Two and a half years after releasing wolves onto the ground, Colorado’s wolf program is at an “inflection point.” Those carefully selected words come from Eric Odell, the soon-to-be-retiring wolf conservation program manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).
He has seen 14 of 25 introduced wolves die in Colorado, adult wolf survival over the past year at a mere 61 percent, compensation costs more than double and expected to triple before year’s end, and no planned influx of new wolves in 2026.
When asked to predict when Colorado will reach a suggested population of 150 to 200 wolves, as per the state’s wolf management plan, here was his response: “I cannot provide a definitive timeline, and that’s an honest reflection of where we are in the implementation of wolf restoration. We’re very much at an inflection point,” said Odell, as reported by the Colorado Sun. “The key drivers to determining the timeline to recovery will be the survival rates of wolves of different ages, reproduction and wolf-pup survival rates and the reintroduction opportunities. Until those variables become clear, the timeline to recovery will remain uncertain.”
What is not happening this year is another planned introduction of wolves. CPW had a signed agreement with the British Columbia Ministry of Waters, Lands and Resource Stewardship to capture and transport up to 15 wolves to Colorado in January 2026. However, CPW scrapped the plan after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sent word that obtaining wolves outside of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming is a violation of the 10(j) rule.
“It will likely be critical for the establishment of a self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado to have substantial translocation efforts (10-15 animals) for at least one, if not more, in additional years,” according to the 2025-2026 Colorado Gray Wolf Annual Report.
The newly released report shows a statewide wolf population of 32 animals – only 18 adults along with 14 pups. Twenty-four of the wolves are in four packs with eight other adults roaming the landscape. The packs are in the northwest part of the state, although a distribution map shows wolves wandered through central and southwest Colorado, exclusively west of Interstate 25.
CPW assigned 10 wildlife damage specialists to investigate depredations. From April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, CPW confirmed 43 wolf depredations resulting in the deaths of 23 sheep, 19 cattle and one dog, with others pending. Over that same time, CPW approved the payment of $709,629 for missing livestock and production losses. It also paid $198,137 for wolf damage claims from the previous year.
About Hunt 2 Conserve
Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.
(Photo credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
