OR9’s mother B-300 (Sophie) and one of OR9’s brothers (ODFW)
Oregon wolf advocate, Taz Alago, had something to say about the way OR9’s death was handled:
“The picture of OR9, bloody and dead, is a punch to the stomach… unless you’re like his killer. Then the ugly picture is something to brag about.
For those following the troubled saga of the Imnaha Pack, the image of this dead wolf was something half-expected ever since he swam the Snake into Idaho, a dread fear come true.
Idaho is one of the worst states for predators, a hell-hole for anything but elk, deer, moose and cows. In Idaho you can kill wolves with huge leghold traps, neck snares, neck-breaking Conibear traps, arrows, guns, even
snowmobiles.
You can hunt coyotes and foxes from ultra-light aircraft. A bill is proposed to allow the same for wolves, with the added treat of allowing live bait for wolf trapping (dogs are mentioned).
OR9 was the brother of Journey (OR7), now famous for his long trek to California, first wolf there since 1924. His natal pack has produced some intrepid wolves, although now it’s diminished through dispersal and death, and it’s always under threat from the inexorable pressure of area ranchers to kill wolves for their depredations.
The way he holds OR9′s body shows his contempt for this wolf and I guess he feels the same about all predators – these vermin who challenge his “dominance.” Rifles and traps against flesh and blood.
There’s no way to adequately punish this killer because hunting wolves in Idaho is legal, but make no mistake this person was a poacher: his $11 wolf tag had expired. Idaho Fish & Game let him off with a warning but I think we should hold their feet to the fire and treat him the same as they would an elk poacher.
I think IDF&G shrugs off any action as long as it kills wolves.
So let’s all call Virgil Moore of the IDF&G at 208-334-3771 and tell him to prosecute OR9′s killer.
It’s the least we can do.”
Taz Alago, NE Oregonian
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For my two cents, the excuse this person gave, for killing OR9 with an expired tag, was lame and didn’t hold much water. There is something called “Ignorantia juris non “, which is Latin for “Ignorance of the law is no excuse”. What if this had been a 7 point bull elk instead of a wolf? Would he have gotten off with a warning?
Idaho’s governor, Butch Otter, is making a joke out of this, so apparently the state isn’t taking Or9’s death seriously.
Idaho gives Oregon ‘apology,’ gets no snarling over wolf
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/14/idaho-gives-oregon-apology-gets-no-snarling-over-w/
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Prosecute poacher for illegal killing of Oregon wolf OR-9
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/prosecute-poacher-for-illegal-killing-of-oregon-wolf-or-9/
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Male wolf OR-9 from Imnaha pack killed by Idaho hunter with expired tag
Published: Friday, February 10, 2012, 1:22 PM Updated: Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:40 AM
===
Photo: Courtesy ODFW
Posted in: Oregon wolves, Wolf Poaching, Wolf Wars
Tags: OR9, wolf poaching, Taz Alago, Oregon wolves, Imnaha pack , wolf dispersal, IDFG, Virgil Moore
Boulder White Clouds Council
Exposing The Big Game
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Lockwood Animal Rescue Center
Louise du Toit
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Northern Idaho Wolf Alliance (NIWA)
Predator Friendly®- Because Wildlife Matters
Project Coyote
Project: Wolf
The Nature Conservancy
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Wisconsin Wildlife Ethic-Vote Our Wildlife
Wolf And Wildlife Studies: Jay Mallonee (Independent Wolf Biologist)
Wolf Song of Alaska
Wolves in english ! Les loups en anglais !
WWP's Gray Wolf Page
Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative
Howling For Justice 
get read of all these sick moves with wolfs as bad make the farmers thay are not born killers thay just need to run free
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Here is the response I got from the hunting and trapping dept. of the great state of Idaho in reaction to my e-mail:
Thank you for contacting the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Our officers have discretion in these matters, and after talking to the hunter and the vendor where the 2011 tag was purchased, he chose to issue a warning rather than a citation.
Had the hunter deliberately killed the wolf knowing that his 2011 tag had expired, he could have stopped and purchased a 2012 before bringing the hide and skull to Fish and Game. He did not do that.
The officer believes the man was given wrong information by a vendor clerk, and therefore decided a warning was more appropriate.
—————–
So, in Idaho it’s OK to kill an animal without a license as long as you buy a license after the fact? That is really sick.
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This just shows you how un educated workers are or maybe he was paid, either way some one had to be a supervisor some where, and could have done the right thing. Me I would have arrested him and made it a point his case went to court and jail time given, not just a slap on the hand, and he goes out and continues this over and over again, at least 1 yr and no probation, or out early for good behavier. This is just me. fmp22
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Its sick to be able to buy a license to kill a wolf in the first place.
Sandy Barnett
Fairfield Ohio
Volunteer for a wolf habitat and rescue I go in with these wolves all the time they are no man killers they are very loving and generous creatures that God created. Which means no man has a right to kill. I believe if God created it then it is here for a reason and should be considered murder to kill one.
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Thank you for being a friend and advocate for these wonderful creatures, I to believe we do not have the God given right to hunt and kill his loving, great Wolves I too have had the chance to be close to them and had one as a pup given to me yrs ago, and not once in the 8yrs, he was with us did he show aggression toward our other dogs, panthers, raccoons, or even our beautiful doe, we had many animals come to our property and some stayed and some passed by from time to time.However Shadow(our wolf) never once seemed to care, never went after a human (EVEN A MAN) they are loving,smart,family orenited animals, more so than most humans,Sandy thank you for speaking for these magnificent creatures, they need more people like you.Remember people HUMANITY IS NOT A SPECIES,IT IS A STATE OF MIND. Fran Peters fmp22
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Same old thing whether it’s a wolf or a domestic animal that is a victim of abuse–no serious consequences, always an excuse, community service, slap on the wrist, etc., etc., etc.
