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Tag: Colorado Parks And Wildlife

  • Colorado park ranger gets 3 years probation in Staunton State Park stabbing hoax

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    The Colorado park ranger accused of stabbing himself in a hoax that sparked a large-scale manhunt at Staunton State Park last August took a plea deal Monday.

    Callum Heskett pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony, and false reporting of an emergency, a misdemeanor, according to a news release from the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

    The plea deal dropped additional charges of attempting to influence a public servant, tampering with evidence, reckless endangerment, obstructing government operations and official misconduct from his case, according to Jefferson County court records.

    Heskett was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and ordered to pay more than $16,000 in restitution, according to the district attorney’s office. That amount, which may be updated in the coming days, accounts for the costs incurred by all the agencies that responded to his fake distress call.

    The former park ranger’s misdemeanor conviction is permanent, but he was granted a deferred sentence on his felony charge, court records show. If Heskett fulfills the terms of his probation, that charge will be removed from his record.

    However, if Heskett violates the probation agreement, he will be sentenced to the Colorado Department of Corrections for a period of between two and six years.

    The investigating officers’ main concern when considering a plea deal was ensuring that Heskett would not be allowed to work as law enforcement again, Deputy District Attorney Michael Rex said during the Monday morning hearing, according to the news release.

    The stabbing hoax convictions will revoke Heskett’s POST certification and bar any future recertification, according to the district attorney’s office.

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  • Former CPW seasonal ranger pleads guilty to ‘elaborate hoax’ stabbing at Staunton State Park

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    JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The former Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) ranger accused of an “elaborate hoax,” claiming he was stabbed in August at Staunton State Park, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts.

    The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Callum Heskett, 26, on several felony and misdemeanor charges on Aug. 21, 2025. He faced charges of attempting to influence a public servant, tampering with evidence — which are both felonies — false reporting to authorities, reckless endangerment, obstructing government operations and second-degree official misconduct, the sheriff’s office said.

    On Monday, Heskett pleaded guilty to attempt to influence a public servant and the false report of an emergency. The remaining counts were dismissed as part of his plea deal Monday.

    Heskett was sentenced to three years of probation under supervision and to pay restitution of approximately $16,000. The district attorney’s office has 21 days to finalize an exact amount.

    As part of the plea agreement, Heskett’s certification for law enforcement in the State of Colorado is revoked and he is barred from future certification to prevent him from working in law enforcement in the future.

    Heskett admitted to using his radio on Aug. 19 to report that he was involved in a “physical confrontation with a subject” when he was working as a CPW seasonal ranger at Staunton State Park.

    When authorities arrived, they found Heskett kneeling in a grassy area along the service road. A deputy saw that Heskett was holding a 3- to 4-inch pocket knife, which appeared to have been stabbed into his lower left abdomen, as Denver7 previously reported from Heskett’s arrest affidavit read.

    At the scene, Heskett told the first responders that he had been traveling up the service road in a CPW Jeep when he saw a man hunched over near a tree, so he stopped to check on him. He claimed that the man stood up, cursed about “the police,” charged at him, grabbed his pocketknife and stabbed him, the affidavit read. Heskett told deputies he was able to deploy pepper spray, and after that the man fled into the woods. At some point during the altercation, Heskett said the suspect punched him in the back of his head and “took him to the ground,” the affidavit read.

    He provided a description of the man to authorities, and then Heskett was brought to an AirLife helicopter, which transported him to a nearby hospital for surgery. At the hospital, a crime scene analyst collected DNA swabs from Heskett. After this, Heskett told authorities he remembered the suspect was wearing a glove, according to his arrest affidavit.

    Meanwhile at the park, the search for the alleged “suspect” had started, with crews on the ground and in the air. A Lookout Alert was sent to 8,600 homes in the area, and multiple schools were put on “lockout” status.

    Prior coverage:

    During the investigation, authorities noticed inconsistencies in Heskett’s story.

