Idaho Rancher Kills Wolf Said to Have Killed Colt

A couple living in a rural canyon west of Hailey have killed a wolf, saying it’s the same predator that destroyed their colt and attacked two of their dogs. “The wolf that killed J.R. Luna Azul (the colt) is dead,” wrote Kevin and Jennifer Swigert in a press release issued through Idaho for Wildlife. “Although we cannot be sure there were not other wolves involved, we can be sure that the distinctive track we have been following for five long weeks belonged to this wolf. Justice has been served for the painful death of our horse.” Two officers checked the dead wolf Friday afternoon, said Josh Royse, Idaho Department of Fish and Game regional conservation officer. The kill appeared to be legal, and Kevin Swigert had the proper hunting tag, Royse said. Fish and Game could not confirm it was the specific wolf that killed the Swigerts’ colt in early February, Royse said. According to Idaho for Wildlife’s website, the Swigerts found their colt dead, “isolated against an outer fence just 100 feet from the barn” on the morning of Feb. 13. The wolf returned and attacked two of their border collies, which fought off the wolf but sustained injuries to their necks and legs, the Swigerts said. The Swigerts contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s wildlife services. USDA confirmed the wolf depredation and conducted flyovers in the area hoping to kill the predator. The Swigerts also reached out to Idaho for Wildlife, which helped organize an on-the-ground hunt for the wolf. The situation received regional media attention...more