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How right you are, a defenceless animal domestic or wild, should not be abused or hunted until there are no more. What do we tell our grandchildren,well they did exist but, we just had to be superior so they are gone forever, aren`t we Great?
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History repeating itself. So wrong!!!
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Anyone that kills wolves or any animal for that matter can count on having to face the creator and answer for doing it.They think they are getting by with it but they have another think coming.They are savagely killing Creator’s creations.I don’t know about them but am glad it isn’t me making Creator angry.
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So according to their logic – if you steal something and get caught, you can go back and just pay for it (or most likely just return it) and not be punsihed for the crime? Looks like Idaho is a haven for criminals.
People get killdby hunters, pets get killed by hunters, poachers are all over the place and rarely anyone is prosecuted for their crimes. It’s quite clear the hunting community only care about laws when it is in their best interests but if it makes them look bad then they look the other way.
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This is so very awful; Idaho is one of the most beautiful states in the West, but I’m sorely tempted never to set foot in that state ever again because of the ugliness of what’s been going on. So much for tourists’ dollars. 😦
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In response to Ann Sullivan’s comment from her response from IDFG, I too received the verbatim response from them. So they have a ‘canned’ response prepared knowing that they would be getting questions regarding their knowledge and complete acceptance of poaching especially if it is a wolf. Obviously, they just consider it a joke that they are continuing to be called on the carpet by the public and intend to do nothing except issue canned replies to serious concerns. The concept of the old trickle down theory is alive and well in Idaho since it starts with the greatest imbecile (I’m being nice) in Idaho, namely our great Butch Otter.
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Governor Otter does not have any remorse about any Wolf killed. He is kill crazy for the Wolves.
Him and other Rocky Mountains States want the Wolves killed.
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AS I said when I signed the petition, these so called hunters call themselves men when they are really cowards who can only stand up aganist a defanceless animals, any animal, remember this MEN!!! Humanity is not a SPECIES it is a state of MIND.Sleep well tonight and remember one day you will face your maker, the same one who gave us these wonderful, beautiful animals tell him your reasons for taking his lovely creatures lives over and over again until you left the world void of his wonderful ceatures, be ready he will want to know.
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Fran, I wish there was a way we could help these wolves from further danger.
Mankind or I should say some of mankind does not understand the benefit of the wolves to our ecosystem.
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these “people” make me sick – I would love to obtain a license to trap the good gov. & all the so-called wildlife employees in particular using all of the “methods” they have to kill all of the beautiful, beneficial animals
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I can’t stand that stupid dictator Gov. “Butcher” Otter!
He’s a pinko-Nazi redneck pain-in-the-arse!!!
I’m praying that there would be a day
that Otter and his freaky Far Right legislature
would be rounded up and tossed into the pokey
on charges of HIGH TREASON!
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May Wolf OR-9 rest in everlasting peace. He did not deserve to be killed in such a brutal way (nor do any of the other wolves that have fallen victim to wolf hunting and trapping).
I saw the picture of the hunter with the wolf’s dead body, and it disgusted me. That hunter looked so happy holding the bloody, lifeless body of Journey’s brother. I don’t understand how anybody could blast the life out of an innocent creature and be glad about it.
I can’t believe that the IDFG did not prosecute this poacher, and instead only gave him a warning. I though that the DFG would take action against poaching as it is a severe threat to wildlife. If OR-9 was an elk that poacher would surely of been severely punished for making an illegal kill. But hey, why prosecute a poacher if he contributed to the goal of killing wolves, right?
By the way, don’t those hunting tags have the expiration date on them? Cause if they do (and I’m guessing they do), then the expired tag excuse would be just that – an excuse – as, even though he was told the wrong expiration date, the hunter could of just looked at the tag for the real expiration date.
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CarlaVelosoWolf….we should not let this go. I think it was unbelievable he got off with just a warning. If it had been a bull elk, there would have been more than a warning. What part of a 2011 wolf tag did he not understand?
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Agreed; poaching should never go unpunished. Justice for Wolf OR9!
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I have been in law enforcement and a park ranger in Colorado. Whether someone knew or not about their tag being expired, they still got prosecuted. Does not sound fair to me.
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Lory..that is exactly true. Ignorance of the law does not excuse you. This person was given a free ride. We should not let this go.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Prosecute Otter and his right-wing redneck legislature!
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FYI, IF&G investigated, found-out the facts and made a competent decision based on them. Don’t think for a moment that if there was even a “wiff” of wrong-doing, that they wouldn’t have been on him like ugly on an ape. IF&G simply issued the “short” version, minus the details, on a “need to know” basis.You might be surprised to know that most Idahoans aren’t anti-wolf; we have our radicals, just as this site has “it’s” on the other end of the scale. We simply want them managed, and kept at the numbers agreed on. And to inhabit areas where they accomplish nature’s intent. Not come into conflict with other interests. Ironic, how most who “howl” in complaint, don’t have to live with wolves. In many cases if not most, don’t even live in the state or many times even in the USA. Those are simply in Love with the “idea” of wolves and don’t know the facts. One fact that is pertinate and most times misalined, is that we always had wolves in small numbers, determined by Nature. Although they were “Grey” wolves, they were a subspecies, termed “Idaho Timber Wolf”. No one bothered them as they seldom came into conflict either with wildlife, due to their appropriate small numbers or livestock due to their size. They were shy, seldom seen, and inhabited their own niche in mostly remote areas, where they were seldom a target for hunting or trapping. The larger more destructive Canadian Wolf is not native, and has killed-out or bred-out our native species, and due to numbers has come into conflict on all levels. Simply put.
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