Dec 6, 2016

December 6: When A Gunshot Kills A Legend In The Woods, The Whole World Can Hear It


On December 6th, 2012, a grey wolf was hunted and killed in Wyoming. Hunting and trapping wolves is legal in Wyoming ever since the wolves lost their protective status in 2011, and is not unusual.

This wolf, named 06 Female (born in 2006), was in fact unusual and was mourned around the world, as she was a well researched natural anomaly. As most wolves hunt deer and elk in packs of six, 06 Female hunted alone. Instead of chasing prey, 06 faced her prey head on and was highly successful.

Due to her hunting skills that produced an abundance of food she was able to birth and rear 13 pups.   She was the alpha female of her pack (the Lamar Canyon Pack) and instead of taking an alpha male as a mate, she chose two young brothers.

In the 6 years of her life she evaded rival packs as well as hunters until late 2012 when the Lamar Canyon Pack unknowingly crossed out of the Yellowstone park boarder where she was legally shot by a Wyoming hunter. 8 wolves a year are allowed to be hunted, and at the end of 2012 the 06 Female was the 8th and final kill of the season.

On December 6 a memorial is held annually for 06 Female at Lamar Canyon in Wyoming (06 for 06 Day). The name of the hunter has never been released.

Photo Credit: A Grey Wolf near Lamar River by Jim Peaco of the National Park Service. public domain.