Activity map confirms presence of wolves in Gunnison County

The most recent November map of gray wolf activity throughout Colorado shows at least one animal has been active in Gunnison County. The map also shows wolves are closer to the Front Range than previous records have indicated, exploring the watershed surrounding central Boulder County and northern Jefferson County. 

While initially released in northwest Colorado, wolves are known to travel far distances: as far as 600 miles from their home ranges and up to 30 miles a day. In the two years since reintroduction efforts got underway in the Rocky Mountain State, monthly maps issued by CPW highlight watersheds where wolves have traversed. GPS collars on the wolves have allowed CPW to track the animals as they explore their new home, though information on exact locations is not provided to the public. 

The collars are programmed to record a position every four hours and send that information over satellite to CPW biologists. Looking at the data, CPW staff can see where wolves have been, but they cannot tell where wolves are at any given point in time. There is also no way to predict where wolves might be going next. 

While GPS data on the location of the wolves hasn’t been made publicly available by CPW to protect the safety of the animals, wildlife managers will be notified if wolves migrate into their areas who will be in contact with local ranchers. As wolf populations become established, CPW has also said they will develop territory maps showing which areas each wolf pack is primarily inhabiting. 

In addition to exploring closer to the Denver metro area, wolves have made their ways outside of state borders, with at least one venturing into Utah and others into Wyoming. 

The latest map has also indicated that wolves have been detected close to tribal lands in Colorado, CPW confirmed. The wildlife agency currently has a memorandum of understanding in place with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, which addresses collaboration on how the program will manage wolves specifically in the Brunot Treaty Area in southwest Colorado. 

CPW asks that wolf sightings be reported to the agency through its website. Photos and videos are helpful if available, as is information on paw prints. CPW recommends placing an item alongside the print for size comparison, as coyote tracks are often mistaken for wolves. Prints from wolves are roughly twice the size of coyotes at about five inches long for front paws and four inches long for back paws.