Latest news with #CopperCreekPack
CBS News
16-07-2025
- CBS News
Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirm formation of three new wolf packs
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed that three new wolf packs have formed following their reintroduction to the state. A slideshow set to be presented at the agency's next meeting Thursday night lists the packs as the "One Ear Pack" in Jackson County, the "King Mountain Pack" in Routt County and the "Three Creeks Pack" in Rio Blanco County. It's unclear how many pups have been born in each pack. The presentation also includes illustrations of pack movements and a list of wolf deaths since April of last year, including four in 2024 and another six deaths this year. One male from the Copper Creek Pack in Pitkin County was killed earlier this year after it was connected to three different livestock attacks. Officials said no more wolves from the pack will be killed unless they attack more livestock.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Colorado Confirms Multiple Wolf Pup Sightings
Wolf pups have been spotted in Pitkin County, Colorado, according to several sources, including a rancher whose calf was attacked by wolves this spring. Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed that it has seen pups in an emailed statement to Outdoor Life, and that their employees are continuing to monitor four den sites. 'CPW staff have begun to get minimum counts of pups by both direct observations and indirect methods,' the spokesperson wrote. 'It is important to note that sighting numbers (especially from early season sightings) are not a guaranteed number of animals since certainty in detection is low, based on continued denning, moving to rendezvous sites and being in varied habitat.' The agency declined to provide a specific pup count, and did not reply to a request for clarification on whether or how they're using trail cameras to monitor the pups. CPW also did not specify the county or counties of the den sites. But a Pitkin County rancher says at least some wolf pups are denning a quarter mile from his cows, according to the Colorado Sun, and that CPW officials are planning to use strategically placed roadkill to draw wolves away from his vulnerable new calves. One of the rancher's calves was attacked by a wolf over Memorial Day weekend, and he suspects the nearby pups are part of the Copper Creek Pack. On May 29 CPW officials euthanized a gray wolf from the Copper Creek Pack that had been chronically preying on livestock in Pitkin County. The Copper Creek Pack was trapped in the fall after multiple depredation incidents in another county, and ultimately released again in January. Fifteen wolves were captured in British Columbia and released in Pitkin and Eagle counties around the same time. The rancher, Mike Cerveny, is one of many stockgrowers frustrated by the way the reintroduction has threatened his livelihood. Cerveny told the Sun that he's not anti-wolf, 'just like I'm not an anti-crocodile or anti-hippo guy. Like, everything has its own area and place to be where they thrive. But do I think wolves should be dropped off in the freaking first week of January, when it's 20 below, next to my cows? Uh, no. I think this is the dumbest thing in the world.' While CPW has not yet released any formal statements about this year's pups, the agency has been publicizing its efforts to raise funding for non-lethal wolf mitigation through its speciality license program. On Tuesday the agency reported that selling some 18,000 'Born to Be Wild' vehicle license plates has raised almost $950,000 for conflict mitigation. Read Next: Colorado Officials Euthanize 'Chronic' Problem Wolf That Was Killing Livestock 'This special license plate allows Colorado residents to support ranchers by providing funding to CPW for non-lethal conflict minimization tools and programs and programs,' said CPW Director Jeff Davis. 'The hope is that this program will get the public engaged and increase overall sales of the license plate, in turn reducing impacts with livestock. These efforts help support the implementation of the state's Wolf Restoration and Management Plan and CPW's implementation of the state statute to restore a self-sustaining gray wolf population, all while supporting rural ways of life and the robust livestock industry that is such a critical component of Colorado's culture and economy.' Funds raised through the program include support for the state's range rider program, where riders on horseback or four-wheelers patrol livestock areas and haze wolves as necessary. In March, Colorado nearly drained its depredation compensation fund when it approved $343,000 in livestock losses.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Colorado Officials Euthanize ‘Chronic' Problem Wolf That Was Killing Livestock
