will help with contacting the livestock owner.

I know this is one more thing to take away from valuable time in the hunting woods, however your time obligation should be very minimal as the reporting party and it could go a long way in helping a livestock producer reconcile their books and receive compensation for the lost animals. Also, time matters as the evidence of whatever killed the animal will diminish greatly with time.

I'm happy to answer any questions I can about this, as we have interactions with wolves around here quite regularly. I'd also like to apologize if I've been a bit rough around the edges towards anyone. Let's just say this is a topic that literally hits close to home and has caused lots of stress and lost sleep over the last 7 months. I hope you find success this season, whether that's notched tags and full freezers or hard hikes & time with good friends.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Good information, thanks for posting. As many of us hunters are not very familiar with ranching or animal husbandry this is an eye opener. Would have never thought to take pics of the brand and contact anyone. I’ll keep an eye out

 

[intunegp]

Can we also report it to the brand inspector when a rancher has over a hundred head on BLM or state trust land during hunting season? Would they also want to hear about sheep actively being brought in to BLM and state trust during hunting season?

I've called CPW about it in past seasons and they've basically told me tough luck, we don't have enough game wardens to send them out on calls like this during OTC seasons.

 

[WTFJohn]

Can we also report it to the brand inspector when a rancher has over a hundred head on BLM or state trust land during hunting season? Would they also want to hear about sheep actively being brought in to BLM and state trust during hunting season?

I've called CPW about it in past seasons and they've basically told me tough luck, we don't have enough game wardens to send them out on calls like this during OTC seasons.

Every lease has different dates for stocking rates, animals being allowed on, and animals being removed; and those dates can & do change yearly. They have nothing to do with hunting season dates, more often it is related to seasonal changes and weather/grazing conditions. Lease holders can incur penalties (including losing the lease) if they do not abide by the conditions set forth therein, the land management agency that 'owns' the land would be who you would talk to if you think someone is breaking the terms of their lease. Just don't be surprised if there is no reaction, because again it has 0.0% to do with hunting season dates.

 

[elkmaster]

Can we also report it to the brand inspector when a rancher has over a hundred head on BLM or state trust land during hunting season? Would they also want to hear about sheep actively being brought in to BLM and state trust during hunting season?

I've called CPW about it in past seasons and they've basically told me tough luck, we don't have enough game wardens to send them out on calls like this during OTC seasons.

Amen

 

[Fireflyfishing]

So this benefits…the rancher? Is that your intent?

 

[Hnthrdr]

I think it would benefit all of us as consumptive users in Colorado help the CPW better understand what the wolves are doing and potentially move the needle ever so slightly towards getting the dogs delisted. Not sure why there is so much open hostility towards ranchers… they provide meat for the 90% of hunters who talk crap on rokslide and never tag out

 

[Fireflyfishing]

I think it would benefit all of us as consumptive users in Colorado help the CPW better understand what the wolves are doing and potentially move the needle ever so slightly towards getting the dogs delisted. Not sure why there is so much open hostility towards ranchers… they provide meat for the 90% of hunters who talk crap on rokslide and never tag out

I’m not sure if you’re responding to my post or not. I was asking out of curiosity. No hate for ranchers.

You won’t get them delisted until it’s waaaaay too late btw.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Not you, just the general lack of understanding that seems to stem from many hunters towards Ranchers, on here and other sites. While i believe you are probably correct about delisting. I hope you are wrong and the more evidence brought forward the better. Also ranchers are currently allowed to defend livestock so I will take that as a fantastic start considering there are only a handful of wolves on the ground right now.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

You won’t get them delisted until it’s waaaaay too late.

Define the term, "until it's way too late". I'm curious what that means.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Define the term, "until it's way too late". I'm curious what that means.

It will change the game management in that state. Period. Likely to the point OTC tags will disappear.

ID Has pretty much declared war on them now…and they still won’t win. We can buy lots of wolf tags every season here in MT and it doesn’t matter. The hay day of great elk numbers in many units are long gone.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Disapearance of OTC tags are inevitable out West, but I get your drift.

In terms of game management overall, the allowance of wolves as being part of the ecosystem will eventually require them to be managed in some way, as well.

However, I'm still vague on what "until it's way too late" means, but I kind of recognize where you're leaning with that theory.

Thanks for the input.

 

[WTFJohn]

So this benefits…the rancher? Is that your intent?

You say that like benefiting the rancher is a negative. Other than the views, there is not much out there that benefits the rancher these days. This can benefit everyone.

I am a rancher, so yes there is that aspect of it. I am a hunter as well, and was a hunter long before we started a cattle operation. For the rancher, we have a complicated compensation program with the state that has metrics that have to be met. If we have a carcass and evidence of wolf kills, that gets a lot easier. The state does not just cut us a check for animals lost to depredation.

