Wolves welcome

Eric Odell wasn’t raised by wolves, but he’ll be living with them, along with the other people who call western Colorado home.

Eric is the Wolf Conservation Program Manager at Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He’s in charge of the agency’s plan to reintroduce and manage gray wolves (Canis lupis) in western Colorado. The project is mandated by state law. In 2020, Colorado citizens voted to begin reintroducing wolves in the state by December 31, 2023.

So, partnering with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Colorado Parks and Wildlife captured 10 healthy wolves (six females and four males), fitted them with GPS collars, and released them on public land in Grand and Summit counties in December 2023. Among the newcomers, one pair has already mated and delivered pups.

Next year, CPW plans to bring another 10 to 15 animals to the state. The goal is to establish a population of wolves that are self-sustaining.

The people’s choice

If you’re wondering how the wolf reintroduction proposition got on the ballot, it started with a movement by Colorado residents, standing outside of grocery stores and in other public places, collecting signatures for the petition to reestablish wolves in the state. With sufficient signatures gathered, the proposition was put to the voters and became law. It’s CPW’s duty to carry out that law.

Reestablishing wolves in the state is slightly more complicated than catching and releasing them. To ensure success, Colorado Parks and Wildlife first gathered input from stakeholders of every persuasion — from wolf lovers and haters, from ranchers and hunters to passionate wildlife advocates. The agency also sought advice and logistical help from groups actively involved in wolf management and restoration in Idaho and Yellowstone.

Eric is keenly aware of the challenges of reintroducing wolves to places where they may not be welcome. He says that wolves are far and away the most polarizing species he’s been involved with, and he’s dealt with plenty of species. As a wildlife agency, CPW is responsible for managing all the wildlife in the state, from deer and elk to fish, pollinators, bats, and songbirds. The organization takes its responsibility seriously and has already reintroduced quite a few species, including Canada lynx in southwestern Colorado and black footed ferrets across the state, among other species.

Leading the pack

Colorado and wolves have a history. Though they once lived throughout the state, by the mid 1940s wolves were all but eradicated. That’s why the initiative is called a reintroduction. They were here before. The state is simply inviting them to come back.

Colorado’s wolf reintroduction marks the first time that any state wildlife agency has reintroduced wolves. When wolves were brought back to Yellowstone National Park, it was the park that led the initiative. And when Idaho reintroduced wolves in the mid 1990s, the effort was led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nez Perce tribe. It is also the first time that a ballot initiative has directed an agency to reintroduce a carnivore species.

Lured by science

As a Colorado native, Eric’s career with Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a labor of love. RMBL can take some credit for steering him in that direction. When he was an undergraduate at Middlebury College in Vermont, one of his professors, Dr. Kristina Jones, recruited him to spend a summer in Gothic assisting in field work. After that, Eric made every effort to get back to RMBL. He did two summers of course work and spent another summer on a field crew with Dr. Bobbi Peckarsky. He even spent time as a winter caretaker.

He had always been interested in finding answers and collecting and analyzing data to do so. But it wasn’t until he got to Gothic that he discovered how interesting ecological science was. He also crossed paths with highly respected scientists. The experience made him realize that he could have a career doing important work in conservation. He’s been with Colorado Parks and Wildlife since 2000.

Restoring a wolf population is a historic event for Colorado, and Eric takes pride in being part of it. He knows that managing the species requires handling the interactions among wolves, people, and livestock. Conflicts are inevitable. Ultimately, finding ways to help a self-sustaining population of wolves and important agricultural industries live together will be the key to success.

Like the wildlife he oversees, Eric and his agency will have to adapt. If they’re successful, the people and wolves in Colorado will do something remarkable. Coexist.

Eric grew up in Colorado and gained a strong appreciation of the outdoors from an early age. He attended Middlebury College in Vermont, traveled extensively for a variety of field jobs, and then began graduate school at Colorado State University, where he earned a master’s degree in wildlife biology. He began working for the Colorado Division of Wildlife in 2000 and has worked for that agency, now Colorado Parks and Wildlife, in a variety of capacities since then — as a habitat biologist in an NRCS field office, as a conservation biologist, as the grassland coordinator, a species conservation coordinator, and now as the Wolf Conservation Program Manager. He has directed conservation and management programs to help establish and protect the state’s native, non-game carnivore species. He is the biological lead for the wolf reintroduction effort for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.