The challenges associated with bringing gray wolves back to Colorado were illuminated yet again last week. On Thursday, state wildlife managers made what they called the 'very difficult' decision to kill a wolf that was preying on livestock on private land in Pitkin County, and which had previously been relocated from another county due to concerns around livestock depredations. The lethal removal took place the evening of May 29 on an unidentified cattle ranch. It was the first time that officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife have killed a wolf since the voter-led reintroduction effort began in 2023. It was not, however, the first time that CPW has dealt with this particular wolf, which was identified in an agency news release as gray wolf 2405 and a member of the Copper Creek Pack. Read Next: The Wolf Pack Responsible for the Majority of Livestock Depredations in Colorado Will Be Relocated, Not Killed Officials explained that the young male wolf had met their definition of 'chronic depredation' after being linked to four such events in an eight-day period. They said those events occurred even with non-lethal deterrence measures in place. They pointed to 'clear and convincing evidence' that 2405 was responsible for three of the cows that were injured or killed on several different ranches in Pitkin County around Memorial Day weekend. 'The decision to take lethal management action was very difficult,' CPW director Jeff Davis said in a statement. 'Our wildlife biologists constructed a timeline of recent events that shows the depredation behavior met the conditions for chronic depredation that were defined earlier this year. We have great respect for these animals and take the removal of a wolf very seriously.'Davis went on to explain that the action was meant 'to discourage [the] other pack members' from preying on livestock. He said the agency would continue to monitor the behavior of those remaining pack mates 'to determine if behavior has changed,' but didn't specify what management actions might be taken based on that behavior in the future. It's also unclear based on CPW's timeline of events whether wolf 2405 was acting alone, or if other members of the pack were involved in the depredations as well. That timeline cites GPS collar data, which showed 'some wolves from the Copper Creek Pack were in the area' where the depredations took place on May 24 and 25. A CPW spokesperson did not give a specific answer when asked by OL whether this collar data might indicate that multiple wolves from the Copper Creek Pack were involved in the Pitkin County depredations in May. The spokesperson clarified that 2405 was 'a member of a pack determined to have met the definition of chronic depredation' and said CPW would post a full report with more information soon. '[This] is not something that we take lightly,' CPW wolf conservation program manager Eric Odell said in Friday's news release. 'Removal of animals early in the restoration process is a balance between managing populations of wolves, while also assisting landowners in resolving ongoing conflicts with wolves.' CPW also noted in Friday's announcement that it is currently monitoring four potential dens across the state, and that more pups will likely be born this spring. That should bring Colorado closer to its eventual goal of a self-sustaining gray wolf population, while at the same time giving wildlife managers more GPS-collared wolves to keep track of. There are currently 23 collared wolves roaming the state, and their movements are updated monthly in a map maintained by CPW. In many ways, the Copper Creek Pack has embodied how complicated and contentious Colorado's wolf restoration process has been. The pack was formed by two of the 10 wolves that were initially brought over from Oregon and released in Grand and Summit Counties back in December 2023. The mating pair established a den in Grand County that winter and gave birth to five pups the following spring. Read Next: Coloradans Who Oppose Wolf Reintroduction Can't Agree on How to Try Ending It Conflicts soon followed. Between April and July 2024, as wolf advocates celebrated the pack's formation, CPW confirmed multiple livestock depredations by the pack's two adult wolves. Ranchers in Grand County pleaded with both the state and the federal government to lethally remove the wolves, but their requests were denied. Although CPW's policy director told commissioners at one point that the adult pair had caused 'the main issues in depredation' among all the wolves that were relocated there from Oregon, the agency ultimately decided that killing the two breeding wolves would be 'irresponsible' and could hamper its larger recovery goals. CPW chose instead to capture and relocate the Copper Creek Pack in September. The male wolf died soon after capture, and one of the pups eluded officials, while the remaining four pups and the female were trapped and held at an undisclosed facility for several months. The five Copper Creek wolves were then re-released this last winter along with the 15 additional gray wolves that were translocated from British Columbia to Eagle and Pitkin Counties in January. At the time of the Copper Creek Pack's capture last fall, CPW acknowledged that relocation was not how it planned to handle those types of conflicts going forward. Ranchers, meanwhile, expressed their concerns that by relocating the wolves, wildlife managers were simply moving the problem instead of solving it. Read Next: Colorado Parks and Wildlife Releases Second Batch of Wolves Amid Threats, Rumors, and Growing Controversy 'By refusing to manage problem wolves, CPW has allowed livestock depredations to continue unchecked, while fostering a pack of depredating wolves,' read an August 2024 letter from the Colorado Cattlemen's Association to CPW director Jeff Davis. 'Pups from these problem wolves will be trained to 'hunt' and survive off livestock.'
