This Utah Wolf killer guy needs to be prosecuted just like the bear killer in Montana!!!!!
When I first wrote about “wolves in Utah,” it was just following some wolf sightings that were reported in Hobble Creek Canyon just east of Springville. Little did I realize that within 22 months of the date of that article (March 2012), I would be reporting that a wolf was actually killed here in Utah.
The strangest part of the story I am about to relate is that this wolf was killed a few miles outside of Beaver. No, it wasn’t killed in the Uinta Mountains or in the wilds of northern Utah near the Idaho or Wyoming borders. It was killed in the southwest part of the state which begs the question, “How long have wolves REALLY been here and from where did they come?”
The news release from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) was short and to the point. There wasn’t a lot of back story which also begs the question “Is there a back story yet to be explored?” Here is the news release in its entirety:
“Beaver – A coyote hunter accidentally shot and killed a radio-collared northern gray wolf near Beaver on December 28.
“Beaver is in southwestern Utah.
“As soon as the hunter realized the animal he killed wasn’t a coyote, he contacted the Division of Wildlife Resources. The DWR then contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who confirmed the animal was a 3-year-old female northern gray wolf that was collared in January 2014 near Cody, Wyoming.
“The wolf was shot near the south end of the Tushar Mountains, a few miles outside of Beaver.
“DWR conservation officers are still reviewing the case and will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
Wow!
Upon reading the news release, questions came flooding into my mind. How does a female northern gray wolf travel the approximately 470 miles from Cody to Beaver in 12 months without help?
Let’s consider a few things that we know.
1. People have been reporting wolves in Utah for at least five or six years.
2. My son, Mark, and I saw a gray wolf near La Barge, Wyoming (nearly 15 years ago) which is around 120 miles from the Utah/Wyoming border.
3. Wolves have a tendency to reproduce quickly if there is a pair in the area so could we be seeing the tip of the iceberg?
4. To my knowledge, this is the first “official” wolf to have been discovered in Utah.
It is important to remember that wolves are protected in Utah by both state and federal law. Even though historically wolves and ranchers, hunters, and many in the general public don’t get along, the fact that this wolf was killed presents a potential problem for the person that dispatched it.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting an investigation to determine among other things if charges should be filed against the coyote hunter.
Many people theorize that this is the same wolf that people reported seeing in the Grand Canyon area earlier this past fall. The jury will most likely be out on that topic until after DNA testing is complete which could be done in the next several weeks.
With the knowledge that there are indeed wolves (or at least there was one wolf) in Utah, will that change the attitude of the UDWR or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as it relates to investigating potential wolf sightings? I’m sure it will.
Wolf management is still a hot and controversial topic in the states to the north of Utah. Officials in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana are trying desperately to come up with ways to manage the wolf population while balancing the needs, concerns and fears of ranchers, hunters and the general public.
Not crying wolf: There really are wolves in Utah : Utah Adventurer.