Colorado’s recently reintroduced wolves continue to expand their range, with the latest map from Colorado Parks and Wildlife showing them moving across the Western Slope toward the state’s shared western border with Utah, according to The Post Independent.

CPW tracks wolf movement patterns via the animal’s GPS collars. GPS coordinates are recorded every four hours. The most current coordinate map, which shows where the state’s collared gray wolves were between Aug. 26 and Sept. 23, shows that, for the most part, wolves stayed within watersheds already familiar to them: Gunnison, Pitkin, Eagle, Summit, Grand and Routt counties. 

However, some new activity also shows wolves moving in Garfield, Rio Blanco, and Mesa counties, which run along the state’s border with Utah. Wolf activity also popped up in Saguache, Mineral, and Rio Grande counties, which are located in the southern portion of the state.

Should they actually cross into Utah, Colorado already has an agreement with the neighboring state that “any gray wolves that cross over can be captured and returned,” according to The Post Independent. If a wolf decides to cross north into Wyoming, that same agreement doesn’t hold. In fact, they can be shot without a license – and three of Colorado’s reintroduced wolves were killed that way after crossing into Wyoming. 

CPW continues to monitor dens, trying to determine a minimum count of pups – and the state’s wolf population in general. The current minimum count, which appeared in the June annual report, was 29 wolves. Since then, according to The Post Independent, about six have died and more have been born.

Stay tuned to GOHUNT for further updates.