Gov. Jared Polis recently blamed ranchers for the $5 million spent reintroducing 10 wolves to Colorado by forcing wildlife officials to look farther afield for donations of wolves when several states and an Indian tribe refused to do so.

Polis responded to requests to pause the next release of 10 to 15 wolves, saying, “It’s the law. Once the law is done, you just got to get on board and make it successful.”

Ranchers have been begging Polis not to stack the deck against them since the 2020 citizen initiative, Proposition 114, passed.

Protecting their cattle is taking a toll on the health of Middle Park ranchers like Doug Bruchez, who told The Denver Gazette that the stress of working day and night and still losing livestock to wolves has driven his blood pressure to dangerous levels. Other ranchers are working on very little sleep because they must stay up with their herds to prevent killings.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 46 animals have been confirmed to have been killed by wolves to date, costing taxpayers $17,655 for depredation claims.

Ranchers say the actual toll is much higher. Unless CPW officers find fresh forensic evidence that a wolf killed the animal, the state will not pay and the death will not be attributed to wolves.

Ranchers complain that CPW is sometimes dilatory and that investigators do not show up before the evidence of a wolf attack on a carcass has been lost.

Other ranchers say they are afraid to make depredation claims because their names and addresses are available to the public, and some ranchers have been harassed and threatened for reporting wolf depredation.