(TELLERY COUNTY, Colo.) — Ranchers in Southern Colorado are concerned as a lone grey wolf has been spotted in the region. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) website, the wolf is moving through Teller, Fremont, and Park Counties and was last tracked in the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument area.
CPW has been releasing wolves since December 31, 2023, after Proposition 114, now state statute 33-2-105.8, passed on November 3, 2020. Wildlife officials expected the wolves to explore their new environment and travel widely, but some people living in Southern Colorado did not expect them in their neck of the woods this soon.
“It happened much faster than I anticipated, but a lot of other people that I know that live in Teller County certainly didn’t think it would happen this fast,” Clint Whiting, part-time hunting guide and farm and ranch real estate agent in Divide said.
CPW asked him to help get the word out and Whiting tells FOX21 News it’s only a matter of time before there are more.
“There’s a lot of unknowns and a lot of these folks simply didn’t vote for this,” Whiting explained. “They’re having to adapt to something that they don’t necessarily agree with and it’s all on their dime as well.”
Local ranchers are now scrambling to get ready as concerns grow about the potential impact the wolves could have on their cattle.
“I knew they were going to wander because they’re not used to the ecosystem here, and of course, like every other animal, they’re going to kind of want to mate and propagate and keep the species going,” Tom Hatton, owner of Hatton Ranch Said.
Hatton owns around 1,400 acres in Teller County and has about 65 head of cattle. His family has been ranching in the area for more than 75 years.
“It’s not just the fact that an animal may be killed, but it’s the stress on the animals, the changing in their grazing patterns,” Hatton explained. “We’re experiencing that right now. I don’t know if that’s due to wolf presence, hybrid wolf presence, or mountain lion, but there’s been a definitive change in their activity.”
As officials continue to track the wolves using satellite GPS collars, CPW encourages anyone who believes they have seen one to fill out the wolf sighting form on their website.
“Knowledge is power in this situation, but there’s a lot of unknowns here,” Whiting said.
As a reminder, gray wolves are federally protected and are a state-endangered species in Colorado. Harming, harassing, or killing a gray wolf in Colorado can lead to a fine of up to $1,000, jail time, and loss of hunting privileges.
