FWP Gives Initial Approval to Expanding Wolf Hunt

HELENA — State wildlife commissioners are taking public comment on a proposal to lengthen the hunting season for wolves and increase the bag limit from one to five.

The Fish, Wildlife and Parks commission gave tentative approval to the plan on Thursday, putting it out for public comment before a final decision is made at a later date.

FWP is proposing a rifle season from Sept 15 to March 31, compared to the recently ended Oct. 15 to Feb. 15 season.

Last season, hunters and trappers could take only one wolf, but a new law allowed the agency to increase that limit.

A total of 225 wolves were killed by hunters and trappers last season. There were at least 625 wolves in the state at the end of 2012, a 4 percent decrease from the year before.

Don’t worry, we’ll always be free.

But continued community support is what makes our reporting possible. Please consider a one-time or recurring gift to help sustain independent journalism in northwest Montana. Every donation is injected straight into the newsroom.

Thanks so much for backing us over all these years.

I’ll Support Your Work