    Investigators reviewed the body-worn camera footage from deputies at the scene and noted that Heskett did not appear to have any grass or dirt stains on his back — something they found unusual since he had said the suspect tackled him to the ground. He did have a dirt stain on his knee, and had been kneeling when authorities first arrived. They also did not notice any wounds to his head. The footage did show him appearing to send texts and possibly taking a photo or a video with his phone, Heskett’s arrest affidavit read.

    An analysis of his phone records showed that he had made several searches online regarding how deep arteries are in the lower abdomen and abdominal anatomy. One search read, “$1mil for each time you get stabbed,” according to Heskett’s arrest affidavit.

    Prior to CPW, the City of Lafayette confirmed to Denver7 that Heskett worked at the police department from Oct. 2, 2023, to July 2, 2024. Lafayette Police Chief Rick Bashor sent a termination letter to Heskett after the 26-year-old failed to pass field training. The termination notice was rescinded, though, because Heskett resigned in lieu of termination. Heskett’s resignation letter shows he resigned from his position on July 3, 2024, which is the same day he received the termination letter from the chief.

    *Denver7’s Stephanie Butzer contributed to the background information in this report.

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  • Colorado proposes higher daily fees for out-of-state visitors at state parks

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    ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — Colorado Parks and Wildlife is considering charging out-of-state visitors an extra $5 fee for daily state park passes to increase revenue for its parks’ operating and capital costs.

    The proposal, discussed at the latest CPW meeting, would require vehicles with out-of-state license plates to pay $15-$17 for daily park access, while Colorado residents would continue paying the same rate of $10-$12 depending on the specific park.

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimates that approximately 10% of daily pass sales are purchased by nonresidents. Twenty-two states currently have similar rates in place for out-of-state park visitors.

    Denver7 visited Cherry Creek State Park to gauge reactions from both locals and visitors.

    Brian Mumaugh, an Arapahoe County resident who visits the park on a regular basis, is all for the changes if ongoing maintenance issues are addressed with the added revenue.

    “There’s a bridge that’s been in disrepair for at least a year and-a-half, and they haven’t touched it,” Mumaugh said. “If the money went to repair the paths and the trails and remove debris, five bucks is easy.”

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    State park spotlight: Join Denver7’s Ethan Carlson as he explores CO state parks

    Robb Manus, visiting from New Mexico, discovered the park by happenstance.

    “I was out and about, and I thought I’d grab me a cup of coffee, stopped and saw this park on GPS, pulled it up, and here I am,” he said.

    The park won him over completely — he even said he’d gladly pay higher fees if it meant better maintenance.

    “I don’t mind the fee just as long as the funds is going, you know, to the parks and stuff like that all day,” Manus said. “Most people complain about, oh, $5 here, whatever the fee is. But, you know, you get a cup of coffee, you know, it’s about the same.”

    Colorado’s state parks generated $140 million last fiscal year, with nearly half coming from licenses, permits, and passes.

    A quarter of that revenue goes directly toward maintaining parks and trails.

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife

    CPW Parks Expenditures FY25

    A spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife told Denver7 the additional revenue from the proposed fee hike would support operations and capital costs for maintaining and developing state parks.

    “For the past several years, CPW has had a goal to continue to increase the revenues to conserve, enhance and support Colorado’s remarkable wildlife and state parks resources. This proposal, like the [Keep Colorado Wild Pass], provides for new revenues while keeping park entrance fees affordable.”

    CPW spokesperson

    Some of the planned improvements include:

    • Sweitzer Lake State Park — creating a new archery range and 80+ campgrounds and converting the park from a day-use area
    • Highline West State Park — new trails, upgraded beach facilities and expanded camping and picnic areas
    • Pikes Peak and North Sand Hills — better management of recreational opportunities
    • Cheyenne Mountain — expanding working partnership with the City of Colorado Springs

    The proposal, which is still under consideration by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, comes two months after the National Park Service said it was going to start charging the millions of international tourists who visit U.S. parks each year an extra $100 to enter some of the most popular sites, while leaving them out of fee-free days that will be reserved for American residents.

