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The history of wolves in Montana is a bloody one

Montana Historical Society

As we reported earlier this week, a new article on the history of the eradication of wolves in Montana points out the state once was home to hundreds of thousands of wolves.

The current population of 600-plus, is a tiny fraction of the number of wolves that used to roam Big Sky country, before wolves were exterminated in the 1920's.

"In 1899...over 23,000 wolves were killed in Montana in that year alone."

University of North Texas historian Michael Wise authored the article on the elimination of Montana's wolves, published in the winter issue of "Montana, The Magazine of Western History". In this feature interview, Wise talks with News Director Sally Mauk about the rise and fall of the wolf in Montana. The rise began in the mid-19th century, when hunters began slaughtering bison for their fur.

 

Retired in 2014 but still a presence at MTPR, Sally Mauk is a University of Kansas graduate and former wilderness ranger who has reported on everything from the Legislature to forest fires.
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