Ranchers in Colorado’s Western Slope are facing mounting losses after the state reintroduced gray wolves in late 2023.

Livestock attacks have surged in the months following the release, with ranchers reporting significant economic and emotional tolls.

On April 2, 2024, rancher Conway Farrell discovered a calf on his property that had been severely mauled.

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“We didn’t have any idea what a wolf kill would look like until this point,” Farrell said.

“It’s the sickest thing you ever seen.”

The calf was one of four killed within a 24-hour period.

The attacks came just months after Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) released 10 wolves in December 2023 as part of a voter-mandated reintroduction effort.

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The ballot measure was led by the Rocky Mountain Wolf Foundation, which anticipated that livestock losses would occur.

“I would have been shocked if we hadn’t seen at least a dozen or more cows and/or sheep taken by wolves out of that first year,” said Rob Edward of the foundation.

“The sky isn’t falling, right?”

Under Colorado law, ranchers are eligible for compensation of up to $15,000 per animal lost to wolf attacks.

However, the process requires confirmation that a wolf was responsible, which is often difficult due to scavenging by other predators.

“It’s going to be really difficult, especially in the summer, to find a carcass in time,” said rancher Caitlyn Taussig.

“If you are not finding it within the first few hours, it’s being scavenged or eaten by other animals to the point that it’s impossible to know what happened.”

In December, ranchers in Grand County filed a claim with CPW for $582,000 in losses.

Farrell’s ranch accounted for $420,000 of that total, reporting 65 missing calves, nine missing cows, and 14 lost sheep.

The surviving cattle were 40 pounds lighter on average, and conception rates had dropped, which Farrell attributed to stress.

“All from a couple little packs of wolves,” Farrell said.

As of February 1, Farrell had not received any compensation. “I hope they pay for it,” he said. “Otherwise, we might not be in business in a year.”

In an effort to curb livestock losses, CPW relocated four pups and a female wolf from the Copper Creek pack.

The male of the pack was later found dead from a gunshot wound.

Since gray wolves are federally protected, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward for information about the shooting.

Despite these measures, ranchers are pressing for more action.

On January 8, 2025, Colorado’s wildlife commission held a meeting to consider pausing future wolf releases.

More than two dozen agricultural groups had petitioned for a delay, but the commission voted 10-1 to deny the request.

Within 48 hours, CPW agents were in British Columbia, capturing 15 more wolves for release in Colorado.

Between January 12 and 16, these wolves were introduced into Eagle and Pitkin counties, increasing the state’s population to 29 wolves.

With state officials refusing to halt the reintroduction program, ranchers are now turning to the federal government for intervention.

In mid-January, Colorado’s four Republican U.S. House members urged the incoming Trump administration to stop “the further importation of these foreign predators into the United States.”

Two representatives are also working to remove the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list.

Tim Ritschard, president of the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association, believes the federal government needs to step in.

On his ranch, he displayed a large banner reading, “Gov. Polis is throwing us to the wolves! President Trump, please help!”

“A few [agricultural] producers have asked for the feds to step in already because [wolves] are a federally protected animal,” Ritschard said.

“And so we wanted the feds to come in and take over this.”

While ranchers push for stricter control over wolf populations, conservation groups argue that adaptation is necessary.

“If they cooperate with the state agencies, there’s plenty of resources to help them prevent future depredation,” Edward said.

“They have a choice: They can fight, and they will lose ultimately, or they can adapt.”

The state has implemented programs such as hiring range riders to monitor herds and using deterrents like fladry—bright flags strung along fence lines.

However, ranchers say these solutions are impractical for large grazing areas.

“We have calving grounds that are 300 acres,” Ritschard said.

“We’d have to put three miles of fladry around the fence, and that’s going to be pretty tough to keep up.”

For ranchers like Taussig, the emotional toll is just as heavy as the financial burden.

“I think people think ranchers are really wealthy people, but we work brutally long hours with not a lot of pay, and it’s a dangerous life,” she said.

“Then to turn around and have to worry about something new, it’s just really hard to deal with.”

With more wolf releases planned and the compensation process under scrutiny, Colorado’s ranching community is bracing for further challenges in the months ahead.