    Those changes went into effect at the beginning of the year.

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  • Colorado soldiers convicted of poaching deer on Fort Carson, state land

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    Two soldiers at Fort Carson were convicted of poaching mule deer on the military and state land, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said.

    State wildlife officials started investigating in November 2024 after a hunter reported finding a buck that appeared to be poached on the base, the agency said in a news release Tuesday.

    When a CPW officer arrived in the area, they found a partially processed buck that had been abandoned with “select cuts of meat removed and the antlers cut off,” state officials said.

    The officer found a doe 100 yards away that was also partially processed and abandoned, and both locations showed signs of illegal poaching, CPW leaders said in a news release.

    The investigating wildlife officer found evidence to identify a vehicle connected to the case and later found related pictures on social media of Army Sgt. Jacob Curtis Keyser and Staff Sgt. Juan Salcedo.

    Investigators also executed search warrants that uncovered evidence of poaching and trespassing in Keyser’s vehicle and on his phone.

    A third soldier, whom state officials did not name, was fined $900 for disposing of Keyser’s poached venison right before Keyser was interviewed by a state wildlife investigator.

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    Katie Langford

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  • Study finds manmade whitewater parks in Colorado may inhibit fish migration

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    A new study by Colorado Parks and Wildlife researchers suggests man-made whitewater parks that create “play waves” for kayakers and other recreationists are having a negative impact on fish passage.

    Colorado’s rivers are well-loved by both whitewater enthusiasts and anglers. Yet, as whitewater parks have been constructed throughout the state, researchers say the potential impacts on fish and anglers have not always been taken into consideration.

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    Ryan Spencer

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  • Colorado wolf re-released in Grand County after crossing into New Mexico

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    Colorado Parks and Wildlife re-released a wolf into Grand County this week after it had traveled into New Mexico, according to a news release.

    The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish captured gray wolf 2403 and returned the animal to Colorado.

    Colorado wildlife officials decided to release the wolf in Grand County yesterday because of the proximity to “an unpaired female gray wolf,” nearby prey populations and distance from livestock, according to the release.

    “Gray wolf 2403 has been returned to Colorado and released in a location where it can best contribute to CPW’s efforts to establish a self-sustaining wolf population while concurrently attempting to minimize potential wolf-related livestock conflicts,” said acting director of CPW Laura Clellan, according to the release.

    The wolf was once a member of the Copper Creek pack but departed from it this fall.

    A memorandum of understanding between Colorado and Arizona, New Mexico and Utah requires that any gray wolves that leave Colorado and enter those states be returned. That was created in part to maintain the integrity of a Mexican wolf recovery program.

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    Elliott Wenzler

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  • Mountain lion illegally poached, dumped in Colorado canyon

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    State investigators are searching for suspects after the body of an illegally poached mountain lion was found abandoned in a Colorado canyon last week, according to wildlife officials.

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife rangers responded to Taylor Canyon in Gunnison City Mountain Park on Friday after the mountain lion’s carcass was discovered near a group of campsites, according to a news release from the agency.

    The mountain lion, which had been shot in the chest and left in the bushes, was previously part of the agency’s mountain lion density study in Gunnison Basin, wildlife officials said in the release.

    During that study, researchers captured, marked, collared and monitored dozens of mountain lions across western Colorado, according to the agency. Nearly 100 animals were collared between Middle Park and Gunnison Basin.

    “We are looking for leads or information anyone might have that could assist us with this investigation,” CPW District Wildlife Manager Codi Prior said in a statement. “Somebody killed this lion and then dumped its carcass.”

    The poached mountain lion’s carcass was discovered three days before the start of legal mountain lion hunting season in Colorado. The season runs from Nov. 24 to March 31.

