US hunter 'shoots dead' historic first grey wolf seen in Grand Canyon for 70 years

[jason]

A gray wolf killed by a Utah hunter may have been "Echo," a female who attracted national attention after wandering through several states to become the first of the protected animals seen at Arizona's Grand Canyon in 70 years, officials have said.

The hunter, who was not named by authorities, told Utah wildlife officers on Sunday that he accidentally shot and killed a wolf equipped with a radio collar near the Arizona border after mistaking it for a coyote.

Wolves in Utah are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, which bans killing of imperiled animals without a special permit, but coyotes in the state are allowed to be shot on sight.

The incident, which is coming under sharp criticism by conservationists, is being investigated by federal and state conservation officers as a possible violation of U.S. and Utah wildlife laws, authorities said.


Read more http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-hunter-shoots-dead-historic-first-grey-wolf-seen-in-grand-canyon-for-70-years-9952061.html

 

[dinosaur]

OOPS!

 

[Grandpa]

Interesting. First, the article did not say if this was a "Mexican Gray Wolf" or a "Northern Gray Wolf" These are two separate sub species of wolves. The Mexican Gray wolf is the southernmost wolf of the four sub species in North America. Its range is from Mexico into southern Utah/Colorado. The "Red Wolf" is really the indigenous sub species for the Southern Utah, Northern Arizona area. The Black Timber wolf is the subspecies north of this region. The Timber Wolf is the indigenous species all across the northern United States. The Northern Gray wolf came from Northern Canada and Alaska.

When the hulabalou first started with "reintroducing" the Northern Gray wolf into Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, the reasoning came from a "reported" sighting of a Northern Gray Wolf in the Kootenai river region in Northern Idaho and also a "reported" sighting in what is now Glacier NP, both occuring in the 1800's. The Northern Gray was never indigenous to the United States.

All this seems to be forgotten as time goes on. Because of humanities love of our canine friends, the gray wolf has become a favorite of many people, when in fact it is erradicating the other wolf species that it comes in contact with due to its territorial nature. The Northern Gray is much larger than the Black Timber wolf. Gray wolves approaching 300 lbs have been harvested in Idaho and Montana. With its protected status in all but the three original states where the first transplants took place, the Northern Gray has migrated in all directions and remains unchecked in its overpopulation.

If Echo migrated from northeast Wyoming, then her species was NEVER indigenous to Southern Utah/Northern Arizona. A Mexican Gray may have been seen there 70 years ago, but never a Northern Gray. This is just part of the misrepresentation (I call it lies) the Federal Wildlife people have been perpetrating ever since the invasion of the Northern Gray.

 

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...!!
Some people just like to kill something...Fairly recently, a Mountain Lion was spotted in a tree, not sure of the State, but think it was Tennessee or Kentucky...It was unable to be captured (for what reason it should have been captured, I cannot fathom), so it was SHOT and killed...!!

What a waste...!!

 

[ppine]

If you want to know about wolves, just ask someone from Idaho.
This is wrong on several counts. How dumb do you have to be to shoot a mammal with a radio collar?? Then the guy couldn't identify the species of his target. Then we find out it was not just any wolf, but the a famous one that has been in GC NP.

 

[ppine]

Pathfinder,
Mountain lions can cause lots of problems. When they get , usually with dogs, they get treed and shot. It is a common practice.

 

[Cappy]

A few years ago louisiana wild life management re introduced the whooping crane to the marshes of south louisiana it had been extinct for years but a small colony was discovered in Florida. A small colony was established and it went well for a few years till some one decided to shoot them. They caught the guy but he got several of the birds before they did. it's really sad when that happens. I dont know what the guy was thinking cranes don't taste good are scrawny, fishy and when ya bake em everyone fights over the neck.

 

[dinosaur]

Good one, Cappy. Thanks for the chuckle.

 

[ppine]

The guy in question was an unskilled poacher, not a hunter.