During the 2021-22 hunting season, 21 wolves from Yellowstone were killed by hunters and trappers. In response, the commission has agreed to lower the harvest limits after requests from tourism-related businesses, emphasizing the economic importance of the park’s wolves which generate more than $82 million in visitor spending annually.
Further, the FWP requested a modification to delay a decision on the wolf trapping season until the next commission meeting on Oct. 10 to allow them time to assess wolf trapping dates and locations more thoroughly.
Previously, the agency has been criticized for implementing a floating date for trapping to avoid trapping grizzly bears, which are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. The delay in opening trapping until grizzly bears are hibernating led to concerns by trappers.
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Even if FWP’s proposal to have hunters and trappers eliminate all 334 wolves were to be implemented, the population would still be more than double the number desired by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature.
Rep. Paul Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of reduction in the statewide wolf population as mandated by the legislature. Fielder and Sen. Bob Brown, R-Thompson Falls, introduced four wolf-related bills at the 2021 Legislature to increase wolf hunting and trapping opportunities.
One of the bills requires FWP to reduce the wolf population to a “sustainable” level, with a target of 450 wolves statewide. Fielder also suggested considering the use of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services if meaningful reductions cannot be achieved through hunting and trapping.
Other information provided in the report includes the confirmation of 32 livestock losses to wolves in 2023, leading to 27 wolves being killed by Wildlife Services. Additionally, FWP has reduced wolf hunting license costs to boost participation and raise funds for wolf management.
The regulations adopted by the Montana Legislature to increase wolf killing came under scrutiny by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which criticized the state’s approach to wolf population reduction. The USFWS plans to create a nationwide gray wolf recovery plan by December.
Opposition to wolf hunting and trapping has grown following the legislative changes, resulting in declining support for wolf hunting. Advocates for wolves emphasize the importance of considering non-consumptive users of wildlife and urge the Fish and Wildlife Commission to prioritize their interests.
The commission meeting on Friday, Aug. 16, in Helena will address these issues and can be viewed online at https://fwp.mt.gov/ aboutfwp/commission.
