Wolf’s killing declared legal

Sat., May 13, 2006

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

VICTOR, Idaho – Officials with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game say a ranch worker who shot a wolf earlier this week acted within the law.

The rancher reported within 24 hours that the 2- to 3-year-old wolf was chasing cattle when it was shot Monday in southeastern Idaho.

It’s the first case in the region of a rancher killing a wolf after the state took over day-to-day management of the wolves south of Interstate 90 from the federal government in January.

Wolves north of I-90 in the Idaho Panhandle are classified as an endangered species and are under the control of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The wolf killed Monday was chasing cattle on private land, officials said, making it legal for the ranch owner or a ranch worker to shoot it.

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