When Colorado Parks and Wildlife stopped killing wolves that repeatedly prey on livestock on September 30, 2026, survival rates got most of the attention. But another fact sat behind that decision: no new wolves are coming. Colorado has not released a wolf since January 2025, and CPW still has no source for this winter.
Our earlier post covered the count of 45 wolves and the pause itself. This one explains why the supply of wolves dried up, what the federal government has to do with it, and the three decisions that will shape the program’s next year. For the latest numbers, see the Colorado Wolf Tracker.
At a glance
- Wolves released so far
- 25, over two winters (10 from Oregon in December 2023, 15 from British Columbia in January 2025)
- Wolves counted now
- 45 as of September 24, 2026, including 20 pups born this year
- Releases planned for winter 2026–27
- None confirmed; CPW says it is still exploring options
- The plan's goal
- 30 to 50 translocated wolves over three to five years
- Next decision point
- Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting, November 4–5, 2026, in Fort Morgan
- Federal status
- Colorado manages its wolves as an "experimental" population under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act
How many wolves the plan called for
Colorado voters approved Proposition 114 in November 2020, directing the state to restore gray wolves west of the Continental Divide. The state’s Wolf Restoration and Management Plan recommends translocating 30 to 50 wolves over three to five years. CPW says that is the number experts agreed gave the best chance of building a self-sustaining population.
Colorado has reached 25. The first 10 came from Oregon in December 2023. Another 15 came from British Columbia in January 2025. By January 2026, 11 of those 25 translocated wolves had died, according to the Colorado Sun.
The good news is that wolves are breeding. CPW now recognizes four reproducing packs: One Ear in Jackson County, Three Creeks in Rio Blanco County, Copper Creek in Pitkin County and Piney Ridge in Eagle County. A fifth group of four siblings travels together, and several lone wolves could pair up this winter. Twenty pups were born in 2026.
The harder number is adult survival. CPW’s 2025–26 annual report put it at 61%, based on a sample of 28 wolves and 10 known deaths. That’s below the roughly 75% CPW calls typical for a population that isn’t hunted. CPW noted the estimate has a wide margin of error because the sample is small. In a small population, each adult that dies matters more, and that is why new wolves were part of the plan.
Why the wolves stopped coming
Finding wolves has always depended on someone else agreeing to give them up. Here is how each option closed.
The northern Rockies said no early. Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have declined Colorado’s requests for wolves for years, according to Colorado Public Radio.
Oregon supplied the first 10, then stopped. Oregon allowed the first captures in 2023 but has declined to send more.
British Columbia said yes, then the federal government stepped in. CPW signed an agreement with British Columbia in July 2025 to bring in 10 to 15 more wolves. On October 10, 2025, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik ordered Colorado to stop any effort to capture or release wolves from outside the northern Rocky Mountain area, which covers Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, the eastern parts of Oregon and Washington, and north-central Utah. The agency said importing Canadian wolves violated the federal rule that lets Colorado manage its population.
The two sides read that rule differently. Colorado and several legal groups argue it names the northern Rockies as a preferred source, not the only one. Livestock and hunting groups, including the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, argue the British Columbia wolves were never allowed.
Washington and the Colville Tribes declined. Colorado turned to Washington state, but Washington’s wildlife commission rejected the request in November 2025, citing problems in its own wolf population. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in eastern Washington also opted out. Colorado Public Radio reported the tribe cited opposition among tribal nations within Colorado.
The federal pressure went further. In a December 2025 letter, Nesvik warned that the Fish and Wildlife Service could revoke Colorado’s authority to manage wolves under its 10(j) rule unless the state met certain conditions, and asked for a full account of CPW’s wolf management since 2023. We have not found any public record that the threat was carried out or withdrawn.
On January 21, 2026, CPW confirmed there would be no releases that winter. “When populations are small, the contribution of each individual is especially significant,” said Eric Odell, CPW’s wolf program manager.
Nine months later, the picture hasn’t changed. In its September 30 announcement, CPW said it will “continue to explore options” for more translocations but named no source.
What it means for the pause on killing wolves
Without new wolves, the population can only grow through the wolves already here. That is the link between the sourcing problem and CPW’s September decision. The agency said it was concerned the population might not grow this biological year, which runs through March 31, 2027, and suspended its chronic depredation directive. Any future removal will be judged case by case, using what CPW calls a “very conservative approach.”
Since April 1, 2026, CPW had killed five wolves for repeated attacks on livestock. Two of those were uncollared yearling males killed in early September, one from the Copper Creek Pack in Pitkin County and one from the Three Creeks Pack in Rio Blanco County, each tied to four confirmed attacks.
The livestock side
The losses are real and growing. CPW reported 14 livestock killed in September alone and 57 since the start of 2026, according to Colorado Politics. In all of 2025, wolves killed 36 livestock and one working dog. Colorado Politics also reported that the state’s wolf compensation pool is funded at $350,000 a year, and that CPW has paid about $1.7 million to ranchers over two years, drawing on other funds when claims run past that amount.
A coalition of agricultural groups, including the Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Colorado Livestock Association, Colorado Wool Growers Association and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, condemned the decision. Colorado Farm Bureau President Carlyle Currier said it “directly contradicts stakeholder input” gathered over years.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, who represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, said he strongly disagreed with the suspension. “Ranchers should not be expected to absorb repeated losses while the state changes the rules,” he said. State Sen. Byron Pelton, a Sterling Republican, predicted the decision would cost CPW goodwill with landowners, whose partnership the agency depends on to manage wildlife.
The wolf advocates’ side
Wolf advocates welcomed the pause but want it to go further. The Rocky Mountain Wolf Project said the population of 45 shows “real promise.” Its board chair, Courtney Vail, listed the program’s uncertainties: trouble securing wolves, disease, high human-caused deaths and uncertain pup survival.
On October 13, the Endangered Species Coalition called CPW’s shift welcome but overdue. It asked for a full moratorium on killing wolves and urged CPW to pursue more translocations for winter 2026–27.
Three decisions that shape the next year
1. The November commission meeting. The Parks and Wildlife Commission meets November 4–5, 2026, in Fort Morgan. Two citizen petitions about wolves are before the commission. The first, from a coalition of wolf advocates that includes WildEarth Guardians, the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center and the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, would end compensation for indirect losses, such as lower birth rates and lighter calves. Colorado Politics reported those payments made up a substantial share of recent claims, and that the commission is expected to discuss the petition in November. The second petition asks for stricter rules on when wolves that attack livestock can be killed.
2. A new removal policy by April 1, 2027. CPW says it will work with ranchers, conservation groups and others to revisit the chronic depredation directive. Any changes would take effect at the start of the next biological year.
3. Whether any wolves arrive this winter. CPW is still looking. If none come, the population depends entirely on the survival of the wolves already in Colorado. That includes two packs in northwest Colorado where CPW is investigating hair loss that could point to an infectious skin parasite.
How to follow along or comment
- Comment on the November meeting. Written comments are due by October 29 at 11:59 p.m. MT. Sign-up for virtual comment closes October 30 at noon MT. Details are on the Parks and Wildlife Commission page.
- Read the petitions. CPW posts citizen petitions on its rules and regulations page.
- Track the numbers. Our Colorado Wolf Tracker updates whenever CPW releases new counts.
- Learn the species. Our gray wolf profile covers its history and status in Colorado.
We’ll update this article after the November 4–5 meeting.
Related: Is the Gray Wolf Being Delisted? What the Federal Push Means for Colorado
