State’s inaugural wolf hunt a success for FWP
Thursday, December 3, 2009
There are 72 fewer wolves in Montana than there were just a couple months ago. With the end of hunting season, state biologists will now start studying the results of this year’s harvest and examining how they should continue to manage the state’s game population.
For the first time ever, hunters were allowed to pursue wolves as part of the big game hunting season. After years of controversy surrounding both the introduction of wolves and the subsequent management, many hunters were chomping at the bit to get after them.
The state sold 15,600 licenses for this year’s wolf hunt, giving each hunter a roughly 1 in 208 chance of harvesting a wolf. Those licenses brought in $325,859 to the state’s license fund.
The inaugural wolf hunt was quite a success. Not only was the quota met, valuable information was obtained by Fish Wildlife and Parks. In addition to the usual data collected about the animal’s age and size, hunters were required to submit a written report that detailed everything from the location of the kill to the animal’s pelt color.
This information will be valuable to state biologists as they continue their efforts to manage wolf populations around the state. This year’s harvest quota was on the conservative side but data gathered from hunters this year will provide officials a solid foundation to make future harvest decisions.
As with any first-time experience, the wolf hunt was not without problems. Radio collared wolves near Yellowstone with no history of human or livestock interaction were killed by hunters. The information they were providing biologists studying wolves is now gone - an unintended consequence of this hunt. State officials have reportedly already stated that will not be allowed to happen in future hunts.
The lessons learned in this year’s wolf hunting season will help make future hunts an even larger success. Wolves, like other game animals, are a state resource and provide a new hunting experience. Their continued management will benefit the state and its residents. For the first go-around, this year’s wolf hunt could not have gone much better.
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Reader's Comments >>
theguyindarby wrote on Dec 23, 2009 5:09 PM:
Marty wrote on Dec 6, 2009 11:36 AM:
I got an elk this year and 3/4 hunting friends did as well. There were a lot of elk out there although there did seem to be more than usual held up on private land. I never begrudge a land owner for saying don't hunt on their property. It is their right. I did notice a large number of cat tracks this year. THere were quite obviously fewer hunters this year. Anyone who knows how to hunt and is willing to put in the time and effort could get an elk this year. Blaming the worlves is a cop out. "
tomcat wrote on Dec 4, 2009 7:11 PM: