My first Idaho wolf tag

This story belongs in one of the "vintage" backpage Field & Stream columns! Way cool Nambaster.

As I emerged from the cave with the wolf in tow. I looked up at the top of the chute and observed 2 sets of ears on the skyline. I raised my binoculars and look up and observe 2 more grey color phase wolves looking down at me. One very large one and one small one. Right then and there I was kicking myself for not carrying 2 wolf tags on me. I will not make that mistake again. As I stood an admired the wolf I began the skinning process. after getting him tagged and skinned I began my descent back to the car. As I held the wolf hide by the tip of the nose and lifted it high above my head the tail was still dragging on the ground. I could not believe the enormity of the animal. This black one was probably just an average specimen for the species and probably only weighed about 80 lbs. Before I left the location of the kill I pressed the Check mark on my "spot" device to get gps coordinates sent to my cell phone.

As soon as I got to the vehicle I started off to the nearest Fish and Game office to check my wolf in. The biologist greeted me at the back door and started the check in process. He asked how many wolves I saw with the wolf. He did not seem to really enjoy taking the sample to from the black wolf. He appeared to be emotionally attached to the animal. When he asked me where the wolf was harvested I opened up the text message and gave him the gps location that my "spot" device had sent me.

After receiving the coordinates he went to go check the location. It was then that he came with 2 conservation officers. The 2 officers asked me to come with them into another room. There they had a map laid out and they asked me to identify the location where the wolf had been shot. I pointed to the exact location and they asked me to confirm once again where the wolf had been shot. They kept peering at the map and looking at it to analyze it over and over and it was concluded that I was 100 yards outside of the "wilderness boundary" which was the location where the extended season would have permitted me to be able to harvest the wolf legally.

The office looked at me with regret and let me know that he would have to write me a citation because of the specifics of the gps coordinates. Had the biologist not specifically looked at the exact numbers on the coordinates there would have been no evidence that I was ever so slightly outside of the wilderness boundary. Immediately my heart sunk into regret. Had I known I was outside of the "wilderness boundary" I would have never shot or harvested the wolf. I unknowingly had just harvested a wolf out of season less than 100 yards from a legal location.

The hide and skull were confiscated and I walked out of the office with a citation. I was required to show up in court in a few months.

I had a long 6 hr drive home to think about he events that happened to me. I regretted not being familiar with the "wilderness boundary" the officers gave me several chances to adjust me story and to make things viable. There were several opportunities for me to change my story. I was anchored to what was reality. I had shot a wolf outside of where I was supposed to have shot a wolf regardless of how close it was to being legal. I doubt that the wolf would have cooperated and ran into the legal wilderness boundary had I waited. Going over the scenario over and over again in my head the only thing that I could have really done was educated myself more in regards to the boundary. I had made a significant error in judgement and there was not justifying my mistake.

That's a bummer about the boundary, saved a bunch of elk!

What a tough deal. Hopefully they will go easy on you in court. With most of the hunting areas I frequent I cannot get any cell service at all and I only use my gps to get back to my truck or mark a kill, it is not practical to expect a person to have their nose in a tiny screen while they are hunting. That is a lot of the reason why I go, to get away from all the screens in my life.

That's a tough deal. Kudos to you for owning up to your mistake.

Gr8bawana said:

That's a tough deal. Kudos to you for owning up to your mistake.

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Plus 1 on the owning up.

Sounds like you need a set of OnX maps. I know I do

100 yards may as well be 100 miles in the eyes of the law. However, I am surprised that they didn't give you some leeway given the circumstances.

Well, that just plain blows.....the only bright side is that there is one less wolf. Hopefully you will get another shot.

You will sleep better knowing that you did what is right and owned up to the mistake. Great story that you should send to RMEF's Bugle Magazine for their Situation Ethics section. I don't know if they pay for stories, but it might help cover the cost of the citation.

Awesome story, thanks for sharing! You'll have to get after it again so you can bring one home.

I was impressed with the story, the hunt, the kill and the conscience.

I know it is not going to happen, but if trophy is taken with the right intent and unknowing, would like to see trophy with the hunter. Of course, the big fine would be the hunter's also.

Congratulations on your hunt and hope you do well in court.

You had me hook line and sinker on this the whole way through. To bad it ended the way it did but what a experience. Good luck hopefully the judge sees the honesty and is in a good mood.

Well done. You handled it and owned your mistake. Heartfelt respect.

Tough deal! Good for you on doing the right thing.

Some good lessons in that story. Thanks for sharing.

My father is a big attorney. We discussed everything in length. We both concluded that on the court date the best thing to do was to just come clean and plead guilty to all that had occurred. He said from his perspective the judge would likely to give me more of a break if I plead guilty and took responsibility for all that had happened. That being the case he informed me that I would not need any representation. I had to reserve a weekend to make the 6 hr drive to make my appearance in court. I packed up my mini van and included my rifle and camo along with my hunting pack just in case the judge allowed me to retain my hunting privileges

.

As I sat in the bench waiting for my case to be called I got more and more nervous wondering if I was going to have to hunt coyotes in Utah for the next 5 years. I was relieved to look into the court room and see that it was decorated with an elk rack.

When I was finally called to the stand the judge read all of the details to my case out loud. He mentioned that I could be charged up to $1,000 and it could result in jail time and a revocation of my hunting privileges for a duration of 5 years. He told me that if I plead "guilty" right there and then he would be applying all of the charges and I would have a misdemeanor. Before asking me how I plead he said "or since you have driven a long ways from out of town you have the option of talking to our prosecutor and discuss your options" after hearing the list of the potential consequences I immediately opted to discuss options with the prosecutor.

The judge allowed the officer who wrote the citation to be present in the meeting with the prosecutor. The minute we stepped outside of the courtroom and were able to discuss things privately the prosecutor asked the office what had happened. The officer began to plead my case to the prosecutor and he expressed how honest I was and how easily it would have been for me avoid any consequences had I came in and intentionally lied in regards to the location of where the wolf was harvested. He expressed that my intentions were good from the beginning and it was an honest mistake and a lapse in judgement.

Without saying a single word out of my mouth simply observing the discussion of the 2 it was concluded that they would both ask for a dismissal. This Fish and Game would remain with the skull and hide and I would have to pay restitution for the harvested animal but judgement would be withheld and my hunting privileges would remain intact. They both looked at me and asked me if I felt that would be fair and I very gratefully agreed. We went back into the court house and the prosecutor presented his plan and the judge pleasantly obliged. He instructed me to call in to the court house a year after the with held judgement and the wildlife misdemeanor would be expunged as if it had never existed.

Since he had waited for me to discuss my case with the officer and the prosecutor we were the last ones in the courthouse. After all was said and done he stepped down and shook my hand and asked me if I intended to go hunting since I had come all the way from my home 6 hrs away. I replied telling him that thanks to him I am able to keep that privilege and I was very grateful. He wished me luck on all of my hunts!

Life is good.