For the hunter, it will hopefully keep someone from doing something dumb and shooting a wolf, or maybe by helping out a landowner you'll gain permission to hunt (or a unit-wide landowner tag like the one hanging on my fridge). Maybe you'll get the scoop on where in the area wolves aren't.

For the uninformed public, each depredation has made local news and helps to inform them as to the reality of their vote. There will never be a chance at change if we don't get this kind of info out to Joe Public.

I am not pro-wolf, and I am not making this post to save wolves. I am making it because every single depredated calf or sheep carcass we have as evidence will help bolster our case when asking for lethal take of wolves by CPW. Every proven depredation is a fact that our side can use to support rule changes such as the one in June that now allows for lethal take of wolves 'caught in the act' with night vision and thermals by producers.

I'd also like to clarify that not every rancher is a Dutton on XXX,XXX acres with a seemingly adversarial relationship with every party in the area. My wife and I run our operation together (while both working other jobs/businesses), with help from neighbors when needed. All of the operations around us are family-run with the same kind of off-ranch work, and have been for generations. It is an amazing community (not unlike what Rokslide can be at times), but it only works because everyone works at it. I'm just asking you to burn some energy on your phone if you come across something, not go burn your legs up looking for something.


Edit- As an aside, many ranchers around here are involved politically or financially around wolves and hunting issues in Colorado. We are in contact with organizations like Coloradan's For Responsible Wildlife Management surrounding the proposed lion hunting ban, we are active members of groups like RMEF, we go and speak when needed at roundtables and CPW Comission meetings. We want the same things for wildlife management as most on here do, which is actual science-based management & not ballot-box biology.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

You say that like benefiting the rancher is a negative. Other than the views, there is not much out there that benefits the rancher these days. This can benefit everyone.

You’re looking for an argument that isn’t there. Read post #8. I was simply looking for more info and context to the OP. Nothing more, nothing less.

There are wolves deeply entrenched in ID, MT, and WY. These are red states and there is no getting rid of the wolves in those states. CO is now a very deep blue state introducing wolves…passed by the voters of the state. I am interested in the fight occurring in your state and wishing old school Coloradans the best of luck.

Thank you for further explaining your cause/mission.

 

[WTFJohn]

You’re looking for an argument that isn’t there. Read post #8. I was simply looking for more info and context to the OP. Nothing more, nothing less.

There are wolves deeply entrenched in ID, MT, and WY. These are red states and there is no getting rid of the wolves in those states. CO is now a very deep blue state introducing wolves…passed by the voters of the state. I am interested in the fight occurring in your state and wishing old school Coloradans the best of luck.

Thank you for further explaining your cause/mission.

I apologize if it came across as looking for an argument, that was not my intent.

I am not of the opinion that we will be getting rid of them here either, but we definitely can't afford to cede more ground. The data from those states is something we have referenced in our fight here and will continue to do, because our herds will eventually follow the same path if things are left unchecked for too long.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

I apologize if it came across as looking for an argument, that was not my intent.

I am not of the opinion that we will be getting rid of them here either, but we definitely can't afford to cede more ground. The data from those states is something we have referenced in our fight here and will continue to do, because our herds will eventually follow the same path if things are left unchecked for too long.

No prob!

Indeed. I think the reduction in herds is the intent of the other side. “Why do we need hunting at all? Wildlife self-manages itself, right? No need for gun toting rednecks aimlessly killing wildlife.”

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I think the reduction in herds is the intent of the other side.

But that's only a very small percentage of the "other side" that holds that ideal as their main motive.

 

[Hnthrdr]

No prob!

Indeed. I think the reduction in herds is the intent of the other side. “Why do we need hunting at all? Wildlife self-manages itself, right? No need for gun toting rednecks aimlessly killing wildlife.”

It’s absolutely their aim. Problem is this isn’t the Pleistocene era. I have seen tag reductions already around north park and northern Co where wolves have been confirmed, and there are 10 of them, people have no clue what it will look like at 500-1000. Plus Co has so much more recreation than any other state in the west and it’s not even close. Conflicts are going to be more common than some think I would guess

 

[Okhotnik]

Disapearance of OTC tags are inevitable out West, but I get your drift.

In terms of game management overall, the allowance of wolves as being part of the ecosystem will eventually require them to be managed in some way, as well.

However, I'm still vague on what "until it's way too late" means, but I kind of recognize where you're leaning with that theory.

Thanks for the input.

lol

 

[Hardly_Hangin]

Question- do ranchers lease land from the government to gaze their castle on, or does the government lease ranchers land for people to have access to hunt on?