Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials were in Billings yesterday meeting with members of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee about the idea of sending a proposal for a wolf hunt in 2008 to the FWP Commission. Should this be the recommendation, members would need to formulate details of a hunt, i.e. length of season, how many permits issued, method of awarding permits, etc. If the commission buys into the plan, public hearings would need to be held before any final decision could be made about a hunt.
But the one big obstacle that stands in the way is the final delisting of the wolf from protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The USFWS has officially stated its intention to delist the wolf in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. To do so, each state must have an approved wolf management plan. Montana and Idaho have such a plan. Wyoming is still negotiating. Aside from that, most feel that lawsuits will begin piling up by wolf advocate groups, anti-hunters and animal rights groups, to stop the delisting. This could suspend the prospects of a hunt, which most wildlife biologists believe is what is best for managing the packs.
Earlier this year, the Montana Legislature gave the FWP permission to organize a hunt and set the cost of wolf hunting licenses – a resident license would cost $19 and a non-resident would run $350.
Tom Remington
