Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirms 'wolf or wolves' killed 4 cattle in Grand County

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed wolves were involved in four depredation incidents in Grand County this week.

The cattle killed in the depredations were yearlings, or about a year old, and they were all discovered on the same property, the state wildlife agency told the Coloradoan in an email.

State wildlife officers and a biologist first responded and conducted a field investigation after three deceased yearlings were discovered Wednesday, according to the agency, which noted that the investigation found that injuries on the yearlings were consistent with wolf depredation. Wildlife officials believe the depredation occurred sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning when a storm brought a foot of snow to the area, covering up the carcasses and delaying the discovery until April 17.

The fourth yearling was found on the same property Thursday morning, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said. The agency said an investigation confirmed the animal's injuries were consistent with wolf depredation.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said "the wolf or wolves that were in the area at the time of the depredations were part of the 10 wolves that were reintroduced to Colorado in December 2023."

The depredations come after two calves were killed within five days earlier this month, prompting growing concern from ranchers in the area. At a meeting in Kremmling on April 9, Colorado Parks and Wildlife told a group of ranchers that those depredations, which happened in Grand and Jackson counties, were from two separate wolves, according to previous Coloradoan coverage.

At that meeting, Tim Ritschard, head of the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association, which includes Grand and Summit counties, credited local Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff for helping its ranchers. He also said he has been in contact with Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis in hopes of working together with the agency and Colorado Department of Agriculture to find ways to coexist with the wolves.

On Thursday, the board of the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association reiterated that sentiment while also asking the state wildlife agency and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to "lethally remove these two chronically depredating wolves" in a statement provided to the Coloradoan.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has not confirmed whether the wolf or wolves involved in this week's depredations were involved in prior depredations.

Many biologists believe that once wolves depredate on livestock, it is a learned behavior passed from parents to pups, according to previous Coloradoan coverage.

"There have been five confirmed depredations in Grand County, but our producers, now more familiar with signs of wolf depredations, believe they have experienced multiple additional attacks and kills," the stockgrowers association board said in its statement.

"Our local Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers have been very cooperative and responsive. The relationship between producers and CPW is critically important as we move forward in this process," the statement reads, in part. "We ask that CPW leadership demonstrate the same level of cooperation we have experienced at the local level and address our request as soon as possible."

In its email to the Coloradoan, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it and the Colorado Department of Agriculture are "finalizing a range rider plan to assist livestock producers to deter wolf and livestock conflict."

In addition to providing "conflict minimization materials to livestock producers in affected area" through the agency's Gray Wolf Compensation and Conflict Minimization Program, Colorado Parks and Wildlife also reimburses livestock owners for damages wolves cause to livestock and the animals that herd and guard them, per state statute.

Impacted livestock owners must submit a claim to be compensated fair market value.

Reporting by Coloradoan reporter Miles Blumhardt contributed to this coverage.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirms more wolf kills in Grand County