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  • Wolf killed in northwest Colorado was likely hit by car, CPW says

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    A Colorado wolf that died this spring in the northwest corner of the state was likely struck by a car, state officials announced Tuesday.

    An investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that the wolf “died from blunt force trauma sustained during a suspected vehicle collision,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release. CPW received a mortality alert from the wolf’s collar on May 31.

    The male wolf, identified by the number 2507, was one of 15 captured in Canada and released in Colorado in January as part of the state’s voter-mandated reintroduction program.

    Five of the 15 wolves brought to the state in January have died, including two that were shot in Wyoming.

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    Elise Schmelzer

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  • CPW seasonal park ranger accused of stabbing hoax did not pass training at previous police department

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    JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) seasonal park ranger, accused of stabbing himself in an “elaborate hoax,” worked briefly as a police officer in Lafayette before the police department moved to terminate him.

    Callum Heskett is facing several felony and misdemeanor charges. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said he stabbed himself in the abdomen with his pocket knife at Staunton State Park, then created a false story about how he got his injuries. Court documents say Heskett told authorities a man at the park attacked him after the man cursed about “the police.” CPW said Heskett was working as a seasonal park ranger.

    Denver7 obtained records from the City of Lafayette, showing Heskett briefly worked as an officer for the Lafayette Police Department. Heskett applied to the department in June 2023, according to his employment application Denver7 obtained through a public records request to the City of Lafayette. However, Lafayette Police Chief Rick Bashor made steps to terminate his employment after Heskett failed to pass field training, according to a termination letter.

    New officers typically go through several months of field training after they graduate from a police academy. The hands-on training period happens under the guidance of field training officers.

    In the termination notice dated July 3, 2024, Chief Bashor said Heskett’s training officers decided he did not demonstrate “sufficient proficiency in critical areas needed to be a police officer.” The notice said despite extensive training, guidance and support during orientation and training, the department determined Heskett did not meet the required standards for the field training, evaluation program and the police department’s standards of conduct.

    The City of Lafayette said the termination notice was rescinded because Heskett resigned in lieu of termination. Heskett’s resignation letter shows he resigned from his position on July 3, 2024, which is the same day he received the termination letter from the chief.

    Denver7 spoke with Chief Rafael Gutierrez with the Louisville Police Department, a neighboring agency that’s similar in size to Lafayette, about why law enforcement agencies may agree to give officers the chance to resign instead of being terminated.

    “If there’s a resignation in lieu of termination, then typically that kind of flags it as maybe that employer is providing that new officer or that new employee with an opportunity to separate, but not necessarily, like lose their certification, or things of that nature,” Louisville Police Chief Gutierrez said.

    Park ranger accused of stabbing hoax didn’t pass training at prior police dept.

    For Gutierrez, it can be concerning to see a job candidate who has resigned in lieu of termination from a previous department.

    “I think anytime that there is somebody separating as a result of a termination, whether it’s for performance… or disciplinary action, certainly that does give me pause, and I would want to do some additional investigation into why that would have occurred,” Gutierrez said.

    For his department, there are many reasons new officers may not pass field training. Gutierrez said it doesn’t happen often, but it happens.

    “There’s a wide variety of criteria that we evaluate a new trainee on when they’re coming into our field training program. So it’s, you know, certainly their ability to manage calls for service, to do things safely, to handle the call load, to obviously, deliver good customer service,” he said.

    The Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) public database shows an officer named Callum Heskett is still certified as a peace officer in Colorado. A POST certification is given after someone completes at least 558 hours of training through a POST-approved basic academy, passes a POST certification exam and a background check, according to updated 2025 standards.

    Denver7 reached out to the City of Lafayette for more information about why the department made the move to terminate Heskett’s employment and if his resignation, in lieu of termination, was reported to Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), the government office that oversees the certification and training of all peace officers in Colorado. We will update this article when we hear back.

