At a virtual meeting in mid-January, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission voted to approve wolf hazing measures for livestock owners and their workers. The measures are designed to frighten or annoy gray wolves to dissuade them from preying on livestock or guard animals.
Scare devices and tactics include propane cannons, all-terrain vehicles, noisemakers, fox lights, motion- and radio-activated guard devices, guard animals and flags. Other unspecified measures may be used, but any technique that results in the injury or death of a gray wolf may constitute unlawful harassment or an illegal take, according to a memo by Krista Heiner, CPW regulations manager.
“For example, the rule authorizes chasing a gray wolf when necessary to prevent or reduce injury or damages to livestock, but the rule does not authorize chasing a gray wolf for such an extended time or distance that it injures or kills the wolf,” Heiner wrote.
The rule does not regulate efforts to locate or observe gray wolves, and it does not consider the presence of humans in gray wolf habitat as a hazing technique, including on vehicles or horseback.
The new rule does not authorize individuals to injure or kill gray wolves in defense of livestock—only in defense of human life.
“During the rulemaking, some stakeholders advocated for a hazing rule authorizing the incidental take of gray wolves if the death was due to the use of an authorized hazing technique,” the memo read. “The commission does not adopt such an approach in this rulemaking and incidental take of gray wolves is not authorized.” The commission will address incidental take of gray wolves and lethal take of gray wolves in a future rulemaking.
Some stakeholders also questioned whether the use of authorized techniques resulting in minor pain or injury to gray wolves would violate the rule or require the party to report an injury to CPW, to which the commission said no. “The commission believes that such an approach strikes the appropriate balance among many policy considerations.”
However, hazing would not be permitted if gray wolves are on the list of federally threatened or endangered species. As Mexican gray wolves are currently listed as endangered, the rule does not authorize hazing Mexican gray wolves.
While the commission was already considering hazing measures, recent wolf predation incidents warranted more immediate action. In December, a wolf killed a calf in Jackson County, CO, and a few weeks later, a dog was killed by a wolf in the same region. In addition, just after CPW announced its new hazing measures, two cows were injured by gray wolves, and one was euthanized near Walden, CO.
“Hazing allows livestock owners and their agents to temporarily mitigate or prevent livestock damage from occurring,” Heiner’s memo concluded. “Appropriate hazing can reduce livestock damage, increase social tolerance, and improve attitudes towards wildlife that might otherwise cause damage.” — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
