HELENA - It was a unanimous vote on Friday by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission to continue wolf hunting for Region 3, despite overwhelming public comment against the extension.
Commissioners voted 7-0 to continue the hunt until the threshold of 82 wolves is met. After that threshold is met, the entire region will close.
Every one of the public comments during the meeting called for an immediate halt to hunting in the two Wildlife Management Units (WMA) 313 and 316, adjacent to Yellowstone National Park.
Discussion of the wolf harvest threshold for Region 3, includes the two Wildlife Management Units that border Yellowstone National Park, where 17 Yellowstone wolves have been taken as of Friday morning. Twenty-two park wolves have been killed in the 3 bordering states so far this season.
The commission established harvest thresholds in each of FWP’s administrative regions, which total 450 statewide. If harvest meets any of these thresholds, the commission will convene to revisit the regulations and potentially adjust the season structure.
As wolf harvest in Region 3, which is generally comprised of southwest Montana, nears its threshold, the commission will discuss potential next steps and may act on some of them at this meeting. The Region 3 threshold is 82 wolves; as of Friday afternoon, the harvest for Region 3 is 76 wolves.
Those interested in up-to-date information on the status of Montana’s wolf harvest can view FWP’s wolf dashboard which shows the number of wolves harvested by region and wolf management unit (WMU). The dashboard is updated multiple times per day.
For all wolf hunting and trapping regulations and information, visit FWP's wolf webpage.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
