CPW Kills Two Wolves After Summer Livestock Attacks

Aspen —Two yearlings. Two separate packs. Four confirmed livestock attacks each.

That is the cold, hard math behind Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s latest lethal removals. On Monday, Sept. 8, the agency killed one male yearling from the Copper Creek Pack in Pitkin County and another male yearling from the Three Creeks Pack in Rio Blanco County. It wasn’t a random culling; it was a targeted response to a pattern of depredation that ranchers and sheepherders have been tracking for weeks.

Let’s do the math on the timeline, because the dates matter more than the headlines. In Pitkin County, the Copper Creek Pack was tied to four confirmed cattle kills: July 29, Aug. 14, Aug. 28, and Sept. 4. In Rio Blanco County, the Three Creeks Pack was linked to four sheep kills involving 13 lambs and two ewes, occurring on Aug. 21, Aug. 29, Aug. 31, and Sept. 6. For context, this is the state’s fourth lethal removal this summer and the fifth since the reintroduction effort kicked off in December 2023. The precedent is set: if you’re a chronic depredator — defined as three or more events in 30 days — and nonlethal methods fail, you get shot.

The Vail Daily reported that the agency’s authority to pull the trigger, despite federal protections, rests on a special 10(j) rule with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But the real driver is the sheer volume of conflicts. CPW Director Laura Clellan noted at the Sept. 2 commission meeting that summer movement combined with livestock on open allotments creates a collision course. "These remote open allotments cover tens of thousands of acres and commonly include rough terrain that’s hard to access and traverse," Clellan said. "Some of the most effective tools during this time of year are range riders and game cameras that support continuous monitoring and adaptive responses. This is where CPW’s efforts are focused at this time."

The data backs up the escalation. Between Jan. 24 and April 23, there were four confirmed attacks. Since June 10, that number has jumped to 22: nine in July, eight in August, and two in September as of Sept. 8. The affected counties span the entire western half of the state: Grand, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Moffat, Eagle, Routt, and Jackson.

On paper, the process is bureaucratic. In practice, it’s a blood sport. The agency defines a "chronically depredating wolf" as one involved in three or more depredation events within 30 days. If that threshold is met, and if the producer has used nonlethal deterrence, lethal removal is authorized. The logic is that killing one animal might change the pack’s behavior. Or it might just leave a hole in the food chain.

This isn’t the first time the Copper Creek Pack has faced the bullet. A yearling from the same group was killed in May 2025. An uncollared wolf from the same litter was removed in June 2026 after being separated from the pack and blamed for at least 22 sheep attacks over 11 months. The pattern is clear: the pack is expanding, the livestock is vulnerable, and the state is running out of patience.

For locals in Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties, this means more game cameras on the trails, more range riders on the allotments, and more tension between conservationists and producers. The wolves are here. The cattle are gone. The next attack is already on the calendar.