

Video of wolves that Colorado Parks and Wildlife says was taken by hunters near the Wyoming and Utah borders in October.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials announced Wednesday that they’ve found evidence of wolves living in northwestern Colorado, news that comes days after state election officials placed a measure to re-introduce wolves on this year’s ballot.

“We have no doubt that they are here, and the most recent sighting of what appears to be wolves traveling together in what can be best described as a pack is further evidence of the presence of wolves in Colorado,” CPW Northwest Regional Manager J.T. Romatzke said in a statement issued Wednesday morning.

“We will not take direct action and we want to remind the public that wolves are federally endangered species and fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As wolves move into the state on their own, we will work with our federal partners to manage the species,” Romatzke said.

Northwest Colorado hunters in October reported six large canids traveling together in the far northwest corner of the state, and last week residents found a scavenged elk carcass near Irish Canyon, in the same area. State wildlife officials said this strongly suggests a pack of gray wolves may now be residing in Colorado.

The hunters provided a video shot in October that they said shows two of the six wolves near the Wyoming and Utah borders.

It was the first report in recent years of multiple wolves traveling together inside Colorado, Romatzke said, noting that the hunter witness also “says he heard distinct howls coming from different animals. In my opinion, this is a very credible report.”

Leaders of the Colorado Stop the Wolf Coalition that’s opposed to the reintroduction of wolves announced the hunters’ sighting and Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s confirmation of the sighting before the agency issued its own news release on Wednesday. The news was first reported Tuesday by the Craig Press.

Stop the Wolf campaign chairman Denny Behrens issued a statement Wednesday saying the wolf sighting shows that wolves already are present in Colorado, contrary to assertions by “out-of-state radical environmental groups pushing forced wolf introduction.”

“The news from CPW today implodes their propaganda,” Behrens said.

State wildlife officials have studied the possibility of reintroducing wolves in Colorado and decided to oppose such efforts. Local leaders in 23 counties have said they oppose reintroduction as well.

“The forced introduction of non-native gray wolves will be like throwing gas on a campfire,” Behrens said. “That’s why professional wildlife managers, hunters, ranchers, anglers, hikers and campers are joining together to expose the lies and educate Colorado with the real facts about the dangers of forcing wolves on our state’s ever-growing population. It’s just not fair to the wolf to force them into inevitable conflicts with people when they are already thriving in remote parts of Canada and Alaska.”

The signature-driven ballot measure that was approved this week will ask voters whether to require state wildlife commissioners to reintroduce gray wolves by the end of 2023 on public land in western Colorado, west of the Continental Divide, and set up a fund to compensate livestock owners for any losses.

Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund president Rob Edward, leading the campaign to reintroduce wolves, said the animals have been spotted in Colorado for years without the state having a plan to ensure recovery of wolves and compensation for ranchers for livestock that might be killed.

“It is curious, the timing, a day after we get on the ballot. If there are wolves up there, we welcome them,” Edward said. “News of wolves possibly wandering in northern Colorado isn’t particularly new, but it does show how important it is for Colorado voters to pass the wolf reintroduction ballot initiative in November.

“The wolf ballot initiative would ensure that Colorado develops a science-based plan to jump-start the restoration of wolves. That way, any wolves that wander down here will have a chance to establish a family and help to restore the balance to Colorado’s wild places.”