After five years of steadily expanding wolf hunting and trapping opportunities in Montana, state wildlife managers are proposing to pull back this fall — and the reason is a revised population estimate that suggests there are significantly fewer wolves in the state than officials had previously believed. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks released the new figures as part of its annual wolf report Friday.
The updated model estimates Montana's wolf population at a lower number than the figures that have guided harvest decisions in recent years. The methodology behind the new model has not been fully detailed in public-facing documents released so far, but FWP says the revised count is driving the proposal for a reduced harvest quota this coming season. Wolves have been a recurring flashpoint in Montana wildlife policy, with hunting and livestock interests pushing for aggressive management while conservation groups have argued that population counts were already strained by years of high harvest.
The proposal is subject to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission's review and approval process before it takes effect for the fall season. Helena-area hunters and trappers who pursue wolves in the southwestern Montana zones will want to follow the commission's upcoming meetings as the season structure gets finalized. FWP is expected to present the new population data and harvest proposal to the commission in the coming weeks.