Protections for the region’s wolves were lifted a decade ago, based in part on assurances the states would maintain viable wolf populations.Ī representative of the hunting industry said outfitters and guides support the preservation of wolves inside Yellowstone. Rockies states including Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Fish and Wildlife Service said it would examine if federal endangered species protections should be restored for more than 2,000 wolves in northern U.S.
The changes came after hunters and ranchers successfully lobbied to reduce wolf populations that prey on big game herds and occasionally on livestock.īut the states’ increased aggression toward the predators has raised concerns among federal wildlife officials. Montana’s efforts to make it easier to kill wolves mirror recent actions by Republicans and conservatives in other states such as Idaho and Wisconsin. The original quotas were meant to protect packs that draw tourists to Yellowstone from around the world for the chance to see a wolf in the wild.
The quotas, which Sholly asked Gianforte to reinstate, allowed only a few wolves to be killed along the border annually. They also eliminated longstanding wolf quota limits in areas bordering the park. Urged by Republican lawmakers, Montana wildlife officials last year loosened hunting and trapping rules for wolves statewide. “Allowances for trapping and especially baiting are a major concern, especially if these tactics lure wolves out of the park,” Yellowstone spokesperson Morgan Warthin said. Under new rules, Montana hunters can use bait such as meat to lure in wolves for killing and trappers can now use snares in addition to leghold traps. The most recent wolf killing along the Montana-Yellowstone border happened on New Year’s Day. Sixty-four have been killed in that region to date this season, out of 150 wolves killed statewide, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. In his response to Sholly, the governor said Montana protects against overhunting through rules adopted by the wildlife commission, which can review hunting seasons if harvest levels top a certain threshold.įor southwestern Montana, including areas bordering the park, that threshold is 82 wolves. Gianforte last year received a warning from a Montana game warden after trapping and shooting a radio-collared wolf about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of the park without taking a state-mandated trapper education course. “Once a wolf exits the park and enters lands in the State of Montana it may be harvested pursuant to regulations established by the (state wildlife) Commission under Montana law,” Gianforte wrote. Gianforte, an avid hunter and trapper, did not directly address the request to halt hunting in a Wednesday letter responding to Sholly. 16 letter to Gianforte released to AP under a freedom of information request. Sholly cited “the extraordinary number of Yellowstone wolves already killed this hunting season,” in a Dec. Greg Gianforte to shut down hunting and trapping in the area for the remainder of the season. He recently urged Republican Montana Gov.
Park Superintendent Cam Sholly first raised concerns last September about wolves dying near the park border. But with months to go in Montana’s hunting season - and wolf trapping season just getting underway - park officials said they expect more wolves to die after roaming from Yellowstone, where hunting is prohibited.
One pack - the Phantom Lake Pack - is now considered “eliminated” after most or all of its members were killed over a two-month span beginning in October, according to the park.Īn estimated 94 wolves remain in Yellowstone.