First Published Jan 10 2015
A case of mistaken identity resulted in the
first accidental shooting of a gray wolf in Utah since the species was
extirpated in the 1930s ("Coyote hunter by mistake kills a wolf near Beaver," Dec. 30).
This was bound to happen, as the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
encourages shooting and trapping coyotes with its "Mule Deer Protection
Act" bounty programs, and there is a lack of any reference to wolf
identification in the required online predator control program training
course.
In fact, DWR doesn’t even require that coyote
hunters be able to identify a coyote, thus depending on ethical hunters
to observe the mantra "know your target." Sadly, in this case, that was
not followed. A 70-pound wolf wearing a radio collar does not look
identical to a 30-pound coyote. The animal’s overall profile, foot size,
tail position and facial characteristics are all part of the
identification process.
As a wildlife biologist, I recognize that some
animals have a similar appearance. This is why waterfowl hunters have to
learn to identify ducks and swans on the wing, crow hunters the
differences between a common raven and an American crow and bison
hunters the subtle differences between male, female and subadult bison.
No ethical hunter shoots at a large, four-legged animal on the mountain,
and only after killing it identifies it as a buck or doe, or an elk
versus a moose. Hunter-education instructors in Utah and elsewhere
hammer on the point of target identification.
In 2002, a gray wolf (253M) born in Yellowstone
National Park was accidentally captured in a coyote trap near Morgan
and released into Grand Teton National Park. Since then, other
dispersing wolves have traveled through Utah. In 2014, a large canid was
observed in southern Utah, and genetic testing confirmed this was a
female Rocky Mountain gray wolf. Thus, since 2002, wildlife managers and
hunters have known that Rocky Mountain wolves were capable of
dispersing into Utah and were doing it with regularity.
Combine the facts that gray wolves are present
in Utah, that DWR encourages shooting coyotes ($50 bounty) and that
there are no requirements that coyote hunters be able to distinguish
between a coyote and a wolf, and it is obvious that this shooting was a
predictable affair.
So where do we go from here? First, DWR needs
to update its required online predator control program training to
include wolf identification. I would also suggest that this training be
required every year so that coyote hunters retain familiarity with wolf
identification characteristics.
Second, since shooting coyotes apart from the
bounty program doesn’t require any sort of license (they fall under the
control of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food as predatory
animals), there should be information on wolf identification in all the
relevant hunting regulation guidebooks published by DWR. If you are
going to shoot a coyote while out deer hunting, you simply have to be
able to distinguish between coyotes, wolves and domestic dogs … target
identification.
Finally, all hunting groups should educate
their members regarding wolf identification. And all ethical hunters
should welcome the information.
I recognize that this first wolf shooting was
an honest mistake. However, from now on, shooting a protected gray wolf
in Utah can no longer be consider a mistake. It will be a violation of
both law and ethical hunting.
Robert Schmidt is a certified wildlife biologist in
Logan and an associate professor in the Department of Environment and
Society at Utah State University.
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