Shot wolf not threatening humans or livestock

Published 12:57 pm Thursday, February 5, 2015

PULLMAN — A Whitman County man who shot a gray wolf last fall told investigators the animal did not pose an imminent threat to humans or livestock.

That’s according to a report released by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife after a public records request by the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

Officers investigating the October shooting say Jonathan M. Rasmussen and his wife did not indicate the wolf posed a threat at the time of the shooting south of Pullman.

Investigators say they found evidence of unlawful taking of wildlife, and recommended a misdemeanor charge be filed. No charges have been filed yet by the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office.

Under Washington law, it is illegal to shoot a wolf unless it is attacking livestock or people.