This was a dreadful situation, but my question is, why did the hunters submit a report? They had to know they’d get in trouble for defending their lives. That’s not allowed! If it had been me—which God forbid!—I’d have adopted the “shoot, shovel, and shut up” approach.
Because someone always opens his big mouth. Better to get it out in the open than have your buddy telling the story around and then the a**hole game wardens show up to arrest you for not reporting it.
Actually it is legal to kill a wolf or grizzly in self defense. A MT F&W warden went back on Monday and verified the scene and wolf tracks that followed them for 200 yards when they left. This is cut and dried self defense IMO, it sounds like the feds have to go through their bureaucratic abc’s to verify it was self defense.
The fed fine is huge plus jail time for illegally killing a wolf. Even though it was out in the boonies you can never be sure who’s around. I believe he did the right thing in reporting it.
Wouldn’t they do the same balistic forensics as they would with a homicide?
I reckon a griz would eat wolf, too, same as elk...just saying, nature has a way of cleaning things up.