A ballot initiative to introduce wolves into Colorado was passed in 2020. In preparation for bringing wolves into the state, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) produced a Draft Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan and accepted public comments online and at meetings.
I wrote scientific reports analyzing a wolf introduction and estimated the potential number of wolves in Colorado (672-1,108 wolves), the annual rate of wolves preying on elk (17 elk per wolf per year) and the potential number of elk killed by wolves per year in Colorado (11,269-18,581 elk/year). These estimates are preliminary because wolves have not been introduced yet, and the analyses need to be refined with more detailed assessment of elk habitat and other prey such as moose, deer and bighorn sheep in Colorado.
However, these reports provide science-based methods and numbers that can serve as a template for CPW’s efforts to manage wolves. See the references for more information.
Another science issue regarding wolves in Colorado is the vague category of subspecies, which are populations that can be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Mexican gray wolf is considered an endangered subspecies and great effort and expense have been spent to manage them in Arizona and New Mexico. The wolves that were native to Colorado and other Rocky Mountain states were considered the Plains wolf subspecies, but the wolves introduced to Montana, Wyoming and Idaho are the northern wolf subspecies.
As far as I know, the source of wolves to be introduced to Colorado is not yet determined. It’s confusing, and there are no definite scientific criteria for designating subspecies (see references). It probably doesn’t really matter because wolves act as large predators wherever they are, but the government makes a big deal about subspecies when subspecies support their agenda (like getting the Mexican wolf and northern spotted owl on the ESA list) and ignores subspecies when subspecies don’t support their agenda (like bringing the northern wolf into the Rockies).
Wolves in Colorado will likely disperse to neighboring states including Arizona and New Mexico where they might interbreed with and genetically change Mexican wolves. This needs to be assessed with rigorous science and the entire ESA subspecies issue reviewed objectively by professional scientists.
I think the most important point is that wolves must be managed in Colorado to achieve multiple-use objectives, including big game hunting and outfitting, livestock ranching, outdoor recreation, resource extraction like oil, gas, timber, and minerals, and protection of Colorado citizens’ property rights. The U.S. Forest Service and other agencies have multiple-use management mandates, and professional wildlife management focuses on management objectives to achieve desired population numbers, distribution and habitat quality.
This is what fish and game agencies do in establishing game management units and hunting and trapping seasons. Stockmen do the same when setting objectives for the numbers of stock they will breed, raise, cull and sell. Game species like deer and elk are managed with hunting to achieve management objectives for each species and management area. States that currently have wolf populations (for example Montana and Alaska) do the same with hunting, trapping and removal of wolves preying on livestock.
Wolves in Colorado will need to be managed as their population grows, with or without deliberate introductions. Wolves have a high reproductive rate with annual breeding and large litters of up to 10 pups. Maintaining a wolf population is easier than other species like grizzly bears, which have a slow reproductive rate. But effective management will require killing wolves (called “lethal take”), as with game species. Some people, and possibly the final Colorado wolf plan, will oppose lethal take of wolves. I suppose because it’s considered cruel. But wolves killing prey and wolves killing other wolves in dominance and territorial fights is also cruel.
Ranchers know that nature is cruel by seeing calves, lambs and wild animals die from cold, deep snow, starvation, coyote and eagle predation, and disease. The argument that killing wolves is cruel, although well-intentioned, is not particularly logical with regard to wolf management. Wolves should not be elevated above other animals and “sanctified” (see references).
Another suggestion is that killing wolves is not necessary because they will be regulated by the numbers of prey and by social interactions within and among packs. This idea of natural regulation does not appreciate the impacts of predators on wildlife populations and livestock. Letting other wildlife like deer and elk self-regulate has resulted in habitat deterioration and population crashes. Maintaining stable wildlife populations consistent with available habitat and other uses (e.g., livestock grazing) is standard practice, and wolves should be actively managed in our multiple-use system.
Wolf management by other states like Montana has been effective in maintaining viable wolf and prey populations and can provide guidance for Colorado. CPW can implement a management program with clear objectives, similar to that of Montana, and promote professional multiple-use management. The keywords on this issue are “multiple-use management” and “management objectives.” These are the guiding principles of professional wildlife management and should be emphasized in Colorado’s efforts with wolves. — Dr. Matthew Cronin
(Matthew A. Cronin is a scientist with Northwest Biology Company LLC in Bozeman, MT. He can be contacted at croninm@aol.com.)
References
Colorado Parks and Wildlife. 2023. Draft Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. Presented to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission 9 December 2022.
Cronin, M.A., A. Cánovas, A. Islas-Trejo, D.L. Bannasch, A.M. Oberbauer, and J.F. Medrano. 2015a. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variation of wolves (Canis lupus) in Southeast Alaska and comparison with wolves, dogs, and coyotes in North America. The Journal of Heredity 106:26-36.
Cronin, M.A., A. Cánovas, A. Islas-Trejo, D.L. Bannasch, A.M. Oberbauer, and J.F. Medrano. 2015b. Wolf Subspecies: Reply to Weckworth et al. and Fredrickson et al. The Journal of Heredity. 106:417-419.
Cronin, M.A. 2021a. Wildlife, War, and God: Insights on science and government. Second Edition. Matthew A. Cronin, Produced and distributed by Liberty Hill Publishing, Maitland, Florida. First edition published in 2019.
Cronin, M.A. 2021b. Wildlife, Endangered Species, and Science. Matthew A. Cronin, Produced and distributed by Liberty Hill Publishing, Maitland, Florida.
Cronin, M.A. 2020a. Wolves in Colorado: Insights from Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Unpublished report, Northwest Biology Company LLC, Bozeman, Montana, June 2020.
Cronin, M.A. 2020b. Hypotheses: Wolves in Colorado. Unpublished report, Northwest Biology Company LLC, Bozeman, Montana, July 2020.
Cronin, M.A. 2020c. Hypotheses: Wolf Predation on Elk in Colorado. Unpublished Report, Northwest Biology Company LLC, Bozeman, Montana, August 2020.
Cronin, M.A. 2020d. Introduction of wolves to Colorado: Biological Considerations. Unpublished Report, Northwest Biology Company LLC, Bozeman, Montana, October 29, 2020.
Lyon, T.B and W. Graves. 2014. The Real Wolf. L. Grosskopf and N. Morrison editors. Farcountry Press, Helena, Montana.
Mech, L.D. 2012. Is science in danger of sanctifying the wolf? Biological Conservation 150:143-149.
Parks, M., K. Podruzny, S. Sells, T. Parks, T. Smucker, N. Lance, and W. Cole 2022. Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management 2021 Annual Report. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Helena, Montana. 53 pages.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2022. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of the Gray Wolf in the State of Colorado; Environmental Impact Statement. [Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2022-0100; Cost code FF06E00000, Fund 223, WBS FXES11130600000 RIN 1018–BG79. Colorado Gray Wolf NEP EIS Scoping Notice (fws.gov).