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
CPW lethally removes gray wolf in Pitkin County
PITKIN COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) — On Thursday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) lethally removed gray wolf 2045 in the Copper Creek Pack for chronic depredation in Pitkin County. The decision came after CPW determined that livestock producers, despite implementing non-lethal deterrence measures and removing attractants that lured in wolves, had experienced chronic wolf depredation. The agency confirmed four depredation events between May 17 and May 25 and will continue to monitor the Copper Creek Pack for behavioral changes. CPW documented the following timeline of events between May 17 and May 25 for the Copper Creek Pack wolf: Friday, May 23: CPW found evidence that a gray wolf killed a calf on private property. Saturday, May 17: Wolf-caused injury found on a calf on private property. Saturday, May 24: CPW found evidence that a gray wolf killed one calf and injured another on private property. Sunday, May 25: CPW found evidence that a gray wolf injured a cow and a calf on private property. For all events, CPW used collar data cross-reference to indicate that a gray wolf or wolves from the Copper Creek Pack were in the area at the time. On May 25, CPW determined that the events met the definition of chronic depredation before plans were implemented to gain landowner permission and safely remove the wolf. 'The decision to take lethal management action was very difficult,' said CPW Director Jeff Davis. 'Our wildlife biologists and officers constructed a timeline of recent events that shows the depredation behavior met the conditions for chronic depredation that were defined earlier this year. We have great respect for these animals and take the removal of a wolf very seriously. Removal of problem animals is unfortunate and rare, but consistent with the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan.' Chronic depredation is the frequent and consistent injuring or death of a producer's livestock or working dogs caused by the same wolf or wolf pack within 30 days. CPW determines four factors to determine the lethal removal of wolves that display signs of chronic depredation. These factors include documentation of chronic depredation, previous use of non-lethal removal techniques, the likelihood that the depredation will continue without lethal removal and if any attractants have been used to lure wolves to the location. 'We are committed to the success of gray wolf restoration in Colorado while also minimizing impacts to livestock producers,' Davis said. 'CPW's management action is intended to change pack behavior by discouraging continued targeting of livestock as a prey base while also leaving the pack with the best chance of reproductive success in the future. Wolves in the pack are collared and CPW will continue to closely monitor the pack's behavior to determine if behavior has changed.' CPW has shared in a press release that it will not share the location of the remaining pack members or the operation; however, the agency will monitor the location and behavior of the remaining Copper Creek Pack wolves in addition to working with local livestock producers on non-lethal conflict tools to reduce potential future conflict in the area. CPW will post a final report on its website once the investigations of the Copper Creek Pack are complete. More information about the Colorado Gray Wolf Restoration and Management Plan or Proposition 114 can be found on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Colorado Parks and Wildlife kills grey wolf in Pitkin County after attacks on livestock
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife killed a gray wolf in Pitkin County following recent attacks on livestock, according to a press release on Friday. CPW said that the wolf was identified as wolf 2405, a member of the Copper Creek Pack. The decision came after reports of chronic depredation, even after livestock producers had utilized all reasonable non-lethal methods to deter the wolves from their animals. Orangutan escapes exhibit after a 'malfunction' at Denver Zoo Between May 17-25, four depredation incidents occurred, which included three by clear and convincing evidence, according to CPW. The agency will monitor the Copper Creek Pack to see whether the lethal removal affects the behavior of the remaining pack members. 'The decision to take lethal management action was very difficult,' said CPW Director Jeff Davis. 'Our wildlife biologists and officers constructed a timeline of recent events that shows the depredation behavior met the conditions for chronic depredation that were defined earlier this year. We have great respect for these animals and take the removal of a wolf very seriously. Removal of problem animals is unfortunate and rare, but consistent with the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan.' Although the removal occurred, CPW said it is still determined to find a balance between supporting the wolves and the livestock producers symbiotically. 'We remain committed to both wolf restoration and to Colorado's livestock producers,' Davis said. 'We have been focused on improving our communication and coordination with the agricultural community. The producers in this area have been working constructively with CPW on deployment of multiple non-lethal conflict mitigation efforts. The intent of this management action is to discourage other pack members from unnaturally shifting to livestock as their primary source of food. This action will help ensure that wolves and packs that are targeting natural prey serve as the foundation for a sustainable population. Most of the wolves in the state are sticking to natural food sources and avoiding livestock conflicts.' Not the first preferred choice when dealing with the wolves, CPW said that the events from the May incidents matched the criteria for chronic depredation in the CPW Wolf-Livestock Conflict Minimization Guide. Chronic depredation is defined as three or more depredation events within a 30-day period. The incidents occurred during times, including: May 17 Injury to one calf May 23 One calf deceased May 24 One calf deceased, one calf injured May 25 One cow injured, one calf injured 18 abandoned rabbits found by dumpster in Golden CPW staff immediately began to investigate whether the incidents met the definition of chronic depredation and came to a conclusion on May 25. Plans were then made with a landowner to remove the wolf as soon as possible. Livestock producers can receive the fair market value of the animal lost in the depredation events if a claim is submitted. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
