12 wolves. One snowmobile. No survivors.
Whenever someone asks why Environmental Action exists, we sometimes mention the Dog Creek wolf pack -- which was erased by a hunter in a single afternoon. The pack was once a thriving, 12-member family in the heart of Wyoming's Grand Tetons. Like all families, all the pack wanted was to hunt together and play together. But by using a snowmobile as a weapon, a hunter pursued the pack through the deep powder and picked them off, one by one, until every last member was killed. 1 It's called "wolf whacking," and it's perfectly legal under Wyoming's current laws. 2 It's also just one reason why Environmental Action does what we do. Wolf whacking isn't the only way that hunters kill wolves. In many areas of the Northern Rockies, wolves are classified as trophy game or even vermin, which opens the door to methods of killing that defy the standards of humane wildlife management. 3 Hunters often shoot wolves from helicopters. This tactic, also called aeri...