Wolf advocate calls citation for Colorado hunter who mistakenly killed wolf 'unacceptable' – Denver7

DIVIDE, Colo. — One of the people who helped lay the foundation for the plan that reintroduced wolves into Colorado is concerned about the future of the program after the state agency responsible for the apex predator issued a fine of roughly $140 to a hunter who mistakenly killed a wolf.
Wolf 2504, a female, was reintroduced to Colorado from Canada. On Aug. 10, officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced that the wolf was shot and killed by a hunter who thought the animal was a coyote near the start of the year.
Gray wolves are a protected endangered species on both the state and federal levels.
The licensed hunter was cited for violating CPW regulations, resulting in a $139.50 fine and 5 suspension points. The agency decided not to pursue further charges.
In a statement provided to Denver7, a CPW spokesperson said some key factors in their decision included the hunter immediately reporting the incident, their full cooperation with the agency during the investigation, and the “genuine remorse” they showed.
However, those working at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center in Divide believe the agency should have pursued harsher penalties.
“This was a huge, devastating blow for a wolf population. It’s not just because the incident happened; it’s because of the way that it was handled,” said Kelly Murphy, the assistant director at the center. “It sets a terrible precedent… If you get off with a slap on the wrist and you get a fine of $139.50, what does that tell everybody else in our state that doesn’t want wolves here?”

The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center cares for a number of wolves and other animals on their property in Southern Colorado, where Darlene Kobobel found her calling.
“When I was a little girl, my biggest fear in the world was a wolf,” Kobobel said. “As I grew up and educated myself, I started learning that they are amazing animals.”
Kobobel was a member of CPW’s Wolf Stakeholder Advisory Group, which made recommendations for the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan after voters approved the apex predator’s reintroduction in 2020.
“At the time, we had no wolves here in Colorado. So that was my main mission of, maybe someday, with all this education, we could bring wolves back,” Kobobel explained. “I was very excited at the beginning, honestly. And now I’m concerned.”
Gray wolves were officially reintroduced to the state in 2023.
“We’re trying to bring back an endangered species, and we’ve already lost over half of them right now,” Kobobel said about the struggles of the wolf population since reintroduction.
Watch Denver7’s full interview with Kelly Murphy and Darlene Kobobel below:
Kobobel and Murphy introduced Denver7 to a number of the wolves at the center, which ranged from adult wolves to six-month-old pups. They also have coyotes on the property.
“Even our smallest and daintiest wolf still is very easy to distinguish from a coyote,” Murphy said. “Wolves have sort of smaller, rounded-off ears, and coyotes have very tall and pointed ears, sort of like a fox.”
In addition to differences in size and stature, Murphy said the wolves at the center were currently in their summer coats. When wolf 2504 was killed, Murphy said she would have had a winter coat, which would have made her appear even larger.
“It just really makes you scratch your head on how that accident even occurred to begin with,” said Murphy.
The two also provided Denver7 with a snapshot of comments they said they found on a social media post about wolf 2504, one of which said, “Take notes, folks. Remember ‘I thought it was a coyote, officer.’ Bank that one.”
“This is exactly what we expected and why we were so fearful when there were so minimal penalties that were being brought down on this person,” Murphy said.
“Everybody makes mistakes, but you have to pay the consequences for it,” Kobobel added. “This is unacceptable, and public trust too is going to be diminished and is already because of this.”
Denver7 brought these concerns to CPW, which sent over a statement that said, in part, that their decision not to pursue harsher penalties “was determined by the circumstances of the incident, and the ethical choice made by the hunter.”
In addition, the statement said CPW is evaluating ways to “further protect wolves” by helping hunters clearly differentiate between wolves and coyotes. Such methods may include educational materials like signage, brochures, and notices.
Read the full statement from CPW below:
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Denver7 has been following Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program since the very beginning, and you can explore all of that reporting in the timeline below, which starts with our most recent story.

Editor’s Note: Denver7 is no longer updating this list, and the final change was made on Aug. 31, 2026.
The below list outlines an overview of the known wolf population in Colorado:

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