Wyoming wolf hunters go three for three

LANDER, WYO. — Wyoming hunters and ranchers killed at least three gray wolves within the first three days of the animals' removal from the federal endangered species list, local and state wildlife officials said.

Wyoming, Montana and Idaho took over management of wolves within their borders on Friday as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ended protection of the animals under the Endangered Species Act.

Two wolves, a male and a female, were killed Friday near an elk feeding ground in the Pinedale area in Sublette County, said Eric Keszler, spokesman for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Scott Talbott, the Game and Fish official overseeing Wyoming's new wolf management program, said one of the wolves was wearing a tracking collar.

Also Friday, a rancher killed a wolf on his property because he had been having problems with a wolf harassing his livestock, said Cat Urbigkit, a member of the Sublette County Predator Board.

All three wolves were killed in Wyoming's predator zone, where people are now allowed to kill wolves at any time and for any reason as long as they report the time, location and sex of each kill to the state within 10 days. The animals are still protected as a trophy species in Wyoming's northwestern corner.

"There has been a lot of excitement and interest for hunters in Sublette County," Urbigkit said. "The predator board has nothing to do with that, but if the hunters are successful in their efforts, then hopefully the predator boards will not be called in on conflicts."

Wyoming is home to 25 wolf packs living outside of Yellowstone National Park, and seven of those live in the predator area. Wildlife officials have said that most of the 30 to 35 wolves living outside the trophy game zone live in adjoining Sublette County.

Terry Pollard, co-owner of Bald Mountain Outfitters in Pinedale, said he heard reports of many locals going wolf hunting over the weekend, but most didn't kill any wolves.

"I think they're finding just what we figured," Pollard said. "These wolves are an extremely tough animal to hunt. There was a significant amount of hunters out this weekend, and very few of them were taken."

Mike Leahy, Rocky Mountain regional director of Defenders of Wildlife, said it's hard to know how many wolves were killed over the weekend because hunters have 10 days to report kills within the predator zone.

"In a shoot-on-sight zone, a large number of the wolves could be killed before Wyoming Game and Fish or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service even knows about it," Leahy said. "There could be big impacts to the wolf population that go underreported until it's too late."

Defenders of Wildlife is one of several groups that has filed notice of their intent to sue the Fish and Wildlife Service to retain Endangered Species Act protections for the wolves. Leahy said it's too early to know whether the group will seek an emergency injunction against the federal delisting decision.