Grand Junction, CO – Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced in late September that it is stepping back from its current method of addressing wolves involved in livestock attacks. The agency cites concerns for the state’s gray wolf population, which faces threats from disease and political challenges, as the reason for reviewing its lethal removal protocols. This decision temporarily halts the use of specific guidelines for when wolves are killed following depredation events, shifting to a case-by-case determination until at least April 2027.
The move has drawn varied reactions locally and across Colorado, with wildlife advocates welcoming the pause and livestock producers criticizing the change. The agency's original plan for voter-mandated wolf reintroduction did not initially define "chronic depredation," a term for repeated livestock attacks. However, after pressure from producers, CPW adopted a definition in December 2024. This directive defined "chronic depredation" as a wolf or wolves linked to three or more confirmed depredation events within a 30-day period.
Under these now-halted guidelines, CPW would consider lethal removal based on whether affected producers had attempted "all viable options" for non-lethal conflict mitigation, whether wolves were lured or baited, and the likelihood of continued attacks. Since these guidelines were established, CPW reported killing six wolves: one in 2025 and five in 2026. This year's removals included four wolves between August 4 and September 9, an increase that prompted concerns from the agency itself about its approach's efficacy.
CPW’s rationale for reviewing its protocols stems from worries about wolf survival rates. As of September 24, the state's 45-wolf population was nearly half pups. Western states typically see only 50% to 60% of pups survive the winter. Additionally, adult wolf survival in Colorado during the last full biological year was 61%, below the typical 75% rate for western wolf populations. CPW also reported potential disease concerns in two of its five wolf packs and has faced difficulties in sourcing wolves from other states, which is crucial for establishing a self-sustaining population as mandated by voters.
Across the West, other states manage wolf-livestock conflicts with various approaches, often influenced by the status of wolf recovery in their regions. A common thread among Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado is that all have laws permitting landowners and producers to kill gray wolves caught actively attacking livestock. Many wildlife agencies state that the goal of lethal removals is to encourage wolves to shift their behavior towards natural prey like deer and elk, though a 2026 report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has questioned the efficacy of this management tool.
States like Washington and Oregon have taken approaches more similar to Colorado's previous guidelines, defining how many attacks must occur within a specific timeframe for lethal removal to be considered. Determinations in these states also weigh whether producers have used non-lethal mitigation tools. In both Washington and Oregon, gray wolf populations recovered naturally, with wolves moving in from nearby areas in the early 2000s. Washington's wolf population is estimated at around 270 wolves and 49 packs, while Oregon has roughly 230 wolves and 30 packs.
In Washington, the Department of Fish and Wildlife considers killing wolves if there are three confirmed attacks in 30 days or four within a "rolling window of time" of 10 months. The state also requires producers to have used at least two proactive non-lethal tools "a sufficient amount of time prior" to attacks. Washington publishes press releases regarding its considerations, determinations, and outcomes of lethal removals. In 2025, the Washington agency authorized lethal removal in three wolf packs and killed four wolves, with two additional wolves killed by producers caught in the act. Wolf management in Washington and Oregon is split with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in areas where wolves are still federally protected; in Washington, the Confederated Colville Tribes also manage wolves on their land where they are delisted.
Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife defines "chronic depredation" as a minimum of two confirmed attacks on livestock by wolves within a nine-month period. Even if this threshold is met, the agency evaluates factors such as attractants, non-lethal efforts, and the severity, number, time, and distance between attacks. In 2025, 18 wolves or packs in eastern Oregon met this definition, and the Oregon wildlife agency killed 20 wolves. Producers also killed three wolves caught in the act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service additionally killed an entire pack of six animals in eastern Oregon in 2025 following 25 cattle deaths or injuries and over a year of mitigation efforts.
In contrast, states like Idaho and Montana, where wolves have been delisted from the federal Endangered Species Act and populations have met their recovery targets, have different approaches. Hunting is legal with a license in both states and is the primary cause of wolf mortality. Euthanizations for livestock conflict are determined on a more case-by-case basis, with fewer specific guidelines or producer requirements than in Colorado, Washington, or Oregon. Idaho's wolf population was around 1,129 wolves as of 2026, a number above its population goals, according to the Idaho Capital Sun. Landowners in Idaho and Montana can kill wolves with a special permit, a legal hunting license, or if the animal is caught actively attacking livestock.
CPW's decision to re-evaluate its guidelines underscores the complex challenges of managing a recovering wolf population while addressing concerns from the state’s agricultural community. The agency will continue to make case-by-case determinations as it works towards new guidelines by April 2027.
