A New Perspective on a Gianforte Hunt: The Governor, the Warden, and the Wolf

TL/DR –

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department reportedly pressured game warden Justin Hawkaluk to lie about Governor Greg Gianforte’s role in the killing of a wolf. Gianforte was said to have not taken a required trapping course before killing the animal, for which he was given a warning and then took the course. Hawkaluk, who eventually left his job, claims his superiors tried to record the governor’s hunting buddy as the shooter to avoid issuing Gianforte a citation.

Controversy over Montana Governor’s Wolf Kill Ignites

In March 2021, Helena game warden Justin Hawkaluk was asked by his superiors at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department to officially record a wolf kill. The twist was that the hunter was none other than Governor Greg Gianforte, which resulted in an ensuing controversy and a series of departures from the department.

Hawkaluk alleges that he was pressured to misrepresent the incident, leading to both him and his superior leaving their posts. The claim is that Hawkaluk was asked to list the governor’s hunting companion as the shooter, thereby avoiding the need to issue Governor Gianforte a citation. The story initially drew little attention as wolf hunting is legal in Montana.

However, as the governor seeks re-election and with increased focus on the treatment of wolves, the incident has been thrust back into the limelight. The situation was further complicated when it was alleged that there was an attempted cover-up of the governor’s actions.

Despite the controversies, the governor’s spokesman, Sean Southard, stated that Mr. Gianforte rectified his mistake by taking the required trapping course and insisted that the handling of the situation had no political motivation. He added that Mr. Gianforte has been trapping for nearly 50 years and had been working to harvest a wolf for the last five years.

The killing of a once-protected species has ignited heated debates among the public, with some finding the act distasteful. Despite the legality of hunting wolves in Montana, the manner of kill has raised ethical questions. Trapped wolves, in distress, often chew off their own trapped leg, leading to calls for minimization of suffering during hunting practices.

Montana has strict trapping regulations, but some argue that the governor, given his political position and the fact that the legislature was in session, may not have followed these guidelines for humane hunting.

The controversy over the governor’s wolf kill continues to grow as Montana moves closer to its re-election period.

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