A collared gray wolf has been reported killed near Horseshoe Bend north of Lovell. It was shot by a wildlife specialist, also known as a ‘government trapper’ employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services. It’s the first wolf killed for depredating livestock in Big Horn County in 20 years by Wildlife Services, according to a federal official.

The wolf was found eating a lamb near the Tillett Ranch just outside Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area north of Lovell. The large male was previously reported for injuring one goat and killing another at the ranch, which put the gears in motion to have an official respond to the scene.

There have been reports of wolves in the Bighorn Mountain Range for years. The last wolf lethally removed in the Bighorns by Wildlife Services was in August 2003, according to Mike Burrell, acting state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services.

Wildlife Services is allowed to remove wolves linked to depredating/killing livestock throughout their habitat. It is also legal for landowners and hunters to shoot wolves at will in the state’s predator zone, according to Wyoming regulations.

Outside of the “trophy” zone, which covers the area outside of Yellowstone National Park, east to Cody, south to Pinedale skirting the western boundary of the Wind River Reservation (hunting wolves is not allowed on the reservation) and then northeast to just south of Jackson and to the Idaho border, it is legal to kill wolves with few regulations on limits or licensing.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department regulations require those killing wolves in the   predator zone be required to report the kill to a district game warden, district wildlife biologist or department personnel at a regional office within 10 days after the date the gray wolf was killed. The person is required to provide their name and address, the date the gray wolf was killed, the sex of the gray wolf and the location of the site of kill. In addition, the department may request the person to voluntarily provide a genetics sample from the gray wolf for testing to assess genetic connectivity and surrender electronic radio tracking devices.

Burrell said he has received multiple scout camera photographs over the years of individual wolves in the Bighorns, but said he doubts there are many wolves in the region. The wolf killed near or on the Tillett Ranch was wearing a GPS collar installed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and had traveled south from the Dillon, Montana area.

Morgan Jacobsen, Region 3 communication & education program manager for Montana, confirmed the wolf was collared by the agency.

“We collared the wolf just south of Dillon almost a year ago. In the months following, the wolf traveled east, into Yellowstone National Park and then back into Montana, until it reached the location in Wyoming where it was killed, about 170 miles from where it was collared,” she said, adding “This is a normal dispersal distance for wolves.”

The wolf was suspected to have interacted with domestic dogs during its travels. The large male wolf was also seen running with guard dogs near the Tillett Ranch, Burrell said.

“It was found with a black lamb in its mouth while hanging out with a guard dog,” he said.

The chances of a wolf or two in the Bighorn Mountains is “pretty good,” he said, but not in abundance. If there was a large pack in the Bighorns, there are “too many roads, livestock, and people” in the area for them not to have been seen and reported, he said.

After the wolf was successfully removed, it would have been business as usual for the agency. However, after photographs of the wolf being held by unidentified persons was published Monday on Facebook, Burrell was in damage control. Trophy-style photos are not allowed with wolves removed by the agency.

“It’s a black eye for the important work we do,” he said of the published photos.

The posts were initially made by Bruce Hubbell and Tyler Tillett. Hundreds of people reacted to the photos. Some were thrilled and others were disturbed by the images.

Hubbell said he was asked to take down his post Tuesday, after it was shared about 800 times.

“I guess the government trapper was not supposed to let photos out,” he said, adding the wolf “was a big bugger.”

Burrell points out there are many proactive efforts to deal with predators in conflict with humans in non-lethal ways — both by landowners and the agency — when wolves are identified outside the state’s “suitable” habitat. Fencing, hazing and guard animals are often used to deter predators.

The Park County Predator Management District recently built a hazing trailer, a non-lethal means of protection against predators. The specialty trailer is equipped with lights and various forms of noise makers meant to push predators away from livestock.

Brian Nesvik, co-chairman of the state Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board and director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said the department has had success using overnight hazing techniques in the Jackson area. They have used inflatable air dancers and other light and sound sources to scare away wolves. He was encouraged by Park County’s mobile hazing trailer when it was unveiled in 2020.

Since the reintroduction of gray wolves into the Yellowstone ecosystem in 1995, the species has dispersed, forming packs and families that live and coexist within the park and surrounding areas. A recent survey suggests about 100 wolves live in Yellowstone National Park, with over 500 wolves in the greater Yellowstone area. The distinct segment of the species was removed from protections under the Endangered Species Act in 2017 and states now manage them, including limited hunting opportunities just outside Yellowstone National Park.