Popular Yellowstone Wolf ‘Spitfire’ Killed by Hunter in Montana

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A popular Yellowstone National Park wolf was shot dead by a hunter in Montana last month, reported the New York Times.

The wolf, known as Spitfire or 926F, was shot within the hunting laws established by Montana in 2011 after the state permitted the hunting of the animals. Several hundred wolves are killed every year, the Times reported.

“A game warden checked with the hunter and everything about this harvest was legal,” Abby Nelson, a wolf management specialist with the Montana Department of Wildlife, told the paper.

Nelson told East Idaho News that everything about how the wolf was shot and killed was legitimate. It was killed near Cooke City, Montana, outside of Yellowstone.

But she added that it might be “a bit harder for people to stomach” because the wolf pack showed some signs of habituation.

Spitfire was the alpha female leader of the Lamar Canyon pack. The animal was well-known among wolf watchers and enthusiasts. The wolf’s mother, “06,” was also well-known as a hunter, according to the report.

The Facebook page Wolves of the Rockies issued a statement on the matter.

“We are heartbroken to share the news that the wolf killed outside the park was 926F of the Lamar Canyon Pack. This was confirmed by FWP biologist and the park,” according to the page. “926F was the daughter of the legendary 06. After 06 was killed by a hunter in 2012 the Lamar Canyon experienced so much misfortune, but 926 fearlessly kept this struggling pack together.”

Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming established the seasonal hunting of wolves to control their population.

The hunting of wolves is not permitted inside Yellowstone National Park.