Sammi🦋@StoriesBySammi · Sep 28, 2026

On September 25, it was reported that 1273M, a Yellowstone wolf known as Tripod, was killed during Montana's wolf…

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Summary

A famous Yellowstone wolf named 1273M (Tripod) was killed during Montana's wolf hunt in September, despite wearing a research collar that had provided valuable data to biologists. Montana's aggressive hunting quota of 300 wolves—set above state biologists' recommendations—threatens the population's sustainability and disproportionately affects wolves that live in Yellowstone but venture outside its boundaries where they're unprotected.

Summarized by ThreadOut AI from the full thread. May miss nuance — read the thread below.

#1
On September 25, it was reported that 1273M, a Yellowstone wolf known as Tripod, was killed during Montana's wolf hunt, in hunting subunit 313, outside Yellowstone. He was born in 2019 into the Junction Butte Pack and became famous when he ran off with a photographer's tripod. In 2020, while the park was closed to visitors, staff hazed him with paintballs and beanbags. After successful aversive conditioning, he learned to avoid people and went on to help form the Rescue Creek Pack. He wore a research collar. When a collared wolf is killed, researchers lose all the data that wolf was giving them. A research collar doesn't protect a wolf from hunters. In Montana, the only requirement is that the hunter returns the collar to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The collar comes back. The wolf, and everything he could have taught biologists, doesn't. Montana just approved killing up to 300 wolves this season. That's roughly 4 out of every 10 of the 725 wolves the state now estimates it has, revised down from 1,094. The commission set the quota over the recommendation of the state's own biologists, who suggested 250. The state's own report says hitting that number year after year could push the population below the 450 it needs to keep. Before Wyoming's wolf hunt opened, it was reported that Mollie's Pack was safe inside Yellowstone's boundaries. The pack made it through Wyoming's hunt unharmed. Wolves don't know boundaries. Wolves that live mostly inside Yellowstone generally don't fear people, which makes them easy targets once they cross the line. Mollie's Pack made it. 1273M didn't. Wolves can't see the park boundary. Hunters can. There are a couple petitions for you today. The first one is to extend the borders of Yellowstone to protect the wolves in Wyoming. The second one is to stop the wolf hunt in Montana. 🐺 Links are in the first reply.👇 #DemsUnited 🧵
#2
Bookmark this so the petitions are easy to find later, and share it with someone who loves wolves. Sharing is caring. 🐺 TAKE ACTION: → Protect Wyoming Wolves: actionnetwork.org/letters/protec… → Protect Montana Wolves: actionnetwork.org/letters/suspen…
#3
→ Montana just cut its wolf estimate by hundreds and set a 300-wolf quota. Here's what the state's own numbers say (Daily Montanan) dailymontanan.com/2026/08/21/mon…
#4
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