Two Idaho Wolf Shootings Solved
11-4-98
In the last three days, two Idaho wolf shootings have been solved, charges have been lodged against a Minnesota man; and the US Fish and Wildlife Service is considering the circumstances surrounding the second wolf shooting, which came from the gun of a local youth east of Grangeville, Idaho.
Daniel Thomas Kloskowski of Eden Prairie, Minnesota pled "innocent" on Monday to the charge of killing an endangered species, unlawfully possessing and transporting the wolf, and damaging government property when he cut the radio telemetry collar from the wolf's neck. Kloskowski made his plea before U.S. Magistrate Larry Boyle. Boyle scheduled a Dec. 15 trial before U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge. Kloskowski represents the first person who has been indicted for killing a wolf in Idaho. The government is said to regard its case as strong.
The wolf, B60M, a yearling from the Chamberlain Basin Pack was shot in the Chamberlain Basin area of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in September. I learned in October that a radio collar had been recovered, but was unable to obtain information at that time due to the investigation.. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Paul Weyland said the man was accused of shooting the wolf, putting it in a trash bag, transporting it to a different location, and cutting and hiding the radio collar.
Chamberlain Basin is the one of the most remote places in Idaho, so prosecuting for a wolf killing there is a big success and dependent on cooperative wilderness visitors.
In the second case, a native wolf -- native in the sense that its parent's migrated to Montana from Canada -- was shot east of Grangeville in North Central Idaho near Earthquake Meadow on the Nez Perce National Forest. In contrast to typical procedures of silence on wolf investigations, the Fish and Wildlife Service released the news to the media and asked for information from the public. The wolf was found after it had been dead but a short time.
In a news release Tuesday, Special Agent Weyland said "After the stories came out in the media, I was contacted by several people who had been in the area. The information they provided was a great help in solving the incident."
Weyland also said "It's the public's resource, so it really make sense for the public to help us protect it. We can't be everywhere, but law-abiding citizens can be and often are. They are a great asset to our work."
These two cases represent the first prosecution and solving of several illegal Idaho wolf killings.
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Copyright © 1998 Ralph Maughan Not to be reprinted, archived, redistributed, etc., without permission. Ralph Maughan PO Box 8264, Pocatello, ID 83209