A state committee dedicated to regulating Montana’s wildlife is expected this week to finalize regulations that could expand wolf hunting to levels not seen in Montana in decades.
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will vote on what tools are allowed to reduce the state’s wolf population, which could include neck snaring, night hunting and trap baiting. The commission was mandated to decrease the number of wolves by a suite of bills passed by the Montana Legislature earlier this year.
According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the agency received more than 26,000 public comments about the changes to the wolf season. About three-quarters of those were in opposition to wolf hunting.
Greg Lemon is spokesperson for Montana FWP.
“People around the country are obviously looking at how Montana manages wolves, and that’s proven, I think, by the volume of comment we’ve received on this issue,” he says.
The Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet at 8:30 a.m. on August 20. The meeting can be streamed online, and those who wish to comment must register by Thursday.
