Colorado’s wolves returned to areas near the Utah border this month, though most wolf activity remained confined to the state’s more mountainous terrain.
At least one wolf was present in the watersheds north and west of Grand Junction, according to . The map identifies watersheds where at least one wolf was present between Aug. 26 and Tuesday.
Wolves were active in the area between Grand Junction and the Utah border earlier this year, but they retreated from the far western region over the summer.
Much of the wolves’ territory has been consistent over the year, centered around the spine of the Rocky Mountains that runs through the center of the state. The most recent map shows wolves as far north as the Wyoming border, north of Craig, and as far south as Wolf Creek Pass, near South Fork. The farthest east a wolf traveled in the last month or so was in the watersheds around Winter Park and Berthoud Pass.
Twenty-one collared wolves currently roam Colorado, and at least 10 pups were born this summer in the state’s four packs.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife plans to release up to 15 more wolves this winter to continue the state’s voter-mandated wolf reintroduction program, which began releasing animals captured outside the state in late 2023.
