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Menacing letters were sent to at least two Idaho state lawmakers, warning that they will become "prey" after they voted for a controversial bill to cut the state's wolf population by killing over 1,000 wolves so just about 150 remain, the Associated Press reported.
"Just as the wolf went from predator to prey, so shall you," said the anonymous letters received by Republican Representative Caroline Troy and Republican Senator Dan Johnson, who said his letter had a Sacramento postmark with the Statehouse in Boise as its return address.
It's unknown how many lawmakers received the same threatening message but Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke said a number of them did. The wolf law, seeking to reduce the wolf population by 90 percent, went into effect on July 1 after it received 26-7 Senate votes with all Democrats voting against it. In the House, it passed with 58-11 votes and with one Democrat voting for the measure.
"It's OK for people to disagree with my votes or my bills, but some comments cross the line," Johnson said. "I think this letter comes close to the line, if not stepping over it."
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below:
The Lewiston Morning Tribune reported Wednesday that some of the lawmakers contacted the Idaho State Police.
Backers of the wolf law that took effect July 1 said the state can cut the number of wolves to 150 before federal authorities would take over management.
The letters describe lawmakers as "nothing more than a sellout to the Cattle Association and that pitiful minority of cattle producers that seemingly dictate how our wildlife lives and dies."
In the House, no Republicans opposed.
A primary change in wolf hunting in Idaho allows the state to hire private contractors to kill wolves and provides more money for state officials to hire the contractors. The law also expands killing methods to include trapping and snaring wolves on a single hunting tag, using night-vision equipment, chasing wolves on snowmobiles and ATVs and shooting them from helicopters. It also authorizes year-round wolf trapping on private property.
Troy said the letter appeared to have been smeared with something, and that it had several drawings, possibly of a tree and several geometric shapes.
"The whole thing was odd," she said. "I understand that people feel strongly about wolves—I do, too—but I think Idaho is better than this."
"It doesn't happen often, where there have been threats to multiple individuals," he said. "We all get a lot of snarky emails and texts, but we don't turn them into ISP or the Attorney General's Office."
Environmental groups in July notified Idaho Governor Brad Little and other state officials of their intent to file a lawsuit over the expanded wolf-killing law they believe will result in the illegal killing of federally protected grizzly bear and lynx.
