As part of its ongoing effort to keep the public and livestock producers informed, Colorado Parks and Wildlife released an updated map showing the recent movements of collared wolves across the state. The map was created using GPS data from all functioning collars in Colorado.

The March 2024 edition of the map, now available on Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s website, provides a comprehensive overview of the whereabouts of collared wolves in the region from Feb. 28 to March 25.

The map is refreshed monthly on the fourth Wednesday of each month and reflects data from the previous 30 days. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, there have been no reported wolf mortalities or instances of livestock depredation in the past month.

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However, recent developments have highlighted challenges in maintaining uninterrupted collar functionality.

One collar, previously placed on a wolf translocated from Oregon, has stopped transmitting signals. Despite this malfunction, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed the wolf’s survival through visual sightings from aircraft. Furthermore, the wolf has been traveling alongside another wolf fitted with a functioning collar, enabling continued monitoring of both wolves.

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A collar on a separate wolf has also been flagged as partially functional, raising concerns about its future operability.

The collars are programmed to record the wearers’ positions every four hours. However, factors such as cloud cover and terrain can impact the frequency of data transmission.

While the mapping of the collar data can provide insights into the wolves’ past movements, it does not offer real-time tracking capabilities or predictions for future behavior or movement.

To safeguard the wolf population, specific GPS data will not be disclosed to the public. Instead, the map delineates watersheds where collared wolves have been detected within the last 30 days. The use of watersheds, also known as Hydrologic Unit Codes, aims to balance specificity with confidentiality.

Explaining the rationale behind using watersheds, Colorado Parks and Wildlife emphasized that wolves are more likely to navigate based on geographic features than political boundaries. By sharing information at the HUC 10 level, Colorado Parks and Wildlife hopes to provide stakeholders with meaningful insights while protecting individual wolf identities.

It’s crucial to note that wolf activity within a watershed boundary doesn’t necessarily imply continuous presence throughout the entire area, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

In order for a watershed to indicate wolf activity, at least one GPS position had to have been recorded within the boundaries of the watershed. An indication of wolf activity does not mean that a wolf or wolves were present throughout the entire watershed.

As the number of collared wolves decreases over time due to factors like collar failure, loss, or natural reproduction, the map’s accuracy may diminish. Furthermore, Colorado Parks and Wildlife retains the discretion to buffer maps during sensitive periods — such as breeding or denning seasons — to safeguard wolf welfare. Nevertheless, efforts will be made to maintain at least two collars within each wolf pack for long-term monitoring purposes.

For additional information and education materials about wolves in Colorado, visit the CPW Wolves in Colorado website.