CPW confirms wolf killed Jackson County calf; another killed by exhaustion

DENVER ( KDVR ) — A calf was killed in Jackson County on May 25, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife , and a wolf is to blame.

Further details from CPW were not available on Monday, but Steamboat Radio reported that a rancher suspects a wolf got one of his calves. CPW is working to determine if the calf’s death was due to a reintroduced wolf, or a wolf that has migrated to the state naturally.

The rancher told Steamboat Radio that another calf also died and blamed it on the calf being run to death by the wolves.

This was the second confirmed wolf depredation in May. The first was on May 11. Depredation refers to an act of preying upon or plundering — in this case, the wolves are plundering from ranchers.

The two confirmed wolf depredations in May dramatically differ from April when seven wolf depredation incidents were reported. A total of four calves and three cattle were killed, and only one rancher submitted a claim for their loss. That rancher received $1,514 for his calf , according to CPW. That’s because the state has established a Wolf Depredation Compensation cash fund of $175,000 to issue to ranchers.

Wolf-caused depredations can cost the state up to $15,000 per head of cattle.

The state plans to introduce more wolves between December and March 2025, intending to release 30-50 wolves in the next five years.

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