Tests Confirm Coyote Hunter Killed Wolf In Grand County

KREMMLING, Colo. (CBS4) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirms DNA tests on an animal shot by a coyote hunter on April 29 near Kremmling prove the animal is in fact a wild gray wolf.

"This was a wild wolf killed in Grand County," said Steve Segin, a public affairs officer with the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The FWS is still investigating the incident, and there is no word if the hunter, who apparently thought the animal -- which he shot near Wolford Mountain Reservoir -- was a coyote.

The animal did not have a collar, ear tag or PIT tag when it was inspected.

"Obviously, killing an endangered species is illegal," Segin said. "What's important is the hunter did the right thing and contacted Parks and Wildlife."

The name of the hunter has not been released.

Gray wolves in Colorado are protected under the Endangered Species Act, though the state is not home to an officially recognized population of the species. However, they are capable of covering long distances and have been confirmed as at least visiting Colorado in the recent past.

Gary Wockner is an expert on the wolf situation in the West. He says since 2005 at least three other wild wolves have been killed inside Colorado borders.

One of those notable wolf cases in northwest Colorado took place in 2009 in Rio Blanco County, where a wolf was found dead and later determined to have been killed by a banned poison. That wolf traveled more than 1,000 miles from Montana.

It is not unusual behavior for wolves to cover such distances, Segin said.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials say there is not a population of wolves in the state, but that does not mean the animals are not here coming from other western states.

Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.