Local wildlife information

Wildlife control in Colorado

Learn what to look for around your property, explore your city, and ask about an inspection or a quote.

Wildlife in Colorado: what to know

Around Colorado

Conditions vary across the state. Choose your city below, then describe what’s happening around your home or business.

What to note

Where you see wildlife, how long it has been going on, and anything you’ve already tried are the most useful details to mention.

A useful next step

Ask about an inspection, what treatment would involve, and whether follow-up visits are included. You don’t need to identify the problem yourself before getting in touch.

Local research

Wildlife in Colorado: what the public record shows

Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which wildlife actually live in Colorado, when they are busiest, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.

Up to two miles from the capture site

Raccoon relocation distance

Raccoons, tree squirrels and cottontail rabbits are the only species that may be relocated without a permit.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Up to 10 miles from the capture site

Tree squirrel and cottontail relocation distance

Release sites must be appropriate habitat for the species.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Relocation permit required from Colorado Parks and Wildlife

All other species

Any relocation outside the raccoon, tree squirrel and cottontail exception needs a permit first.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Nuisance Wildlife species recorded in Colorado

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) — Top terrestrial rabies vector in the East; relocation banned in most states.
Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) — Primary rabies reservoir in Texas and the central U.S.; Illinois requires euthanasia of trapped striped skunks.

Landowners and their agents may take nuisance species causing damage on private property without a permit, but mountain lions and black bears may not be destroyed for property damage alone.

Rules that apply in Colorado

CPW Human-Wildlife Conflict Species

For context, nationally

Around 4,000; more than 90% in wildlife — Animal rabies cases reported per year. CDC
More than 20% each — Skunks and foxes that expose people or pets and are rabid. CDC

Sources: Colorado Parks and Wildlife; Rabies in the United States: Protecting Public Health; Class A (commercial) Nuisance Wildlife Control Permit study packet (17 Ill. Adm. Code 525). Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Explore Colorado cities

Arvada

Semi-Arid · suburban setting

Wildlife control in Colorado

Wildlife in Colorado: what to know

Around Colorado

What to note

A useful next step

Wildlife in Colorado: what the public record shows

Nuisance Wildlife species recorded in Colorado

Rules that apply in Colorado

For context, nationally

Explore Colorado cities

Arvada

Aurora

Boulder

Broomfield

Castle Rock

Centennial

Colorado Springs

Denver

Fort Collins

Grand Junction

Greeley

Lakewood

Longmont

Loveland

Parker

Pueblo

Thornton

Westminster

Commerce City

Ask about wildlife control in Colorado