2025 begins with many reports of wolf kills from Southwest ranchers

Predators and livestock losses are a long-standing issue for ranchers, but the reintroduction of wolves has escalated tensions in the West. While dramatized conflicts in Taylor Sheridan’s latest episode of 1923 might capture some aspects of ranch life, real ranchers are dealing with very real losses including in the Southwest in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, where gray wolves and Mexican gray wolves have been reintroduced.

Recent reports from the New Mexico Stockman highlight increasing concerns over wolf depredation. In Cochise County, Arizona, 22 livestock deaths were suspected to have been caused by wolves, but only four were officially confirmed.

Similarly, Arizona ranchers posted videos showing 10 dead cows in an area where two wolves had recently been released. Despite extensive wolf tracks in the area, investigators confirmed only one of the cattle deaths as a wolf kill.

Beyond cattle losses, wolf attacks on horses have also been reported. Throughout February, Tammy Smith posted videos to social media showing the aftermath of multiple suspected wolf kills in Southeastern Arizona. In one social media post she stated, “Today the entire area is covered in wolf tracks. Wolf investigators were sent in to examine the graveyard of cows. One cow will be ‘recommended as a positive wolf kill,’ but the other six head apparently didn’t display enough evidence to identify the same.”

Another post by Audrey McQueen, described the confirmed wolf attack on a mare named Pickles: “Here’s some pictures of Taylor’s mare ‘Pickles.’ This little mare was only six years old. She died a horrible death. Her entire throat was hemorrhaged from multiple wolf bites. Her entire back legs were covered with bite marks. No animal should have to endure this. No parent should have to watch their kid start screaming as I choked up out of my mouth that her horse is dead and wolves killed it.”

Kelly Brown Schilleman posted in January, about another confirmed wolf kill: “Our beloved ‘Poopy’ was just killed by WOLVES, confirmed kill by the USDA! He was alive, beautiful, and well one day, and this the next! ENOUGH WITH THE WOLVES ALREADY!!!! When is enough, enough? Is it going to take a child being attacked?”

These incidents have sparked outrage among ranchers, who argue that government-led reintroduction programs are prioritizing predators over rural livelihoods.

Wolf management in Arizona and New Mexico falls under the oversight of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in coordination with state agencies. The Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, initiated in 1998, aims to reintroduce and sustain a viable population of the endangered Mexican gray wolf in the Southwest. However, ranchers have long voiced concerns over depredation and the process used to confirm kills. The current compensation program offers financial relief for verified losses, but many argue it does not fully account for indirect costs, such as decreased weight gain, stress on herds, and unverified losses.

The debate over wolves continues to intensify as conservationists push for expanded recovery areas, while ranchers call for stricter management, including more lethal control options for problem wolves. As wolf populations grow, so do conflicts, leaving many in the ranching community wondering: when will enough be enough?