Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials denied a formal request by a rancher in Jackson County to remove two depredating wolves in the North Park area.

Don Gittleson made the request on Dec. 16, three days after a wolf known as 2101 attacked a heifer belonging to him.

Wolf 2101 has been confirmed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife as responsible for injuring or killing seven heads of livestock on the Gittleson Angus operation. It has also killed or injured four domestic dogs, and killed or injured a total of 13 cattle.

Wolf 2103, meanwhile, was involved in all of these attacks with the exception of the most recent one on a replacement heifer at Gittleson Angus. Wolf 2103 is also responsible for killing three lambs in November in the area.

Gittleson received a response from state officials on Dec. 22 after The Fence Post magazine requested information.

“After consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has made the determination not to lethally remove these two wolves at this time,” said the letter signed by division chief Jeff Davis.

“The division considered the entire history of depredation events in your area, including the most recent history of depredation events in November and December of 2023. Our assessment considered the change in pack dynamics that took place over the preceding year when most of the pack left the area and did not return. With only two of the original wolves remaining, the number and frequency of events has dropped in 2023.”

The division said it will continue to monitor the situation and “collaborate with you and other livestock producers in Jackson County and across the state to evaluate future actions.”

The letter added: “We encourage the continued deployment and use of a variety of wolf conflict minimization tools and collaboration with your local CPW staff. I also recognize that these events have a direct and real impact on you and the community in Jackson County. If damage to livestock caused by wolves continues, we will reassess the situation and our determination.”

Gittleson said he is disappointed but not particularly surprised by the decision.

Rachel Gabel is Assistant Editor of The Fence Post Magazine. She is also a columnist of Colorado Politics and The Gazette newspapers. This article has been reprinted with permission from The Fence Post Magazine.