{"id":42575,"date":"2022-01-22T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-22T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/ranchers-in-some-states-can-shoot-wolves-but-not-in-colorado\/"},"modified":"2022-01-22T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-01-22T12:00:00","slug":"ranchers-in-some-states-can-shoot-wolves-but-not-in-colorado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/ranchers-in-some-states-can-shoot-wolves-but-not-in-colorado\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranchers in some states can shoot wolves, but not in Colorado"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Kim
Kim Gittleson, center, witnesses the investigation by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife district managers into a heifer killed by wolves that had migrated from Wyoming. (Hugh Carey\/The Colorado Sun)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Don Gittleson woke up Wednesday morning to a sight that\u2019s starting to feel common on his North Park ranch: a cow torn up by wolves, the third attack on his livestock since a few days before Christmas. If this were Montana, Wyoming or Idaho, Gittleson could pull out a gun and shoot the predator dead.<\/p>\n

But this is Colorado.<\/p>\n

Wolves in Colorado are protected under state law. Killing them \u2013 no matter how many cows or sheep or pet dogs they attack \u2013 is not allowed.<\/p>\n

In the span of a month, a wolf pack that roamed into northern Colorado from Wyoming has killed two cows and one border collie, and injured two more cows badly enough that one was euthanized.<\/p>\n

The livestock deaths \u2013 caused by wolves that migrated naturally into the state \u2013 come as Colorado wildlife officials are in the midst of setting plans to relocate wolves here from other states, after a wolf reintroduction measure was narrowly approved by voters in 2020.<\/p>\n

\"Don
Don Gittleson calls Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Wednesday to report that wolves killed a heifer on his ranch outside Walden. The CPW district managers later investigated to confirm the cow was killed by a pack of wolves that migrated from Wyoming. (Hugh Carey\/The Colorado Sun)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The livestock attacks in North Park have launched Colorado into the rancher-versus-wolves fight much faster than expected.<\/p>\n

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials say they\u2019re working with Gittleson to come up with effective methods to protect his herd, but it\u2019s clear they soon will have to deal with ranchers who are starting to amplify their calls for lethal defense of their livestock and livelihoods.<\/p>\n

CPW authorized an emergency resolution Jan. 12 allowing ranchers to haze wolves that threaten livestock or working animals through methods such as chasing them in vehicles, firing rubber bullets at them, hiring range riders to watch the herd overnight or scaring them with \u201cfladry\u201d \u2013 flags hung along fence lines.<\/p>\n

But Gittleson says many of the hazing methods are inadequate or impractical given the realities of life on a rugged, remote ranch.<\/p>\n

\u201cRanchers need the ability to protect their livestock,\u201d he told The Colorado Sun. \u201cIf that means lethal management, that means lethal management.\u201d<\/p>\n

But in Colorado, killing a wolf carries a penalty of up to a $100,000 fine, a year in jail, and a lifetime loss of hunting privileges.<\/p>\n

Where ranchers can shoot wolves<\/div>\n

The rules are quite different in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.<\/p>\n

In all three states, ranchers can shoot wolves on the spot if they are harassing or attacking livestock or pets. Then they\u2019re required to report the wolf kill to state wildlife officials.<\/p>\n

In Wyoming, 34 wolves have been killed for livestock predation on average each year since 2008. In some cases, wildlife officials will kill the one or two wolves in a pack that are instigating livestock kills, said Dan Thompson, supervisor of large carnivores for Wyoming Game and Fish.<\/p>\n

Wolves have gone on and off the endangered list in Wyoming, thanks to court rulings, but after five years off the list, the state has \u201ckind of normalized wolf management,\u201d said Thompson, keeping the population steady and seeing conflict with livestock decline.<\/p>\n

\"A
A wolf track, near a heifer carcass, with a sharpie-sized pen placed in the snow for scale seen on Wednesday in Walden. (Hugh Carey\/The Colorado Sun)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

His advice to Colorado when wolves are preying on livestock: act quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more it continues on, the less tolerance there is for wolves among those who don\u2019t want wolves there,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s always going to be extremely polarized with wolves, no matter where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wolves were confirmed to have killed or injured 54 cattle, 12 sheep, 10 chickens and one dog in Wyoming in 2020.<\/p>\n

In Idaho, the law pertains not just to landowners but to their employees or hired \u201canimal damage control personnel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wolves were reintroduced to the state in the mid-1990s, and within a few years, livestock kills jumped dramatically, according to Idaho Fish and Game. In 1995, there were just two investigations into livestock killed by wolves. Five years later, in 2000, there were 55 investigations.<\/p>\n

