A poacher killed a wolf in Bridger-Teton National Forest east of Moran Junction in April, and state officials are offering a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

It is the first illegal wolf killing in Wyoming since the animals were taken off the endangered species list in late March.

Hunters and state officials have reported killing 16 wolves in the area of Wyoming where wolves can be killed at any time by any means, basically everywhere but the northwest corner of the state.

According to officials, a Bridger-Teton National Forest employee reported finding the dead wolf in the area where wolves can be killed only during a hunting season, which has not yet been set.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department officers responded to the area, just east of Grand Teton National Park, on April 21. The carcass was about 25 feet from Highway 191, where it apparently came to rest after sliding down an embankment.

Scavengers had eaten some of the carcass, which had likely been there for at least a week, according to Game and Fish spokesman Eric Keszler.
 
Investigators found small traces of bullet and wounds to the chest area consistent with a bullet wound, he said. There likely isn’t enough of the bullet left to perform a ballistics investigation.
 
If the poacher is found and convicted, he or she could face up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

“We want people to know we’re serious about pursuing illegal take of wolves,” Keszler said.

Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance Executive Director Franz Camenzind applauded the Game and Fish Department for taking the incident seriously.
“It’s incredibly unfortunate that someone saw a need to kill a wolf there,” he said. “I appreciate what appears to be a very professional, aggressive handling of this crime. I hope it sends a message to anyone thinking about shooting a wolf illegally.”

The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance is one of several groups that has filed a lawsuit challenging the wolf delisting in federal court. One reason for the lawsuit is Wyoming’s management plan, which conservation groups say does not provide enough protection for wolves.

Camenzind said the poaching incident likely won’t affect the lawsuit.

The area where officials found the wolf is home to the Buffalo Pack, though officials aren’t sure if the dead female was part of that pack. The Buffalo Pack is known to use parts of Grand Teton National Park, including a denning site it inherited from the old Teton Pack, Camenzind said.

“We probably lost a member of a Teton Park pack,” he said. “That’s a loss for everybody in this country, not just people in Jackson Hole.”

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Rocky Mountain wolf recovery coordinator Ed Bangs said he wasn’t sure how many wolves poachers illegally killed in the state before delisting, but he said researchers think the number is roughly 10 percent of the population annually.