Montana 2017 Wolf Hunting/Trapping Proposals

On June 7, 2017, Montana Wildlife Commissioners voted to keep the wolf hunting and trapping proposals, i.e. number trapped/hunted per person, season dates, boundaries, and SB200 (allows landowners to kill wolves that are a potential threat to human safety, livestock, or domestic dogs), as status quo making no changes from 2016. Only three areas, i.e. two outside Yellowstone National Park and one outside Glacier, have wolf quotas for the number that can be killed. Elsewhere, no quota exists. The limit is 5 wolves total per season can be trapped and/or hunted per person. Only 61 public comments were submitted and few showed up to give verbal comment in front of the Commissioners. The huge majority of the comments were reportedly from out of state.
 
Once Chronic Wasting Disease was confirmed in Montana, an opportunity presented itself again to support wolves and their rightful place in targeting diseased animals thereby helping to strengthen the herds. Public comment period closed on January 24, 2018. This time, over 250 comments were submitted. TFMPL supporters and the multitude of comments and supporting science urging to initiate or decrease quotas, close off areas to wolf hunting and trapping especially where elk are well over management objective levels and where chronic wasting disease was confirmed, were denied.
 
Despite large predators being much more sensitive to persecution, wolves, bears and mountain lion management will now be reviewed biennially instead of annually in Montana.