State of Emergency Declared in New Mexico County Over Mexican Wolves

Well, if you thought Colorado was going to hog all the wolf-related headlines this year, think again. In a developing story coming out of a small New Mexico county, exasperated elected officials held a special meeting yesterday to declare a state of emergency over some wild Mexican canines.

The smaller cousin to the northern gray wolf, these Mexican subspecies have been brought back onto the Arizona and New Mexico landscapes after nearly being extirpated in the early 1900s. Since then, these wolves have (rightfully) been placed under federal protection as latest estimates peg US populations at just over 350 wolves. 

Of those 350, it’s believed that 160-or-so of them reside in and around Catron County, New Mexico, closely situated along the Arizona border. With an abundance of the wolves and no predators (or real control measures) in place, both ranchers and hunting outfitters have been growing weary of their presence as of late, prompting the newly-introduced state of emergency.

Using public comment methods to get their message across, ranchers and outfitters alike have pointed to the uptick in depredations on livestock and pets as the reasoning behind the order. Many residents have come forward not only out of fear for livestock, but for human life as well. 

“We’ve got wolves coming into school yards, wolves in and around towns. There was just somebody on Monday that had they stopped on the side of the road to use the restroom. A wolf came right up to him,” Catron County commissioner Audrey McQueen said. “They’re just not afraid of humans.” 

According to McQueen, the purpose of emergency declaration is not to get rid of the wolves, but rather a plea to the governor for additional resources for dealing with depredation and other incidents. Under New Mexico law, counties are able to make requests for additional state funding for natural disasters and McQueen and others are attempting to convince Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that Catron County’s wolf problem fits the description. 

With over 10,000 lost calves in Catron County alone, she believes that the case is a strong one.

“Just for Catron County residents, there was 11,152 calves gone, 307 cows and 31 bulls. And so for a county our size, that is a lot of money leaving our tax base and our producers,” McQueen said. 

As of right now, ranchers and many others are feeling a sense of despair regarding the protected wolves, stating that even though wolves can be lethally removed if caught in the act of depredation, the majority of ranchers are reluctant to pull the trigger given the potential legal firestorm that could erupt.

Much like other states dealing with wolf problems, New Mexico’s coffers do have funding to reimburse producers for their losses, but it can be challenging to prove outright wolf kills and federal assistance is reportedly non-existent.

In addition to livestock, McQueen’s daughter’s beloved horse fell victim to a pack of wolves and reports of brazen attacks on family pets are nothing out of the ordinary.  As a rancher and outfitter herself, she’s also expressed concern regarding the change in elk herd behavior with the large presence of wolves in western New Mexico.

While she and most others accept the fact that wolves belong on the landscape and are undoubtedly here to stay, the basis of the emergency order is not to wipe out the packs, but instead to offer more financial assistance, better management options and freedom to protect their property.

“By declaring a state of disaster, if the governor will sign it, will at least give us some funding where we can get more boots on the ground to help mitigate the problems,” said McQueen.