Environment & Climate
Idaho paid hunters to kill 12 newborn wolf pups, state records show
The Guardian reports Idaho paid $2,000 per wolf kill, including a dozen pups, which one advocate calls a bounty.
The short version
- Idaho officials paid hunters thousands of dollars to kill 12 newborn wolf pups this spring, according to state records.[The Guardian]
- A reimbursement program paid $2,000 per wolf kill through the season that ended in June, including the pups.[The Guardian]
- Records conflict on method: three hunters reportedly used rifles on April 25, but some entries say no weapon was used.[The Guardian]
- Biologist Cory Mosby said no state rule bars killing pups, while advocate Brooks Fahy called the payments a bounty.[The Guardian]
Key facts
- Idaho officials paid hunters thousands of dollars for killing 12 newborn wolf pups this spring, according to state records.[The Guardian]
- The reimbursement program paid $2,000 per wolf kill through the hunting season that ended in June, including the 12 pups.[The Guardian]
- Idaho fish and game biologist Cory Mosby confirmed the 12 wolves in the records were pups and said no state regulation bars killing pups.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Records conflict on method: three hunters are said to have used rifles on April 25 in the northern panhandle, but at least two entries say no weapon was used.[The Guardian]
- Officers did not take teeth samples from the pups, which Idaho biologist Cory Mosby attributes to teeth not yet grown or too small to extract.[The Guardian]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.