Wolf spotted near Aspen?

Rockskipper

Rockskipper

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www.postindependent.com

Hikers suspect they saw a wolf at Crater Lake in Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness

Jim and LuAnne Spurrell were hiking the trail alongside Crater Lake in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness close to dusk Tuesday night when the alarmed cries of an animal stopped them in their tracks. They pivoted...
www.postindependent.com www.postindependent.com

My sister and I saw a wolf one winter on Cochetopa Pass in SW Colorado many years ago. There was no mistaking what it was.
 
There's no doubt that wolves wander down to CO occasionally, but I'm skeptical about unverified sightings in extremely popular areas (like Crater Lake). I've just seen one too many coyotes identified as "definitely a wolf" by others to not be a little cynical.

That said, with the much reduced human traffic in the wilderness this year, it may be more likely than usual.
 
Not to discount the wolf sighting outright because in all likelihood, there are wolves roaming Colorado now, but I have a few mistaken wildlife stories. When I lived in Colorado 30+ years ago, a touron mentioned they had seen a wolf that day. I asked if they were sure it wasn't a coyote, they said they didn't know coyotes lived there.

Just read the article, sounds like there's quite a few wolves in CO now.
 
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A wolf was shot in Southern Utah in 2014, I believe. Near Beaver. DWR verified it. It was believed that it was seen in the Grand Canyon North Rim too. Came 500 miles from Wyoming. They could be anywhere by now.
 
Another article:

www.postindependent.com

Wildlife officials say possible wolf sightings picking up in Aspen region

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is assessing a reported wolf sighting in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness on Tuesday evening. The agency’s Glenwood Springs office has received five wolf reports since
www.postindependent.com www.postindependent.com

Yamashita said the wolf sightings reported this year to the Glenwood Springs office include one at the Eagle-Routt county line, the western side of Lake County, the Vail area and the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.
 
I was wanting to stay at a resort rental near the wildlands near Targhee (Driggs) partly because all the reviews said they heard wolves every night while there. I know there is at least one pack in the area at Fred's Hill, maybe two.

It then occurred to me that it was very likely people were hearing coyotes and mistaking them for wolves. This dawned on me because last night I heard coyotes howling out my window, and I'm staying in that same area.

Never underestimate your fellow humans' lack of experience, especially with wild stuff.
 
Tens if not hundreds of thousands of people every year see and often take pictures of bears they are "positive" are grizzlies only to be told or shown they were actually cinnamon/blonde black bears. It's entirely possible these folks saw a wolf but color me quite skeptical as well.

Can wolves learn to live in greater numbers in far more densely populated Colorado? Perhaps, some wolves seem to have succeeded at it in Italy, but the fact wolves are leaving Greater Yellowstone, the greatest mammalian habitat of the Temperate Zone, for points very far afield makes me think it will be an incredible uphill battle with Colorado having nothing remotely like the 22,000,000 acres of Greater Yellowstone. I've seen wolves wander tremendous distances in and around the southern Absaroka. There's just nothing like the biggest sub-range in the Rockies in Colorado. Even the Weminuche is small compared to several wilderness areas in the Northern Rockies.

Rockskipper I hope you can make it to Victor for Music on Main Thursday night.
 
Rockskipper said:
I was wanting to stay at a resort rental near the wildlands near Targhee (Driggs) partly because all the reviews said they heard wolves every night while there. I know there is at least one pack in the area at Fred's Hill, maybe two.

It then occurred to me that it was very likely people were hearing coyotes and mistaking them for wolves. This dawned on me because last night I heard coyotes howling out my window, and I'm staying in that same area.

Never underestimate your fellow humans' lack of experience, especially with wild stuff.
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I've seen some big coyotes in Yellowstone before as well, so I can see how someone would get mixed up when they're not sure of the differences.
 
For years folks have said they've seen grizzlies in the San Juans, No tracks, no hair samples. I think we all know they were almost certainly cinnamon/blonde black bears. We know wolves have indeed wandered Colorado in recent years but I am always amazed no investigative steps seem to ever be taken to corroborate wildlife sightings.
 
Doug Peacock funded a few summers' worth of grizzly surveys in the San Juans in the 90's but looking for one or two of any species is tough and expensive!

Agencies do not typically have the money to drop into such surveys that are effective. Looking for signs of grizzlies is even tougher as any remaining bears will have only survived by staying away from people. Add to that the fact that they disappear for 5-7 months a year. and the task is daunting. Wolves are a little easier as they tend to travel a lot more, which leaves more sign and more opportunity to be seen. Plus they are out and about during the winter months when photo, aerial or tracking surveys are most efficient/effective.

Knowing there is/are one or 2 out there is not really very important, on its own, for conservation purposes. Also, letting word spread that there is a pack of wolves in an area only invites the haters to try to eliminate them, as is what likely happened with the Brown's Park wolves.

Add in the fact that so many reports of whatever species are erroneous, it would become an expensive wild goose chase in a hurry. For instance, the number of times I have heard or seen people identifying marmots as wolverines is shocking.
 
Outdoor_Fool said:
For instance, the number of times I have heard or seen people identifying marmots as wolverines is shocking.
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Yeah, this is exactly why I'm skeptical of people claiming to have seen grizzlies and wolves in places where they haven't been sighted for decades. Although I always hope deep down that they're right.

Someone claimed to have seen a grizzly in Truman Gulch in the Bridgers early this summer, but of course, once they posted photos, it was obviously a cinnamon black bear. The marmot-wolverine mix up is next level comedy.
 
We have coyotes, some pretty large, living in the area below our house. We hear them quite a bit, it is more of a yelp instead of a howl.
 
I swore I saw a cinnamon black bear one day up Teton Canyon, until the camp host said they were getting ready to close the campground because a grizzly was being problematic. He showed me a photo he'd taken, and sure enough, my cinnamon blackie. I was so disappointed to think it was just a grizzly. :)

ETA I just made all that up. I've never seen a bear up there, though I have seen lots of wolverines.
 
AK Basin has had problem black bears over the years. I saw one on the Face Trail of Table Mountain about 8 years ago.
 
They close the campgrounds in Teton Canyon a lot for bear activity. Mostly from people leaving their trash and food out.
 
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