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  • Mama bear killed by deputy in Colorado wildlife hazing

    Mama bear killed by deputy in Colorado wildlife hazing

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    A mama bear was fatally shot by a San Juan County sheriff’s deputy in Silverton this week after a beanbag round used to haze wildlife penetrated her stomach.

    Several people called 911 just after 9 p.m. Tuesday to report someone harassing bear cubs near the 1300 block of Greene Street, the sheriff’s office said Thursday.

    A deputy arrived to find a crowd of people in a narrow alley with a mama bear and her two cubs and directed the bystanders to leave the area before using a beanbag round to get the sow off the roof.

    As the bear headed down the block with her cubs, the officer used a second beanbag round to keep her moving out of downtown. The second shot penetrated the bear’s lower abdomen and killed her, the sheriff’s office said.

    Sheriff’s officials contacted Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers, who removed the bear and captured, tagged and relocated the two cubs.

    “The officer involved was acting accordingly, using commonly practiced methods, and attempting to save this bear’s life, not cause any serious harm. This is a most unfortunate incident, and our entire office is saddened by the outcome,” agency officials said in a statement.

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  • Opinion: Colorado ballot measures, again, pit Front Range voters against rural Colorado

    Opinion: Colorado ballot measures, again, pit Front Range voters against rural Colorado

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    Tell me you don’t like rural Coloradans without telling me. That’s what two initiatives will ask the state’s urban-suburban majority to do this November; tell rural folks they’re not welcome in their own state, that their ways are passé, particularly ranching and hunting.

    Initiative 91 would outlaw the hunting of bobcats and mountain lions. The initiative is both unnecessary and a slap in the face to rural populations who live with these predators and take part in their management through hunting. These animals are plentiful and well managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in partnership with hunters, many of whom hail from the rural Western Slope.

    Contrary to advocates’ assertions, Colorado law already prohibits hunting mountain lions for sport; the meat must be harvested for consumption. Initiative 91 not only rejects science-based wildlife management, it is a deliberate affront to the rural way of life which for many includes hunting and fishing.

    Not surprisingly, Colorado’s most recent experience with ballot box biology hasn’t gone well for rural Coloradans. Veal beat venison in a wolf taste test. Thanks to Proposition 114, wolves were reintroduced to western Colorado in December 2023. Soon after, several of them decided to ditch swift deer for slow livestock. They’ve killed 16 calves, cows, and sheep in Grand County alone.

    Ranchers appealed to the state for relief. CPW is planning to trap the depredating wolves to relocate them. During similar trap and relocation efforts in Montana, mated pairs separated and abandoned their pups. Scientists over at CPW knew the potential consequences of bringing back this apex predator and resisted it until a narrow majority of voters forced their hand. If urban voters had known that the romantic notion of wolf reintroduction meant eviscerated livestock and dead puppies, would they have voted differently?

    Wolves won’t be the only ones going after ranchers’ livelihoods if another initiative passes. Denver voters will be asked in November to shut down the 70-year-old employee-owned Superior Farm slaughterhouse near the National Western Stock Show complex. Not only would the employees lose their jobs, the closure will adversely impact sheep ranchers and the state’s economy.

    According to a study by the Colorado State University Regional Economic Development Institute, the business generates around $861 million in economic activity and supports some 3,000 jobs. The Denver facility carries about a fifth of all U.S. sheep processing capacity. If it is not rebuilt elsewhere in Colorado, Colorado ranchers will have fewer options and could go out of business for want of places to send their livestock.

    According to the study, the loss of U.S. processing capacity will prompt markets to replace domestic supply with imports. Consumers will likely pay more for meat. Also, not every country that raises and slaughters sheep has same humane livestock regulations and standards as the U.S.

    A minority of voters could negatively impact the majority not just in Colorado. The people pushing this initiative represent an even smaller minority. They don’t believe humans should eat meat, according to their website, and this is their way to take a bite out of the age-old practice.

