WOLF: More on Mr. Mize

I read with interest the Jan. 14 article regarding the wolf shot on Rathdrum Mountain by Forrest Mize and the subsequent letters to the editor by other interested people. Clearly the newspaper is a valuable method of transmitting information. It is also, typically, one side of the story. Being curious, I often wait patiently and quietly for the other side of the story before I fully believe the initial reported event.

Since Mr. Mize will probably go to trial for shooting a wolf without a tag, the other side of the story will be long in coming. Months from now the results of the trial will be reported, probably without much information clarifying what really happened. In the meantime, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will be taking abuse from those who believe Mr. Mize was unfairly ticketed for purchasing a hunting tag after he killed an animal that he reported was ready to attack him. Every hunter in Idaho knows it is illegal to kill a game animal without a hunting tag in possession so the issue seems to be the fact that Mr. Mize reported that the wolf was ready to attack him.

Historically, wolf attacks on humans in the U.S. haven’t been that common (one in the last hundred years), especially individual wolf attacks, but it could have happened. At this point all I know is that Mr. Mize said the wolf was ready to attack and he happened to have a center fire .22 caliber rifle ready to fend off the purported attack. It is certainly legal to protect yourself from an attack by any dangerous animal in Idaho. Mr. Mize could have called Fish and Game to report the shooting and Fish and Game would have investigated and taken the carcass.

Unless there was a witness to the shooting who refuted Mr. Mize’s story or the account of the story didn’t match the evidence, Mr. Mize would have a great story with a picture but no wolf hide and no ticket. If Mr. Mize was attacked by a moose, shot the moose then got a tag and was caught and ticketed, it is unlikely there would be letters to the editor vilifying Fish and Game. But, it was a wolf and many hunters in Idaho think Fish and Game should look the other way while wolves are exterminated.

Still curious about the real facts of the story, I decided to Google Mr. Mize to see if his recent arrival from Ventura, Calif., would have left any tracks that might illuminate the story. It certainly did.

DOUG ALBERTSON

Coeur d’Alene