Montana governor given warning after hunting Yellowstone wolf

Justin Vallejo
·2 min read
Killings Wolves (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Killings Wolves (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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The governor of Montana was issued a written warning after hunting a wolf that had strayed outside the protected habitat of Yellowstone National Park.

While Republican Greg Gianforte was not in the national park when he reportedly trapped and killed the wolf, state wildlife officials said the action violated hunting requirements as he had not completed an online trapping certification course.

The governor had all other necessary licences for hunting wolves in Montana, spokeswoman Brook Stroyke said in a statement.

“After learning that he had not completed the wolf-trapping certification, Governor Gianforte immediately rectified the mistake and enrolled in the wolf-trapping certification course,” she told The Washington Post.

Mr Gianforte, who was elected in November, was said to have been visiting the ranch of Sinclair Broadcast Group owner Robert E Smith, about 10 miles from Yellowstone.

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While penalties for violating state regulations can reach fines up to $500 and the suspension or ban of hunting licences, a spokesman for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said the warning was a standard response to certification violations.

“Typically, we approach this sort of incident as an educational opportunity, particularly when the person in question is forthright in what happened and honest about the circumstances,” Greg Lemon told Boise State Public Radio.

“That was the case here with Governor Gianforte.”

While wolves are protected within Yellowstone, the black wolf known as 1155 had wandered about 10 miles beyond the park's boundary into the private property where it is legal to hunt and trap wolves in line with the state's regulations, according to Boise State Public Radio, which was first to report the story.

Park spokesperson Morgan Warthin told the outlet that wolf 1155 was born in Yellowstone and issued a radio collar in 2018 to allow scientists to track its movements and death.

Trapped on 15 February, the wolf was once part of the Wapiti Lake pack but had wandered away to find a mate. He was one of 94 wolves in the park at a previous count in January 2020.