Last year, five wolves were killed \u201cin the act of attacking or harassing livestock\u201d and 37 were killed by officials because they were suspected of preying on livestock, said Roger Phillips, a spokesman for Idaho Fish and Game.<\/p>\n

Montana last year tallied 381 livestock losses to wild predators, which would include not just wolves but mountain lions and grizzly bears, which were the most destructive. The losses were valued at more than $300,000, according to the Montana Department of Livestock, which manages compensation payments to ranchers. Of the total 196 cattle and 148 sheep killed, wolves accounted for 56 cattle deaths and 14 sheep deaths.<\/p>\n

Grizzlies killed 98 cattle and 18 sheep, while mountain lions killed only one cow but 73 sheep and 16 goats.<\/p>\n

A 2013 Montana law says landowners and officials combined can kill up to 100 wolves per year if they are threatening livestock, dogs or human safety.<\/p>\n

\u2018People in Denver don\u2019t have a clue\u2019<\/div>\n

In Colorado, ranchers were paid out for 14 cattle killed or injured by black bears in fiscal year 2020, as well as 24 goats, 172 poultry and 443 sheep, according to CPW. Mountain lions were responsible for killing or injuring two cattle, 43 goats, eight horses, one llama and 36 sheep. An additional 525 sheep were deemed to have been killed or injured by either bears or mountain lions.<\/p>\n

Any livestock killed by wolves feels \u201clike a failure,\u201d said John Murtaugh, a representative of Defenders of Wildlife, a decades-old conservation group that was among the key organizers behind Proposition 114, Colorado\u2019s wolf reintroduction measure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want dead livestock either,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want wolves going after elk and fulfilling their ecological niche.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murtaugh said he\u2019s been in contact with Gittleson to discuss not only hazing measures but methods to prevent wolves from becoming interested in cattle in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, sometimes wolves learn cattle are easier to get than anything else,\u201d he said. \u201cWith hazing, we\u2019d rather the wolf be bruised or scared than killed, but hazing is still an in-the-moment, acute solution. That\u2019s why preventive measures are so important.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Wolf
Wolf tracks surround a cow carcass on a ranch outside Walden on Wednesday. (Hugh Carey\/The Colorado Sun)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Murtaugh advocated methods including \u201clow-stress stockmanship\u201d that avoids cattle prods and \u201chooting and hollering\u201d that can stress cattle and weaken their immune system. He also said mixing the age and breeds of cattle kept close together can help, as can rescheduling calving season so it coincides with that of elk \u2013 offering wolves different prey to go after.<\/p>\n

Killing wolves can be \u201can important tool,\u201d Murtaugh said, though he feels it should be left up to government agencies for the sake of public accountability \u2013 at least as long as wolf populations are recovering \u2013 and only \u201cafter repeat depredations and after nonlethal tools prove ineffective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gittleson said the nonlethal tools have so far been ineffective. All three attacks took place in one of two pastures beside his house, one that\u2019s 250 acres and another that\u2019s around 80 acres. He tried combining all ages of cattle in one pen after the first attack \u2013 but that didn\u2019t stop the wolves from coming back, and they have since taken down three cattle far larger than the first young heifer killed.<\/p>\n

Rubber bullets are often only effective up to about 50 yards, but Gittleson hasn\u2019t been within 300 yards of a wolf in daylight. Range riders to work the graveyard shift are expensive and in short supply. Guard dogs are also expensive, and based on what happened to his neighbor\u2019s dogs, may be in danger themselves. Hanging flags on fences doesn\u2019t scare wolves for long, and he\u2019d rather save that method for the spring calving season. Chasing wolves allows him to chase them only to the fence line, and pushes them onto neighbors\u2019 ranches \u2013 something he doesn\u2019t want to do.<\/p>\n

He says he\u2019s getting tired of hearing advice from people who aren\u2019t ranchers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wildlife officers on the ground get it,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the people in Denver don\u2019t have a clue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Discussions among a CPW advisory group working about regulations for wolf reintroduction \u201chave included the topic of (relocating wolves), noting it is rarely justified to move the predation challenge to a new location,\u201d CPW spokesman Travis Duncan said in an email.<\/p>\n

