(AP) BILLINGS – Montana landowners could kill a combined 100 gray wolves annually if the predators are perceived to pose a threat to humans or domestic animals, according to a rule that received initial backing from state wildlife commissioners Thursday.
The proposal significantly expands the circumstances under which wolves can be killed without a hunting license.
The Montana Legislature passed a measure last year requiring the change. The legislation didn’t define what qualifies as a “potential threat” so the Fish and Wildlife Commission didn’t detail it either, spokesman Ron Aasheim said.
Previously, landowners were largely limited to shooting wolves that had attacked or were attacking livestock. Under the new rule, shooting wolves would be permitted whenever they pose a potential threat to human safety, livestock or domestic dogs.
Critics say the proposal is excessive and equates to a year-round wolf-hunting season.
A final vote is scheduled for July.
Between 2005 and 2013, landowners killed 69 wolves in response to livestock attacks. Over that same time period, hundreds of the animals were shot by government wildlife agents.
Separately, commissioners on Thursday tentatively approved hunting regulations for the 2014-15 wolf season.
The annual wolf quota would be reduced from four animals to three in an area near Yellowstone National Park, and trapping for wolves would be allowed for the first time in several wildlife management areas.
Gray wolves were exterminated across most of the Lower 48 states last century before being reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho in the mid-1990s.
The population has since grown exponentially, and there were 627 wolves counted in Montana at the end of 2013.
The animals were removed from the endangered species list in 2011.
During the past year, hunters took 144 wolves in Montana during a season that started in September and ended in March. Trappers took 86 wolves.
Exposing the Big Game 
“Potential threat”…..what the hell does that mean? If a wolf even looks at a 1000 lb shit machine, I suppose the welfare rancher can kill the wolf.
Also trapping will be allowed in wildlife management areas!
This is just another example of “wildlife management” by the livestock industry
Montana is moving backwards in wolf management
It’s also an example why these proposed ‘voluntary agreements’ to protect endangered wildlife without ESA listing with private landowner’s won’t be worth the paper they’re printed on.
Jerry, you are so right. These public lands moochers have been destroying National Forests, wilderness, BLM lands, National Wildlife Refuges and state lands long enough. The livestock industry continues its lawlessness–as it has done since the 1800’s. Unless the “environmental and animal groups” who purport to care about wildlife really take a stand against these environmental criminals, stop compromising and “working” with them, the wildlife will lose. Here in New Mexico we have Otero County ranchers who are now refusing to obey the laws regarding the fencing off of critical riparian areas to livestock–these areas are so denuded, they may never be the same. It is time to declare war against these environmental terrorists. Who is guaranteed a livelihood? Let them graze on their private lands–or go out of business. The wildlife will celebrate.
Haven’t we learned anything from our past? I’m ashamed for and of mankind.
Montana FWP and commissioners continue a backward, regressed, 19th century, political, hysterical management (killing jihad) on wolves and continue going along with the rancher-sportsmen-yokel folklore, myths and lies. Allowing killing of “perceived threat wolves” is opening up to year around hunting by landowners and their guests, and the landowners maybe outfitting wolf hunts, some on leased public lands (772 leases on national forests and 3776 on BLM lands). Ranchers are often encroaching on wilderness and wildlife. Ranchers and hunters have led a war on wildlife since the dawn of civilization. Wolves will manage their own numbers in terms of wolf elbow room and available prey as a recent study by The Wolf Project and Oxford University and other reveal. The wolf jihad policies of MT also feed the hysteria about wolves rather than educates. This policy is fed by myths, folklore and lies of the rancher-sportsmen-outfitter-yokel ilk, and sad to say MT FWP that is either just as ignorant or afraid of those groups. Wolves have killed only about 0.002% (55-67) cattle in the last three years of 2.6 million head, for which the rancher is reimbursed. Wolves are not decimating game anywhere. FWP should be disbanded and reconstituted along lines of the priority being balanced wildlife ecology rather than game farming, rather than giving into the pressures of sportsmen and the licensing fees they provide, and the hysteria of ranchers, and more concerned about wildlife watching tourism and the state’s image as one friendly to the wildlife and outside perceptions. Oregon is the wolf management model allowing only killing of chronic individual or pack offenders and then only if nonlethal means have been in place, at least two, and tried. Allowing the sportsmen-rancher political management creates a distortion in wildlife ecology by minimizing or marginalizing or eliminating the predators and game farming. Predators such as wolves, lions, bears and others are healthy for wilderness ecology while man sport killing is additive and superfluous and not healthy, no longer persistence hunting, just sports killing. It is man that needs management, not the predators’ marginalization. FWP should be educating, unless of course they are as ignorant as the groups mentioned, which I am beginning to think they are.
The livestock industry should have been taken off all public lands years ago, but too many “conservation” groups decided to genuflect and compromise on the issue. As a result, we have a bottle-fed monster which sees all public lands as their private grazing playground, at the expense of our precious water, soil, and native wildlife. Wildlife must not only contend with these environmental destroyers of Nature, but man-caused climate change as well. Here in New Mexico, wild animals and migratory birds are suffering greatly, yet the livestock industry continues its assault upon what is left. We do not have much time. These government-subsidized ranchers want public lands privatized, and there is a dangerous, growing movement in western states to accomplish this.
No more handouts. No more subsidies. These environmental terrorists must be removed from public lands–and we must demand, not ask, that they pay reparations for the ecological damage they have caused. So, groups who are “friendly” with this industry, paying them for their livestock “losses” and helping them advertise their alleged “wolf-friendly” meat, should decide immediately: Whose side are they on? If they really care about wolves, coyotes, prairie dogs & millions of other wild beings, they cannot be on the side of the treacherous livestock industry anymore. Whose side are you on, friends, whose side are you on?
http://www.foranimals.org
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