During a meeting of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission held last week in Gateway, Colorado, Travis Black, CPW Northwest Regional Manager, provided an update on the investigation into 18 calf deaths about 15 miles southeast of Meeker in October. At that time, rancher Lenny Klinglesmith notified CPW that he had found the deceased calves with possible evidence of wolf depredation, prompting an investigation into the livestock deaths.
“We’re scratching our heads a little bit. We really don’t know exactly what has occurred up there.”
~ Travis Black, CPW Northwest
Regional Manager
Black told the CPW Commission, “This is one of those situations that’s perplexing,” as the investigation has yet to confirm anything, and more cattle deaths have occurred since the first report.
Of the original 18 dead calves, a handful had some injuries that were somewhat consistent with wolf depredation on an initial analysis, Black said. Game trail cameras, “howling surveys,” and aerial flights have been used in search of evidence, along with sending scat and hair samples to labs for testing.
With up to 40 or more cattle now reported dead, and the typical feeding behavior of wolves lacking, other potential causes of death are under consideration. An initial assessment by a veterinarian, requested by Klinglesmith, indicated there may be a health component, possibly Clostridium bacteria. Clostridium infections can be exacerbated when cattle are harassed — chased by predators, for example — and can lead to sudden death.
Evidence of that is also inconclusive, however. “Microscopic lesions that they would expect to see were not there,” Black said in reference to tests conducted by two different sources. “We’re scratching our heads a little bit. We really don’t know exactly what has occurred up there.”
Black said it’s possible wolves traveling through the area spooked and potentially injured the livestock, exacerbating a preexisting condition, or that livestock guard dogs were to blame, but said there is no evidence of that and that guard dogs are not usually in the area at that time.
“We simply don’t have a solid answer for what’s occurred… We have no evidence of wolves in that area but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there,” Black said, adding they received a handful of anecdotal reports of wolves during hunting season, but nothing confirmed.
As the state of Colorado pushes ahead with plans to introduce endangered gray wolves to the state following the narrow approval of Proposition 114 in 2020, CPW has been working to formulate the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, holding 47 meetings and hosting online comment opportunities for the public. At the Gateway meeting, the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG), formed to seek consensus between wolf advocates and wolf opponents, introduced its final summary of recommendations for the plan. Klinglesmith has been a member of the SAG.
The Commission reported that the SAG “ultimately reached consensus on a wide range of issues” and found “strong convergence even on the most contentious issues.”
The CPW Commission is expected to release the draft management plan for public comment in December, with the final approval coming in April. The timeline for introduction of gray wolves is slated to begin in December 2023.
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
