Colorado wildlife officials this week killed a yearling wolf in Grand County after the canine was connected to several livestock depredations — the third wolf killed by the state for killing and injuring livestock.
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The male wolf, a member of the One Ear Pack, was connected to the injury or death of four calves on four separate days between June 29 and Aug. 1, according to a news release published Wednesday by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. CPW staff killed the yearling on Tuesday.
“The decision to lethally remove a wolf is a very difficult one and a number of factors must be taken into consideration,” CPW Director Laura Clellan said in the news release. “Unfortunately, after a thorough review, the determination of chronic depredation was made in this case. Our staff will continue to work diligently with willing producers to deploy all reasonable non-lethal tools and methods in order to minimize the need for removals.”
The owners of the calves had pursued nonlethal methods of keeping the wolf away, like using range riders and scare devices, according to CPW.
The One Ear Pack was established in the spring of 2025 by wolves brought to Colorado from Oregon in 2023 as part of the state’s voter-mandated reintroduction program and wolves that migrated from Wyoming prior to the program, according to CPW. The pack comprises one breeding pair, two other adults, at least five pups that were born in the spring of 2025 and an unknown number of pups born this spring. The yearling killed was one of the pups born in 2025.
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The yearling was the third wolf killed by CPW staff because of depredations. Agency policy states that CPW staff can legally kill a wolf if it is connected to chronic depredations.
CPW has released 25 wolves into the state since the reintroduction of the species began in 2023. More than 19 wolf pups were born in the state in the springs of 2024 and 2025, along with an unknown number born this past spring.
Since 2024, 17 wolves have died, though not all were relocated from elsewhere, and some were offspring of the reintroduced wolves.
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