22-03-2025
Stock growers react to Colorado wolf killed by Wildlife Services in Wyoming
DENVER (KDVR) — A collared gray wolf was killed by federal wildlife officials in Wyoming and stock growers in both states have questions.
The wolf was one of the 15 captured and transported to Colorado in January as part of the reintroduction program approved by Colorado voters. The United States Department of Agriculture Animal Inspection Service branch said they responded to five sheep that had been killed on private land in north central Wyoming on March 15.
USDA confirmed Wildlife Services shot and killed the wolf, then returned the wolf and the GPS collar to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
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Middle Park Stockgrowers Association President Tim Ritschard said he has questions as to why there was no notification of the wolf's movement and Wyoming Stockgrowers Associate Executive VP Jim Magana felt that they should have had a heads up.
'Had we been aware of it we might have been able to get word out to livestock producers in that part of the state to be careful, or be aware of it, but I don't think it would have changed the outcome,' Magana said.
Wolves are known to travel great distances when searching for food or mates so the distance, was not as surprising, something both states saw coming.
Here in Colorado killing a wolf is generally illegal unless you catch it in the act of killing, but in Wyoming, that's not the case.
'The reality is in most of Wyoming is once the wolves are here they are predators. They can be taken at any time, but anyone on any land, they don't have to be in the process of killing livestock,' Magana said.
'The fear is going away from them right now and that's the nonlethal part of it. When you start, I mean I hate saying it shooting at them or killing one or two its like. A crow, if you kill a crow they're going to disappear,' Ritschard said.
The Canadian wolves were supposed to be less of a risk to livestock, claiming that before they had had minimal interaction with livestock. Ritschard felt this shows, that may not be a contributing factor to future depredations.
'It's interesting because maybe then that kind of tells us they've been around livestock or maybe they've figured out that it doesn't matter if they've been around livestock, food is food and they are going to find what they need to survive and that's what this one did,' he said.
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Regardless, Wyoming stockgrowers expect if another wolf crosses, it may meet the same fate.
'Given what our laws are in Wyoming, any Colorado wolf that crosses the border is going to be at risk of being killed,' Magana said.
Wyoming Stockgrowers also plan to ask if Colorado will reimburse the sheep's owner as they do for local ranchers who lose livestock to wolves.
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