Wolf Shot East of Billings

A rancher legally shot a gray wolf on his property 40 miles east of Billings on Tuesday.

According to a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks press release, the rancher, who held a Montana wolf hunting license, said he killed the wolf after it chased some of his cattle away from a coulee where he was feeding them.

FWP wolf specialist Abbie Nelson said there is no way to know where the wolf came from. During this time of year lone wolves — and young males in particular — can travel hundreds of miles in search of a mate.

According to an article in the Billings Gazette, wolves have been tracked more than 300 miles from Jackson, Wyoming, to Broadus, Montana, and from Livingston to Alberta, Canada.

Though some residents may be surprised that a wolf was killed east of Billings, Nelson said it is not unique. While wolf populations and management activities are largely focused on Western Montana and Wyoming, as well as wildlands in and around Yellowstone National Park, wolves are not unheard of much farther east.