A Mexican gray wolf died after being accidentally trapped by a Catron County Sheriff’s Office employee in 2025, leading to controversy over the legality of the trap and the lack of charges filed.

Updated: 8:03 AM MDT Sep 11, 2026

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New Mexico wolf trapping case stirs legal debate – KOAT

Jason McNabb

Reporter

RESERVE, N.M. —

A Mexican gray wolf, identified as A-M-2765, died shortly after being accidentally trapped on public land by the Catron County Sheriff’s Office in Reserve, New Mexico back in July of 2025, igniting a debate between conservationists and local officials over the legality of the trap and the handling of the incident.

The wolf was caught in a trap intended for a coyote that had been repeatedly seen near a house in Reserve, where children, pets, and livestock were present. Sheriff Keith Hughes said he directed Bill Nelson, a former U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services trapper hired as a public safety officer, to address the coyote issue.

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“I’ll be damned if I’m gonna apologize for protecting our citizens,” Hughes said.

Nelson set traps on both private and public land, identifying a trail on public land the coyote had been using regularly. However, one of the traps on public land caught the Mexican gray wolf instead. A New Mexico Game & Fish case report obtained by Target 7 said Nelson placed a sleeping bag over the wolf’s head to calm it while freeing it, but the wolf died shortly afterward.

Nelson said he noticed something was wrong after freeing the wolf and attempted to revive it, but it was unsuccessful. Target 7 obtained a necropsy performed by federal officials, which revealed the wolf choked and suffocated on regurgitated food, which was triggered by the trapping. It also revealed injuries consistent with revival attempts.

“It was an accident. Plain and simple,” Nelson said.

Conservationists, however, argue the trap violated Roxy’s Law, which bans trapping on state lands. Cyndi Tuell, director of the Western Watershed Project, said, “It’s illegal to set a trap on Forest Service land in New Mexico.”

Tuell criticized Nelson’s actions, saying, “It’s really unfortunate that this expert, supposed expert made this really significant mistake. And really nothing happens to him as a result.”

Despite efforts by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Nelson faced no charges in Catron County due to a lack of evidence, according to a letter Target 7 obtained from the 7th Judicial District Attorney’s office.

Target 7 also obtained a letter from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office sent to Attorney General Raul Torrez, requesting his office to review the case to see if prosecution was warranted, but Nelson ultimately signed a pre-prosecution agreement. The agreement required him to acknowledge Roxy’s Law and download an app that identifies state land, called onX.

“When we learned that Bill Nelson had to download the onX app as the only consequence of setting an illegal trap on forest service land and then smothering a Mexican gray wolf with a sleeping bag, we [were] pretty outraged,” Tuell said.

Sheriff Hughes maintains that Nelson acted within the law, citing a provision in Roxy’s Law that allows government entities to set traps on public land to prevent or mitigate threats to public safety.

“If you look at that Roxy’s Law, there’s a clause in there,” Hughes said.

John Day, KOAT’s legal expert, said the sheriff’s interpretation of the law is likely correct. “If the Sheriff’s Office sets a trap to catch a specific animal because they believe there is an immediate threat to public safety, that could conceivably qualify as an exception under the law,” Day said.

Day added that intent would need to be proven for charges to be filed in cases where the intended animal was not trapped.

“Yeah, it probably wouldn’t have died if it wasn’t in the trap, but we also weren’t targeting that wolf,” Sheriff Hughes said.

While no charges were filed, conservationists like Tuell continue to advocate for justice for the wolf. “What would be justice is if people could understand the valuable services that these wolves provide to all of us and to the land,” Tuell said.

The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office issued a statement to Target 7 on their declination to prosecute. You can read it below:

“The New Mexico Department of Justice thoroughly reviewed this case to determine whether the facts supported criminal charges under Roxy’s Law. They did not. Pursuing charges here would have meant stretching the law well beyond what the evidence could support and risking a bad precedent that could weaken Roxy’s Law in future cases where the facts are stronger. That decision reflects prosecutorial discipline, not a lack of commitment. Roxy’s Law remains one of New Mexico’s most important tools for protecting wildlife and public lands, and our office will continue to enforce it vigorously wherever the facts and evidence support holding violators accountable.”

Target 7 also asked Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office about the letter sent to the NM Department of Justice. A spokesperson said the letter “speaks for itself.”

Ryan Mense

Gilroy man penalized for abandoning hundreds of Dungeness crab traps

Ryan Mense

8 hours ago

(KRON) — A Gilroy man who wildlife officials said abandoned more than 100 Dungeness crab traps off the coast of Del Norte County will have his commercial fishing license suspended for two years, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday.

CDFW said 66-year-old Darryl Donovan will also have his Dungeness crab vessel permits suspended for four years after disciplinary actions were taken up by the California Fish and Game Commission at its Aug. 12-13 meeting.https://mmamp.kron4.com/avi/?key=n7ottz88#amp=1

State wildlife officers began their investigation after the 2023-24 Dungeness crab fishing season when a large number of abandoned traps were located off the Klamath River. More than 107 of the abandoned crab traps belonged to Donovan, CDFW said.

“Donovan’s violations included abandoning at least 107 Dungeness crab traps, failure to service traps in the required 96 hours, failure to submit mandatory fishing reports and fishing with untagged and improperly marked buoys,” officials stated.

Removing traps at the end of each season is “essential,” CDFW said. “Those who abandon traps not only endanger marine mammals and other wildlife that can become trapped or entangled in derelict gear, but they can also cause shortened fishing seasons for law-abiding fishers who depend on those opportunities for their livelihood.”

8 hours ago

Gilroy man penalized for abandoning hundreds of Dungeness crab traps | KRON4