Gittleson said he has not been reimbursed for his cattle yet, saying he has yet to figure out a value for the cows lost \u2013 he\u2019ll take $1,800 for the heifer, but the other two cattle killed were pregnant, and were part of the stock he uses to build up his herd.<\/p>\n

In a normal year, Gittleson said he might lose one cow to lightning, but disease deaths are rare among adult cattle. Calves are more vulnerable, and last year he said he lost five to either disease or predation.<\/p>\n

\"Heifer
Heifer cattle move across the ranch outside Walden on Wednesday. (Hugh Carey\/The Colorado Sun)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Nationwide, predators account for just 2% of adult cattle deaths and 11% of deaths among calves in an average year, with respiratory illnesses and old age among the leading causes of death, according to a 2017 USDA study.<\/p>\n

Among deaths attributable to predators, coyotes were the leading culprit.<\/p>\n

But ranching is already hard enough without adding the pressure of another predator, said Terry Fankhauser, vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen\u2019s Association.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is, livestock producers work very hard to make sure any death loss is as low as possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Fankhauser said he\u2019s a proponent of preventive measures and hazing techniques against wolves, though he questions their effectiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose are great tools, and they\u2019re necessary,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the practical reality for landowners is they can haze wolves off their property, but these are apex predators \u2013 they\u2019ll work around it. When packs habituate to predating on livestock, the reality is most states have had to use lethal force. It\u2019s unfair to kill all the wolves, but it\u2019s unfair to let them kill as much livestock as they want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murtaugh said reintroducing wolves will be a significant step toward restoring Colorado\u2019s wild ecosystems.<\/p>\n

\u201cVirtually all Coloradans agree we love our wilderness,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to pass it on to future generations. The best way to do that is to maintain our natural system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Federal protections lifted in 2021<\/div>\n

The gray wolf was protected under the federal Endangered Species Act until January 2021, when that designation was lifted under orders from the Trump administration. The protections were removed years earlier in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, by congressional actions and court rulings.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the lack of federal protection, Colorado has its own law designating wolves as endangered. And as the state writes a new wolf management plan ahead of officially reintroducing the gray wolf, ranchers cannot shoot or trap wolves that are feasting on their livestock.<\/p>\n

Colorado law defines a species as endangered when its prospects for survival are in jeopardy as determined by the state Parks and Wildlife Commission. The state\u2019s existing wolf restoration and management plan includes a requirement to determine when or if the gray wolf becomes self-sustaining and eligible for removal from the state endangered list, said Duncan, the CPW spokesman.<\/p>\n

The 2021 federal change meant that wolves were no longer protected in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, which in February held a wolf hunt that drew national attention and lawsuits from wildlife advocates. In just three days, 216 wolves were killed.<\/p>\n

Minnesota and Michigan still do not allow wolf hunting. The issue is in limbo while the two states are writing new wolf management plans and lawsuits over the federal protection removal are pending. Also like Colorado, ranchers in Minnesota and Michigan cannot kill wolves that prey on their livestock, though they can receive compensation for the lost animals.<\/p>\n

The Minnesota-based International Wolf Center, which provides education about wolves but does not take positions on policy, said Colorado has a long process ahead to figure out how wolves and ranchers can coexist.<\/p>\n

\u201cRanchers say sharing the landscape with wolves includes livestock losses, which is true. Environmental groups say sharing the landscape with wolves creates better functioning ecosystems. This, too, is true,\u201d said the center\u2019s executive director, Grant Spickelmier.<\/p>\n

\"A
A tractor transports hay for cattle on a ranch outside Walden on Wednesday. (Hugh Carey\/The Colorado Sun)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cThis conflict between wolves and ranchers in the Western United States goes back more than 150 years to the 1800s,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s unlikely that there will ever be a solution that will make everyone happy. What\u2019s important is that Colorado uses the best science available when making its decisions about wolf management.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murtaugh, with Defenders of Wildlife, said mutual understanding and compassion are needed as Colorado navigates wolf reintroduction. He said it\u2019s important to remember that when wolves were reintroduced to the northern Rockies in the 1990s, it was by an act of Congress, while Colorado\u2019s law was by popular vote of state residents \u2013 though the vote was largely split between urban voters who supported the measure and rural voters who opposed it.<\/p>\n

Murtaugh said he hopes people on the Front Range can have more compassion for ranchers, and hopes ranchers can remember that the Front Range has the right to weigh in on how public lands are managed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the new reality,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re all Coloradans here. Let\u2019s put down the pitchforks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to covering Colorado issues. To learn more, go to coloradosun.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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