Montana schedules sale of wolf-hunt tags

Licenses to hunt wolves in Montana go on sale Aug. 31 but whether there will be a hunt this fall remains uncertain.


Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has scheduled the hunt to begin Sept. 15 in some backcountry areas and on Oct. 25 in the rest of the four management areas. There also is a winter season set for Dec. 1-31.
The hunting seasons are part of a Montana plan to manage the gray wolf after it was reintroduced to the state in the mid-1980s. The wolf recovery has been more successful than at first imagined, and the wolf was removed from the endangered species list earlier this year.
"The main goal of wolf delisting is to fully manage the animal as a resident big game animal," Joe Maurier, director of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, said Monday. "The wolf is fully recovered and doing well. To keep them on the landscape, we realize the need for compatibility with people and other wildlife."
But a lawsuit in federal court seeks to restore the wolf to the endangered species list. The lawsuit also deals with wolves in Idaho. Wolves in Wyoming remain protected because the state has failed to produce a viable management plan.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Donald Malloy scheduled a hearing for Aug. 31 on the lawsuit to halt the wolf hunts.
Idaho is set to begin its wolf season the next day.
Carolyn Sime, head of the FWP wolf recovery effort, said Montana has about 500 wolves, including 34 breeding pairs. Idaho has 1,000 to 1,500 wolves.
Montana would allow up to 75 wolves to be taken by hunters. That would be in addition to the total mortalities from other causes. In 2008, that amounted to 155 wolf deaths.
"If 75 more wolves were taken, the population would not be in jeopardy," Sime said.
Also on Monday, FWP administrators and working biologists held a news conference in which they said:

•The state is prepared to go ahead with the wolf hunt;

•Many of the questions about managing wolves will not be answered until a couple of hunting seasons have taken place; and

•Most wolves would be taken incidentally by elk and deer hunters.
Sime said that over the past two years a survey conducted after each general hunting season disclosed that from 5 to 8 percent of the deer and elk hunters in the field or about 2,500 to 5,500 saw wolves.
Wolf tags will be sold over the counter for $19 to Montanans and they will cost $350 for nonresidents.
A tag will be good for any of three wolf management units. The units are the WMU 1 which extends across the northern tier of the state and has a quota of 41 wolves.
WMU 2 is southwestern Montana from Missoula south through the Bitterroot and the upper Big Hole valleys. Quota there is 22.
WMU 3, which extends across the southern tier of Montana from Dillon east. Quota is 12.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

I just saw this in an email from RMEF, so I figured I would get it out as soon as so y'all can try and watch it.
 

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

Last I heard, about a week ago. 3 wolves have been shot. So far they can only hunt them in back country areas. When the general deer/elk season opens you can hunt them in the lower country.

If you want to be legal about it yes. I have heard several diff body counts and 3 is not one of them.  LOL

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

I herd they have shot nine by Dillon and they close it until rifle season.Because they can only shot 12 down there so 3 more is all they take so they saving it for rifle.

I'd be willing to bet that ranchers have killed alot more than the quota allowed.  LOL

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member