Rick Hobson, a wolf advocate from Boise, Idaho, has published the names of more than 100 hunters who reported wolf kills during Idaho’s inaugural wolf season. After obtaining the list through a public records request from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, he published the names on a website he created and later placed an ad in the Idaho Statesman directing people to the site, all the while denying his intent to harass the hunters.
Jan. 29 in the Idaho Statesman:
Hunters should be aware that by participating in hunts, they’re entering into the wolf debate, Hobson said.
“They’re paying for the privilege to use a resource that belongs to all of us,” Hobson said. “They’ve made a conscious decision to do something that other people in this state disapprove of.” …
Ed Mitchell, information supervisor for Idaho Fish and Game, said the agency has received a few complaints, but had no choice but to release the names.
“We understand the concerns, but under state law, and upon request, we have to give up the names,” he said.
On his website, Hobson claims he wasn’t trying to harass the hunters, but instead wanted “to foster a continued dialogue about the issue.”
What do you think of Hobson’s comments? Do you think he was trying to provoke attacks against the hunters? Should the names of private citizens who killed wolves be public information?
