WARNING: This article contains graphic photos depicting the death of an animal. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hunting is one of the most popular activities in Montana. There are nearly 225,000 registered hunters in the state, and while most are competent, some hunters make you wonder why they have the right to hunt in the first place. A shocking event over the weekend in Northwest Montana has taken social media by storm when a hunter shot and killed one of Montana's premier predators. Except, it wasn't the predator they thought it was.

A tragic mistake causes a fatal, unnecessary death.

Credit: Majestic-Panda-528 on Reddit
Credit: Majestic-Panda-528 on Reddit
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The hunter, whose identity has been hidden, posted this collage of images on Facebook showing what she calls a wolf pup. However, upon closer examination, the animal is either an Alaskan Malamute or a Siberian Husky, which are both breeds of domestic dogs. The dog was killed and skinned in the photos, which have been censored.

The post has since been removed, but not before folks posted screenshots of the post on Reddit. It exploded with comments condemning the act in multiple subreddits. Many folks even called for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) to investigate the crime. When reached for comment, FWP Administrator Greg Lemon stated,

We have confirmed the animal was not [a] wolf. Since it wasn’t a wild animal, we have referred the issue to the Flathead County Sheriff’s office for their investigation. We are looking into whether or not there were licensing infractions, but that issue remains under investigation.

The Flathead County Sheriff's Department released a Facebook statement regarding the case below.

Credit: Flathead County Sheriff's Office via Facebook
Credit: Flathead County Sheriff's Office via Facebook
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How can you tell between a wolf pup and a Husky?

Credit: karlthebear on Reddit
Credit: karlthebear on Reddit
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Huskies are obviously smaller than wolves, but wolf pups can be around the same size, so the difference is mostly in the face. The eyes of huskies are more almond-shaped and can be colored blue, black, or brown, while wolf eyes are rounder, and are not typically blue or black. Heterochromia, having two eyes of different colors, is more common in Huskies as well. Snouts of Huskies are shorter than wolves, and they also have leaner and smaller bodies.

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Do you think the hunter made an honest mistake? Regardless, it's still absolutely awful and brutal that a domestic dog was killed in such a terrible way. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

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