Wolf advocate receives warning for her Idaho hunting tag chicanery

An animal rights advocate who tried to pass off a state-culled wolf carcass as one she shot herself has gotten off with a warning from Idaho Fish and Game, but no other penalty.

Lynne Stone, director of the wildlife advocacy group Boulder-White Clouds Council, had purchased a 2009 wolf hunting tag. She had no plans to go hunt one of the predators, but intended to find a wolf killed by other means and use the tag in an effort to count it toward the statewide hunting quota.

Last November, Stone had her chance. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Wildlife Services sent a helicopter to cull wolves from the Butte Basin pack, located near Stanley, Idaho.

Stone, who had been tracking the pack for several years, recovered the carcass of the alpha female, killed in the cull. She took it home and called Fish and Game to report it as a kill.

Fish and Game officials, however, rejected Stone's claim and instead confiscated the carcass as state property.

State regional conservation officer Gary Hompland told the Times-News that wolves killed during such control actions become the property of the state, and that Fish and Game collects and uses such animals for educational purposes or to sell in annual auctions for their fur.

Stone claims she had planned to use the carcass for educational purposes as well, and that she had contacted several regional Fish and Game offices for guidance but couldn't get a consistent answer on her rights.

"Her motivation really doesn't change the law," Hompland said. "The law is still pretty clear."

Hompland believes this is the first known attempt by a wolf advocate to get an enforcement kill counted against the season quota.

Fish and Game sold Stone another 2009 tag, which is allowed if a tag is used improperly.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: A silhouetted wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Credit: Joel Sartore / National Geographic / Getty Images

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Comments

[Scott Seward]

To Anne: Shame on hunters?

Hunters contribute more money every year to conserve our fish and game in this country than do all animal rights groups combined. Hunters contribute $4.7 Million every day towards conservation efforts totaling more than $1.7 Billion every year. Hunting generates over 1 million jobs in the US alone. Over the past 80 years, sportsmen have contributed more than $7.6 Billion for on-the-ground projects in every state protecting our natural enviornemnts and our fish and wildlife.

In 1900, there were less than 500,000 white tail deer in the US. Today, through hunter conservation efforts, there are more than 30 Million.

In 1901, only a handful of ducks remained in the US and Canada, now there are more than 31 Million.

In 1907, there were only about 41,000 elk left in the entire US. Today, in only the 10 western US states, there exists over 1 million.

At the turn of the century, do to habitat loss and encroaching human civilization, wild turkey populations were around 100,000. Today, through the Nat'l Wild Turkey Federation, along with other hunter conservation efforts, there are now over 7 Million.

In the 1950's, our Pronghorn Antelope population hovered around 12,000. Today, there are more than 1.1 Million.

Further, hunters and fishermen are the greenest, most environmentally friendly humans on the earth. Who else goes out and finds the animals they eat vs. going to the store and buying dinner? Hunters help maintain adequate populations of wildlife through hunting. Even a 10% increase in an animals population above what the environment can sustain can wipe out up to 90% of the total herd do to a lack of water, food and shelter.

This is fact and science. You may not like hunting, but don't slander hunters. They protect your wildlife more than anyone else in the US.

[XXXGoodWolfXXX]

"Hero with a huge heart"....Hmmm wierd description of a criminal....This is the fourth time Stone has violated Fish and game laws...she has now admitted to 1-Harassing game animals 2-Unsafely discharging a firearm into the air 3-Interfering with legal hunts 4-illegal tagging of a big game animal.....
"Shame on hunters"...That is somewhat hilarious...Lynne Stone has more fish and game infractions that all licensed wolf hunters combined.....

[Anne]

Here we have a real hero with a huge heart! It's a pity Stone didn't succeed but her efforts to help the animals is wonderful. Shame on hunters.

[TLM]

Illegal possession of wildlife, tagging an animal you didn't harvest, playing loose and fast with the rules. Shame on you Ms. Stone!

[Brent Diehl]

I think that Lynne needs to be admited to the state mental hospital in Orofino. She has a strong history of skirting fish and game laws. This incident for some reason hasn't made our local Idaho paper?

[Fora]

Note that she purchased ANOTHER license. She obviously purchased it as a souvenir.