Wolverine Poached East of Horseshoe Bend

From a turnout on the Hawley Mountain Road on October 31, someone shot a wolverine in a clearing about 200 yards away, according to a citation report. The shooter neither retrieved nor investigated his kill, and he left the scene, the report said. The following day, November 1, an elk hunter found the dead wolverine and called the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. He told District Conservation Officer Bill London about it that evening in a hunting camp. The next day the hunter hiked back to the spot and marked the route so London could find the animal. London investigated on November 2. He retrieved the wolverine carcass, collected evidence and started interviewing people in the area. Wolverines are so unusual people talk about it, London said. Somebody would know something. He showed the dead wolverine around and explained how rare they are. London met Floyd Henry Day, 52, of Caldwell, in his hunt camp. Day appeared nervous, London said. After questioning him, London cited him on a charge of taking a wolverine in a closed season. There is no hunting or trapping season on wolverines, which is classified as a protected nongame species in Idaho. If found guilty, Day faces up to $1,000 fine, up to three years suspension of hunting privileges and up to six months in jail. He is due to be arraigned in court November 19. No wolverine population estimate has been done in Idaho, but the animals are rare, have large territories and a low population density, said Steve Nadeau, large carnivore program manager with Fish and Game. They are the largest members of the weasel family that live on land. They range from about 35 to 60 pounds and average about 2 feet long. In the United States, wolverines may be hunted only in Alaska and Montana. The dead wolverine was about two years old, London said. In 2003, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected a petition to list the wolverine as an endangered species. The carnivore naturally occurs in low densities, but that doesn't mean it warrants listing, Fish and Wildlife said. Wolverines are difficult to study and rarely seen, but the lack of sightings doesn't necessarily mean the numbers are dwindling. Wolverines do occasionally show up in traps set for other furbearers. Badgers are gray and white, with grizzled light brown fur on the back. A distinctive white stripe runs from the nose back across its head and between the shoulder blades. A wolverine is dark brown with a lighter beige stripe across the forehead above the eyes and along the sides. The elk hunter knew what the animal was, and told London the incident made him angry. He did everything right to help conservation officers, London said. Anyone who wants to report a poacher may call the Citizens Against Poaching 24-hour hotline at 1-800-632-5999. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward if the information results in a citation.