CALHOUN COUNTY, Mich. — Charges could be coming against a hunter who allegedly shot and killed a gray wolf on accident.
Back in January, a hunter killed a gray wolf while legally hunting coyotes in Calhoun County. 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.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said they have completed their investigation into the incident and will be handing it over to the Calhoun County Prosecutor's Office for review on Friday, June 7.
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.
It is standard practice to investigate possible criminal charges when it comes to the taking of animals listed as federally endangered.
While gray wolf sightings in the Lower Peninsula are rare, they aren't impossible. The DNR said this is "an unusual case."
The last time a gray wolf was recorded by the DNR in the Lower Peninsula was back in 2014 when a trail camera set up by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians captured a wolf.
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