    Most vegetarians and vegans are live and let live but a small percentage would like to foist their lifestyle on the rest of us. It only took 2% of registered voters in Denver to push this ballot question that would single out a business for closure, toss its employees out of work, harm ranchers throughout the state, cost the state millions of dollars in economic activity, force markets to import meat, and reduce choices for those who want locally-sourced products.  It’s hard to imagine a worse idea.

    If urban and suburban voters are tempted to support these no-good, feel-good initiatives, they should first visit their neighbors on either side of the Front Range who will be impacted.  A little empathy for rural Colorado is wanting.

    Krista L. Kafer is a weekly Denver Post columnist. Follow her on X: @kristakafer.

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  • Colorado’s next wolves won’t come from Washington tribes, leaving state to search again for new source

    Colorado’s next wolves won’t come from Washington tribes, leaving state to search again for new source

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    The Washington tribes that agreed to provide wolves to Colorado’s reintroduction program have rescinded their offer, forcing state wildlife officials to seek a different source — a search that has proved difficult in the past.

    The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation said they would no longer provide the wolves after speaking with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, which has reservation land in Colorado. The Washington tribes — which had been expected to be a major source for the next round of the reintroduction effort — withdrew their agreement in a June 6 letter to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

    “It has come to our attention that necessary and meaningful consultation was not completed with the potentially impacted tribes,” wrote Jarred-Michael Erickson, chairman of the Colville business council, in the letter. “Out of respect for the sovereignty, cultures and memberships of Indian Tribes in Colorado and neighboring states, who may be impacted by this project, the Colville Tribes cannot assist with this project at this time.”

    Colorado voters in 2020 narrowly decided to reintroduce gray wolves and mandated that state wildlife officials do so by Dec. 31, 2023.

    The plan detailing how CPW will execute the reintroduction effort states that the agency should release a total of 30 to 50 wolves within the next few years, a target it plans to reach by relocating 10 to 15 wolves every winter.

    The controversial vote has caused deep frustration in Colorado’s ranching communities, where people say the wolves will negatively impact their businesses and ways of life. Support for the reintroduction primarily came from urban Front Range communities, while the rural areas where wolves would live opposed the measure.

    Since the first December releases, wolves have killed or injured at least 14 cattle and nine sheep — including 8 sheep killed or injured last weekend.

    Documents from the Colville Tribes’ business council show that the council discussed the issue on June 6 after learning Colorado officials “failed to consult” with the Southern Ute Tribe about the wolves.

    The Southern Ute Indian Tribe has concerns about the wolves potential impact on livestock, deer and elk herds and their use of the Brunot Area hunting rights reserved for tribal members, tribal leadership said Thursday in a statement. Tribal leaders said they would continue to work with Colorado Parks and Wildlife “to establish a framework for working together that enables the state to implement its reintroduction program while simultaneously recognizing the sovereign authority of the Tribe on tribal lands and the interest shared by the Tribe and the State in the Brunot Area.”

    So far, CPW’s monthly maps showing where the wolves have roamed have indicated activity in the central and northern mountains, far from the Southern Utes’ southwestern Colorado reservation. But plans call for the next round of releases to occur farther south.

    Colorado wildlife officials struggled last year to find a state or tribe willing to provide wolves for reintroduction here. The three states identified as ideal for sourcing wolves — Idaho, Montana and Wyoming — all rejected Colorado’s request for wolves.

    CPW spokesman Joey Livingston on Thursday declined to discuss source negotiations and said the agency would issue a statement when it finds a source.

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    Elise Schmelzer

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  • Here’s where Colorado’s wolves roamed in July

    Here’s where Colorado’s wolves roamed in July

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    For the first time since they were reintroduced to the state in December, Colorado’s gray wolves have moved out of central Grand County, state wildlife officials said in their July report.

    In July, the 11 wolves and one pup stayed relatively in the same watershed areas as they did in May and June, traveling between Routt, Jackson, Larimer, Grand, Eagle and Summit counties, according to a new location map released Tuesday by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

    CPW releases a map each month showing which watersheds the state’s collared wolves have traveled in, wildlife officials said. A wolf may or may not remain there now, and it may not have traversed every part of that watershed.

