Two yearling wolves from the Copper Creek and Three Creeks packs in Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties, respectively, were killed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff on Monday.

That brings to 19 the number of wolves that have died under the agency’s watch since the wolf relocation program began in December 2023.

Ten wolves were brought to Colorado from Oregon at that time. Of that batch, six have since died from a variety of causes.

In January 2025, the state brought in 15 more wolves from British Columbia.
Seven of those wolves have also now died.

The rest were yearlings that came from mating pairs — most notably the Copper Creek pack, which is believed to be responsible for dozens of livestock kills in Grand and Pitkin counties.

One of the yearling wolves killed by the state on Monday was from the Copper Creek pack, which was believed to have five cubs in 2024. There are now just two left of those five.

The uncollared male wolf killed is believed to be responsible for four confirmed depredation events in July, August and September.

The second wolf was an uncollared male from the Three Creeks pack. That wolf was responsible for four depredation events in July and August.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists 15 dead lambs and ewes from four incidents in Rio Blanco County between Aug. 21 and Sept. 6 and five more dead ewes in July.

The agency said the depredation events occurred despite ranchers pursuing nonlethal conflict-minimization efforts, such as deployment of cellular-connected cameras, range riders and hazing.

Ranchers have repeatedly told Colorado Politics those efforts don’t work.

And that isn’t the last of wolves causing problems for ranchers.

Shawn Foster said he has lost at least three livestock to yearling wolves from the One Ear pack in the last 10 days. His ranch straddles the Grand-Jackson county borders. He’s still hunting for several other missing calves, he said.

He told Colorado Politics on Tuesday the three livestock deaths were confirmed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. This is the second time he’s lost livestock to wolves in the last year, including depredations in 2025 that the state wildlife agency would not confirm or incidents where CPW “conveniently lost the paperwork,” he said.

He believes the wolves are now hunting in packs.

That is also what sources told Colorado Politics about a bull killed in Pitkin County on Aug. 14. One wolf could not likely take down a bull, sources said, adding it would take a pack to do that.

In a statement, CPW Director Laura Clellan said the agency remains committed to livestock producers, as well as efforts to support the growing wolf population.

According to CPW’s wolf depredation livestock, more than three dozen livestock have been killed by wolves since April, with 21 killed — not including Foster’s — since July 1. That brings the total confirmed by CPW to 115 since the program began tracking depredations in 2024. Ranchers have told Colorado Politics the number of livestock deaths due to wolves is vastly underestimated.