04-17-2008, 02:10 AM
A Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' warden found a dead wolf near Gardiner on Apr. 3.
The Swan Lake Pack wolf had mange and was seen most recently in the vicinity of Mammoth, Wyoming. The animal was collared, but the collar was not operational.
The carcass was brought to the State Wildlife Laboratory in Bozeman where a necropsy will be performed to confirm cause of death.
In an unrelated incident, a landowner shot and killed a wolf on private land in the Madison Valley on Apr. 5.
The lone wolf was seen in a group of cattle and had separated a newborn domestic calf from the group.
Under state rules, similar to lions and black bears, a wolf seen actively biting, wounding, chasing, harassing, or attacking livestock can be killed. Such incidents must be reported to FWP within 72 hours.
FWP personnel investigated the incident and determined that the shooting was legal.
On Mar. 28, 2008, the Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf population was removed from the federal Endangered Species list. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is now the lead agency for wolf conservation and management in Montana on non-tribal lands.
Under Montana's Wolf Management Plan, wolves are classified as "a species in need of management" and can only be legally killed during an official hunting or trapping season, if the wolf is killing or threatening to kill pets or livestock, or to protect human life.
The Swan Lake Pack wolf had mange and was seen most recently in the vicinity of Mammoth, Wyoming. The animal was collared, but the collar was not operational.
The carcass was brought to the State Wildlife Laboratory in Bozeman where a necropsy will be performed to confirm cause of death.
In an unrelated incident, a landowner shot and killed a wolf on private land in the Madison Valley on Apr. 5.
The lone wolf was seen in a group of cattle and had separated a newborn domestic calf from the group.
Under state rules, similar to lions and black bears, a wolf seen actively biting, wounding, chasing, harassing, or attacking livestock can be killed. Such incidents must be reported to FWP within 72 hours.
FWP personnel investigated the incident and determined that the shooting was legal.
On Mar. 28, 2008, the Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf population was removed from the federal Endangered Species list. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is now the lead agency for wolf conservation and management in Montana on non-tribal lands.
Under Montana's Wolf Management Plan, wolves are classified as "a species in need of management" and can only be legally killed during an official hunting or trapping season, if the wolf is killing or threatening to kill pets or livestock, or to protect human life.