Montana Republican Governor Greg Gianforte was cited by his state’s wildlife bureau after he illegally trapped and killed a wolf outside Yellowstone National Park on the property of the owner of Sinclair Broadcasting, Boise State Public Radio reported.
The adult black wolf, designated as 1115 by wildlife resource trackers, was about 10 miles outside the bounds of Yellowstone where wolves are protected from hunters. Gianforte reportedly laid a trap to capture the animal, a six-year-old male, before shooting and killing it.
The trap, which was laid on property owned by Sinclair Broadcasting owner Robert Smith, was placed illegally because Gianforte did not have the proper license nor had he completed a state-mandated class on how to humanely trap and hunt wolves.
“He has been hunting and trapping for a long time and I would be surprised to learn that he didn’t know better than to complete that education,” John Sullivan, Montana chapter chair for the sportsmen’s group Backcountry Hunters and Anglers said. “We hope that he apologizes to the citizens of the state for circumventing the process that we all have to go through. It’s difficult to fathom accidentally not taking that class,” he added. “When you go to buy your wolf trapping license online it clearly states that trapper education is required.”