CALHOUN COUNTY, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is considering criminal charges against a hunter who shot and killed a gray wolf in Calhoun County in January.
Earlier this month, the DNR shared that a hunter had killed a gray wolf while legally hunting coyotes. The hunter claimed that he believed it to be a large coyote at the time, but after the DNR genetically tested the animal, it was found to be a gray wolf.
Hunting wolves is prohibited in Michigan, as wolves fall in the endangered category in the state. It is only legal to kill a wolf if they are a threat to human life.
Now the DNR said it will be investigating potential criminal charges in the case, as is standard practice when it comes to the taking of animals listed as federally endangered.
Sightings of gray wolves in the Lower Peninsula are rare but not impossible.
"This is an unusual case, and the DNR is actively delving into the matter to learn more about this particular animal's origin," said Brian Roell, large carnivore specialist for the DNR. "While rare, instances of wolves traversing vast distances have been documented, including signs of wolves in recent decades in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.”
The last time a gray wolf was seen in the Lower Peninsula was in 2014 on a trail camera set up by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.
You can learn more about wolves in Michigan here.
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