Agency issues citation in wolf shooting incident
ELKHORN — A Walworth man was fined by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources after shooting a wolf in the Walworth County town of Spring Prairie.
The citation accused Larry A. Ellis, 67, of W6290 N. Walworth, of hunting without a license. Wolves can be legally hunted, but hunters must have an appropriate license. The wolf was shot at 7 a.m. Nov. 25, according to the citation.
Game warden Juan Gomez, who issued the citation Dec. 14, said Ellis apparently thought the wolf was a coyote.
Ellis appeared in court Dec. 19, pleaded no contest, was found guilty and paid a $152.55 fine.
The DNR ordered what was called a "law enforcement" investigation into the cause of death of the male, 60-pound wolf.
A DNR wolf expert, Adrian Wydeven, told reporters wolf packs are not common in southern Wisconsin, but lone, dispersed wolves have been seen as far south as Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
The incident did not cause as much excitement as ongoing sightings of The Beast of Bray Road. The Walworth County legend is built around sightings of a wolfish creature spotted in the Bray Road area east of Elkhorn stealing chickens and eating roadkill.
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