Missoula man runs-down wolves, brags on Facebook

Editor's note: What follows is a graphic description that may be difficult for some readers.

HELENA – A Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks law enforcement official said Friday the agency is "looking into" a Missoula anti-wolf extremist's Facebook claim that he purposefully ran down a pair of wolves on Interstate 90 just east of the Idaho-Montana border.

Montana FWP Region 2 Warden Capt. Joseph Jaquith said they were aware of Toby Bridges' Facebook post in which he brags about killing two young wolves with his wife's van.

"We're trying to determine, first of all, what exactly we can do with something somebody says on Facebook with no other physical evidence," Jaquith said. "Whether or not it's true remains to be seen."

Bridges, who runs an anti-wolf website and Facebook page called Lobo Watch, on Tuesday posted pictures on Facebook and described in graphic detail how he accelerated his vehicle in an apparent attempt to intentionally run down the wolves.

Bridges did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Bridges described a scene in which he claims a group of wolves were chasing a cow and calf elk across the highway about four miles east of Lookout Pass. Bridges said he "let off the brake and hit the accelerator."

"Just past MM4 (mile maker 4), a cow elk and calf suddenly ran right out onto Interstate 90, and I let up on the gas and had just started to brake — in case more elk followed," Bridges wrote. "What followed were two adult wolves. The cow jumped over the concrete barrier separating (sic) West and East traffic lanes, the calf stayed on 'my' side — and both were running up the highway, toward the pass. The wolves went after the calf ... and I let off the brake and hit the accelerator. I was going to save that calf."

Bridges said his vehicle was driving approximately 55 mph "when suddenly four young wolves shot right out in front of me.

"There was no time to hit the brakes (like I really would?) and I heard two distinct loud 'thumps,'" Bridges wrote. "Out of my mirror, I saw an almost black 50-pound wolf spinning around in the middle of the highway — with one very apparent, very badly broken back leg. In the other mirror, I saw one slightly smaller wolf rolling onto the shoulder."

In graphic detail, Bridges described the scene and the sounds the badly injured wolves made in agony.

"At the sound of the wolf pup with the broken leg squalling, the two adult wolves cut back across the highway in front of the van and shot up the side of the steep slope. I drove on to the pass, came back down the other side to where I could get back on the West bound lane, and came back to where the dead wolf laid on the shoulder. I saw the other pup — dragging a broken leg — topping a steep bank about 80 or 90 yards upslope, just as it went back into the timber. I thought about going up and putting the young wolf out of its misery…then I gave that second thought. The two adult wolves were still in the very close vicinity ... and I did not have a gun in the van."

According to his narrative, Bridges then pulled his vehicle over to take pictures of the scene.

"While I snapped a few photos, I heard the pup howling in distress ... and a few minutes later I heard quite a ruckus up above ... then all went quiet. I do believe that the adult wolves finished off their severely injured offspring."

Early on in the post Bridges said he accelerated toward the wolves, but later claims striking the wolves with his car was an accident.

"Two wolves out of the equation ... and it was all an accident. I love it when things go good," Bridges wrote.

Jaquith said "in general" it is illegal and "very unsporting" to intentionally run animals down with a vehicle.

"It's very unsporting, regardless of how you feel about wolves or lawful means for harvest of wolves, certainly running them down on the highway is not what we would accept," Jaquith said.

Last year a federal prosecutor charged six members of a Montana Hutterite colony for killing and burying two grizzly bears after chasing them down in vehicles until the bears succumbed to exhaustion. The colony was fined nearly $20,000 in the deaths.

Wolves are no longer managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services after they were removed from federal Endangered Species Act protections through a rider Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., attached to a 2011 budget bill.

Brooks Fahy, of the national wildlife conservation organization Predator Defense, said Bridges' post is part of a growing online "subculture" of individuals who post graphic pictures and stories of predators being purposefully maimed, tortured and killed in online forums and on social media sites.

In recent years, federal Forest Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services agents have come under public scrutiny after posting graphic pictures online of wounded predators in traps. In one instance a federal Wildlife Services agent posted photos of his domestic dogs attacking a coyote caught in a leg-hold trap.

"To me it's like a hate crime," Fahy said. "You look at the language in these posts and it starts feeling very psychopathic. I'm very concerned about this."

Fahy also questioned whether state and federal wildlife protection and law enforcement agencies are doing enough to try to curb the illegal killing and torturing of wolves and other predators. Fahy said as the controversy surrounding wolves continues to build, wildlife agencies appear to be turning a blind eye to disturbing online posts.

"This type of vitriol and hatred tends to build if it goes unchallenged," Fahy said. "One thing that's very disconcerting so far in the Northern Rockies — Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming — is we're constantly hearing of animals being intentionally gut-shot, dead wolves being posed in disturbing position for photos. As far as I'm aware, none of these agencies, including Montana, have come out and publicly said, 'this is deplorable; this language is deplorable.'"

Jaquith said FWP is taking the matter seriously, but at the same time he defended Bridges' "right to free speech."

"This is a very recent thing. We're not going to rush into it," Jaquith said. "We're going to look at it, we're going to see exactly where it falls. We've had incidents where it takes a little bit of time to figure out what we're going to do about something. We're taking a look at it. We're not turning a blind eye to it."