| October 26, 1995
Wolf shooter convicted, faces prison
A Montana man who fatally shot a reintroduced wolf near Yellowstone
National Park was found guilty Wednesday of violating federal wildlife laws.
Chad McKittrick, a carpenter from Red Lodge, admitted to shooting the male timber wolf last April, but insisted that he thought the animal was a wild dog at the time. But witnesses testified that McKittrick had told them he knew the animal was a wolf before firing. Police also found the wolf's hide and skull at McKittrick's house after a friend informed federal agents. The jury took less than two hours to convict McKittrick on three federal misdemeanors: killing, possessing and transporting a federally protected species. Wolves are protected by the Endangered Species Act. The dead wolf, one of 15 introduced to the park under a controversial federal recovery program, had apparently left the park with its pregnant mate shortly after being released. Wildlife officials said that about the same time the male was shot, the female gave birth to eight wolf pups--all of which have been returned, along with the mother, to the park. McKittrick, meanwhile, faces a $100,000 fine and up to two years in prison, and will be sentenced later. This story compiled by the Outside Online staff |
