Colorado Parks and Wildlife has released their wolf tracking map that accounts for January 27 through February 24 and there are several interesting takeaways.

Before digging into this map, it’s crucial to note that the inclusion of any highlighted area does not mean that wolves were present in the entire highlighted area, merely that at least one wolf was detected within the boundaries of the highlighted watershed at some point during the established timeframe. It’s also worth noting that inclusion of a watershed doesn’t mean wolves are still in this area, merely that wolves were present in the watershed over the last 29 days.

With that said, those who have been following along with each month’s maps may notice that wolves have appeared in a watershed that extends directly south of Pueblo of the first time. Also worth noting is that there seems to have been more wolf travel in southern Colorado during this period, too.

One watershed area in particular where it appears wolves have been present for the first time is found between Cañon City and Pueblo, dissected by Highway 50.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife report makes a point to note that no wolves have crossed I-25, nor have wolves spent time near urban centers. It’s also worth noting that the map may be a bit misleading, as only two wolves are responsible for much of the activity in the San Luis Valley and the southern Front Range area. Meanwhile, wolves that are part of a pack have been observed traveling less, establishing a territory opposed to making broad movements.

In the event that wolves are spotted near human development, Coloradans should check out the Colorado Parks and Wildlife ‘Living with Wolves’ page for advice. Per state experts, wolves are likely to avoid human contact, but either way, it’s good to know how to react if an encounter occurs.

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