    A map released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife shows collared wolf activity detected by watershed in the mountains between June 25, 2024, and July 23, 2024. (Provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

    The updated map shows wolf activity from June 25 through July 23 in watersheds from the Wyoming border to Interstate 70 and from west of Craig in Moffat County to west of Fort Collins in Larimer County.

    While the monthly maps from December to June have shown wolves using watersheds across Grand County to the border of Boulder County, the July map showcases a lack of data in the area, indicating that wolves didn’t visit the area at all during July.

    The collars record a GPS position every four hours and send the data to state biologists once four locations are recorded, CPW officials said. State officials do not share specific locations to protect the wolves and may “buffer” maps to protect wolves during certain times of year, such as mating season.

    Although July’s map highlighted watershed areas south of Interstate 70, CPW officials said no wolves had passed the major highway and the population was exploring land to the north.

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    Lauren Penington

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  • Man’s body found in John Martin Reservoir State Park in southeast Colorado

    Man’s body found in John Martin Reservoir State Park in southeast Colorado

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    Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff recovered a man’s body from John Martin Reservoir State Park in Bent County on Tuesday morning, the agency said in a news release.

    State officials responded to a report of an abandoned truck and trailer near the reservoir’s west boat ramp around 10 a.m. and found what appeared to be a body floating in the water nearby.

    Agency staff recovered the man’s body and searched the area with sonar to make sure there were no other bodies, CPW said in a news release.

    The man’s identity and cause of death will be released by the Bent County Coroner’s Office. The man was not wearing a life jacket, according to CPW.

    Colorado has seen at least 28 water-related deaths so far in 2024 and is on track to surpass the record high set in 2022, according to an unofficial tally from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

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    Katie Langford

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  • 1 dead, 1 in critical condition after boat hits tubers at Navajo State Park

    1 dead, 1 in critical condition after boat hits tubers at Navajo State Park

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    One person is dead and another in critical condition after a boat hit three tubers at Navajo State Park on Saturday, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

    Around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, a boat hit a tube that was being towed behind another boat near Windsurf Beach at Navajo State Park. People on the two boats called 911 and rangers, as well as Southern Ute police officers, arrived shortly after the incident. Three people were riding on the tube, according to a Saturday news release from CPW.

    One person died at the scene and another was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. The third tuber was not injured, park officials said. The identity of the person who died has not yet been publicly released.

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    Julianna O'Clair

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  • First Colorado gray wolf pup spotted in Grand County

    First Colorado gray wolf pup spotted in Grand County

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    Gray wolves reintroduced to Colorado in December have reproduced for the first time, giving birth to at least one pup spotted in Grand County.

    Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials started gathering evidence a gray wolf pair was denning in early April, when a collared female gray wolf stopped showing up on GPS tracking for part of the month before reappearing.

    Her disappearance matched with the expected breeding season, and state biologists confirmed one wolf pup in Grand County on Tuesday, the agency said in a news release.

    Parks and Wildlife worked to confirm the pup during routine wolf monitoring efforts, which include observations by air and ground, remote cameras and public sightings.

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    Katie Langford

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  • Colorado’s second wolf depredation incident confirmed in Jackson County

    Colorado’s second wolf depredation incident confirmed in Jackson County

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    JACKSON COUNTY, Colo. — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) on Monday confirmed a wolf depredation incident in northern Colorado, marking the second depredation incident since the animal’s reintroduction began in December 2023.

    The incident was reported in Jackson County on April 7. A CPW wildlife officer found injuries on a dead calf consistent with wolf depredation, including a partially consumed hindquarter, according to the agency. Partial wolf tracks were also found in the area.

    CPW said it is aware of four wolves in the area, three of which were released in December. The agency said it would not provide specific information about the location or involved animal in order to protect the animals.

