Wolfwatcher and Earthjustice Advocate for Yellowstone Wolves

From an article in the May 8^th edition of the Bozeman Chronicle, “Gardiner Man Kills Yellowstone Park Wolf:”

A Gardiner-area landowner shot a research wolf from Yellowstone National Park over the weekend after losing more than a dozen sheep to wolves two weeks ago.  FWP issued 2 shoot-on-sight permits in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services. The permits were good for 45 days and do not allow ranchers to shoot wolves outside of the property where a livestock loss happened.

Yellowstone Park wolf biologist Doug Smith learned of the dead wolf Monday morning from FWP wolf biologist Abby Nelson. Smith said park wolves were not responsible for the 13 sheep killed on Hoppe’s property April 24. Nelson said the wolf tracks she found two weeks ago came from the east side of the Gardiner Valley, down Little Trail Creek and across U.S. Route 89.  Smith said 831F was a 2-year-old female that normally lives farther south in the park’s Hayden Valley.

Upon hearing this news, Wolfwatcher immediately contacted Attorney Tim Preso at Earthjustice to assist in advocating for the revocation of Mr. Hoppe’s second kill permit based on mounting complaints that Mr. Hoppe was allegedly luring wolves out of the park when carcasses remained on his land. 

Attorney Preso immediately began the process of advocating by contacting Patrick Flowers, FWP Region 3 Supervisor via a well-documented letter and continued with subsequent dialog. Mr. Flowers replied with his own correspondence.

On May 14^th, we learned from a press release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks that Bill Hoppe’s shoot-on-site permit, which was originally set to expire June 8, will instead expire on May 18. The department said change comes in support of a good-faith gesture.

We wish to thank the dedicated attorneys at Earthjustice for their profound dedication to protecting wildlife. Earthjustice continues to use the law to even the odds against powerful special interests and to hold those who jeopardize the health of our planet accountable. We appreciate their collaborative partnership.