The Wildlife News

Update on Wolves Killed by Gardiner, Montana

George Wuerthner

Wolf photo George Wuerthner

I previously wrote a piece about wolves killed by Gardiner, Montana. As I noted in my original post I was not able to independently confirm the details and have since learned more about the situation. Here’s the latest information I have been provided.

Bison at Beatty Gulch just north of Yellowstone NP border. Photo George Wuerthner

6 wolves were legally killed in WMU313 (which includes the Beattie Gulch area) over 2023-2024 MT wolf hunting season. All 6 were from YNP-based packs.

Wolves that leave Yellowstone suffer high mortality from hunting and trapping. In response to the public outrage over the slaughter of  25 Yellowstone wolves in 2021-22, most of which were killed in Montana, the state instituted a six-wolf limit and closed the season after that number of wolves were killed.

In additon a number of wolves from Yellowstone were killed in Wyoming and Idaho. The total known Yellowstone wolf deaths this season is 10.

One wolf was killed illegally (not three as previously insinuated in my earlier post) and is under investigation.

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks wardens are investigating the wolf kills, with the assistance of Yellowstone National Park wolf biologists. As I learn more I will add to this post.

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  1. Frank Krosnicki Avatar
    Frank Krosnicki

    Corey Roberts and those like him are a shining example to kids as to how NOT to act maturely and with empathy. These random wolf killings and Roberts’ “macho” display reminds me of the incident a few years ago when an alleged Forest Service employee near Elk City Idaho caught a wolf in a trap, then encouraged friends to shoot at it, and they did. The wolf suffered a slow painful death while the killers apparently satisfied some primal urge. (This guy still works for the Forest Service, I believe)
    About 5 or 6 years ago, I was at Lolo Pass Visitor Center using the restroom there and a ‘local” from a nearby city was openly bragging about reaching into a den of newly born wolf pups and killing each one with his bare hands. There are way too many incidents such as these and the openly grisly killing of a thousand or more Bison leaving the protection of the Yellowstone border while searching for food outside the park boundary due to severe winter snows that bury their grazing grounds within the Park.

    Reply
    1. Ida Lupine Avatar
      Ida Lupine

      Terrible. Just very, very disappointing people.

      Reply
  2. Ida Lupine Avatar
    Ida Lupine

    Wow, ‘outlier’ is about the kindest thing you can call this Cory Roberts and his mom, is it? These people really haven’t progressed much beyond the 1800s, have they. Sad. 🙁

    Reply
  3. Marc Avatar
    Marc

    Good information. His name is Cody and not Cory.

    Reply
  4. Mac Avatar
    Mac

    Story is premature, get some more facts

    Reply
    1. Jeff N. Avatar
      Jeff N.

      Mac, not sure what you are talking about. I’ve spoken to Wyoming G&F and an attorney employed by Sublette county. And we’ve also seen the pictures and videos. I (we) have the facts. Maybe you should remove your head from your ass, breathe some fresh air, and clear your mind so you can say/post something semi-intelligent and semi-coherent. Notice I’ve said “semi” so I’m keeping the bar low for you.

      Reply
  5. Ida Lupine Avatar
    Ida Lupine

    I was concerned that this kind of thing would start happening more with Colorado’s wolf reintroduction, and sure enough:

    https://wyofile.com/wyoming-is-killing-colorados-wolves-again-and-the-states-keeping-it-secret/

    The good thing is that Wyoming’s media seems to be reporting on it more.

    Reply
    1. Jeff N. Avatar
      Jeff N.

      Ida, the story you linked is from September 2023. The wolf reintroduction in CO happened in December 2023. The wolves referenced in the article are from a pack that naturally emigrated from Wyoming to CO. Your post seems to infer that the reintroduced wolves were killed before they were actually released.

      Reply
      1. Ida Lupine Avatar
        Ida Lupine

        I don’t think anything that happens to wolves is isolated. It started there, and the information is kept secret – that’s the problem. We’ve known about Colorado’s plan to reintroduce wolves for quite some time.

        The secrecy issue is what I meant.

        Although this latest incident is far from secret now! 🙂 I just hope something is done about it, at last.

        Reply
        1. Ida Lupiine Avatar
          Ida Lupiine

          Also, I thought I read it as that one of the wolves of the wolf pack that naturally emigrated from WY to Colorado had wandered back into Wyoming and was shot? I thought at least one and possibly three were shot. These people have been threatening to kill Colorado wolves for awhile, and Colorado’s plan to reintroduce wolves has been known about for many months prior. It’s not a stretch to think that any wolf would be killed in opposition to reintroduction; it doesn’t have to be from the pack that was actually released.

          A three-month difference means nothing compared to decades if not centuries of wolf eradication attempts.

          They do have a Shoot on Sight policy that is legal in Wyoming, but immoral and unethical anywhere else but in the Rocky Mountain region, as is their stance on snowmobile killings. (Yes, I’m painting not only Wyoming, but the entire Intermountain West region with a broad brush, and am happy to do it.)

          Reply
  6. Jeff N. Avatar
    Jeff N.

    Chad McKittrick, from the grave, is thanking Cody Roberts for becoming the poster child of a wolf hating pile of human excrement. Roberts is a piece of shit coward whose brain stopped developing soon after birth. Sadly he has bred and we are gifted with his spawn going forward.

    Reply
  7. Immer Treue Avatar
    Immer Treue

    From TWN 2011.
    https://www.thewildlifenews.com/2011/08/03/running-over-a-wolf-with-a-snowmobile-youll-be-able-to-do-that-in-wyoming-if-the-new-deal-between-the-feds-and-wyoming-becomes-final/

    Reply
    1. Ida Lupine Avatar
      Ida Lupine

      Oh no. I know it’s an election year, but this is ridiculous! How much pandering can they do for votes?

      Reply
      1. Immer Treue Avatar
        Immer Treue

        This is from 2011. So, we’ve all known about this for the past 13 years.

        Reply
        1. Ida Lupine Avatar
          Ida Lupine

          Sorry Immer – I realized it after I posted and was going to edit, but then I thought, why bother? Nothing has changed.

          I remember that Jon Tester co-wrote the legislation, and then they were relisted, and then delisted again under Trump, relisted again in everywhere but the Rocky Mountains. Serious damage was done back in 2011.

          Reply

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gwuerthner@gmail.com| Website
George Wuerthner is an ecologist and writer who has published 38 books on various topics related to environmental and natural history. He has visited over 400 designated wilderness areas and over 200 national park units.
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