    Environment

    CPW confirms first report of wolf depredation on livestock since reintroduction

    10:35 AM, Apr 03, 2024

    In line with the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, the livestock producer — who has not been identified — is eligible for fair market value compensation if they submit a claim, CPW said.

    The first depredation incident was reported in Grand County on April 2. Travis Duncan with CPW confirmed the wolf or wolves involved were part of the 10 animals that were reintroduced in December.

    The agency said it will deploy range riders and other tools in the coming weeks to help ranchers with non-lethal deterrence.

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    Sydney Isenberg

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  • CPW: Colorado saw fewer human-bear conflicts in 2023

    CPW: Colorado saw fewer human-bear conflicts in 2023

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    DENVER — Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported Monday a decrease in human-bear conflicts in the state last year.

    The agency said the drop in sightings and conflicts is likely due to good natural food production compared to previous years.

    CPW said the agency received 3,526 reports of sightings and conflicts with the state’s estimated 17,000 to 20,000 bears in 2023, which is a 21% drop from the average number of reports received in 2019 – 2023.

    “Of the 3,526 reports CPW received in 2023, 1,795 resulted in property damage to a shed, garage, home, vehicle, fence, etc. Around 92 percent of property damage reported from bears is linked to an attractant of some kind, with over 51 percent linked to trash, 20 percent to livestock, chickens and beehives, and 19 percent to bird seed, pet food, barbeque grills, coolers and refrigerators,” the agency wrote in a news release.

    The wildlife agency’s northwest region, which is home to state’s largest bear population, received 1,228 reports in 2023, a 35% reduction from the previous year.

    Despite good natural forage in the area, an unreasonable number of bears were reported entering homes, CPW said.

    The wildlife agency said most of the reports involve bears trying to access human food sources and they are urging residents to remove attractants to reduce conflicts.

    Below is the number of reports and bears euthanized and relocated by CPW annually since 2020:

    • 2023: 3,526 reports, 33 relocated, 63 euthanized
    • 2022: 4,147 reports, 59 relocated, 94 euthanized
    • 2021: 3,598 reports, 51 relocated, 66 euthanized
    • 2020*: 4,806 reports, 118 relocated, 158 euthanized

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    Robert Garrison

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  • Bald eagle couple in Colorado lays new egg after losing eaglets two years in a row

    Bald eagle couple in Colorado lays new egg after losing eaglets two years in a row

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    How bald eagles adapted to the modern world


    New book looks at efforts being made to help bald eagles survive, thrive

    08:13

    A bald eagle couple living in a Colorado park has laid its first egg of the season, after tragically losing two offspring consecutively in 2021 and 2022.

    The expecting parents, who are monitored by a live camera that people around the world can tune into, laid the egg on Sunday afternoon, the Standley Lake Regional Park shared on Monday.

    “The incubation period will last for about 35 days, and then we will keep a lookout for a baby eaglet!” the park said Sunday on Facebook. They added in a Monday post that, “we have decided to call the male and female bald eagles at Standley Lake ‘Dad’ and ‘Mom’.” 

    If all stays on schedule, we can expect to spot a new baby eaglet sometime in April.

    Standley Lake has been a bit of an oasis for nesting bald eagle pairs since 1993, according to the park. And while the location has proven pretty ideal for the current bald eagle couple that is featured on the live camera, due to the nearby water and accessible sources of food, they have had to face some difficult hurdles in the last couple of years.

    In 2021, the pair’s nest collapsed, killing their only weeks-old eaglet named SL1. After their nest was destroyed, the mother and father decided to relocate a little further into the wilderness of the park, forcing park staff to reposition the live camera to capture a distant view of the eagle couple.

    A year later, F420 and her partner lost two more eaglets, SL2 and SL3, though the reason why is not clear.

    According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are nearly 317,000 bald eagles living in the country at the moment, including almost 71,500 nesting pairs.

    Simrin Singh

    Simrin Singh is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.

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