As the Montana 2025 nears to a close, here is the rundown on the status of the anti-wolf bills and others we were directly or indirectly involved in. Two bills will be headed to Gov. Gianforte for vetoing or becoming law! Please help us try and kill them.

Other than one exception, all Democrats have voted in our favor. However, we are thankful enough Republicans crossed the line and opposed a few horrible wolf bills in order to kill them. FWP came out in opposition to the bills that failed.

PASSED:

HB219: is a free-for-all bounty expansion bill under revise unlawful contest or prize. This bill expands the passage of the unregulated bounty bill from the Montana 2021 legislative session for the Idaho based organization, Foundation for Wildlife Management, who has very deep pockets, e.g. over one million dollars in grants and contributions in 2022 alone. HB219 allows the collection of a bounty, currently $750 and $1,000 in Montana for a wolf killed, now without a license, too. A good example is SB200, which passed years ago and whereby a landowner can kill a wolf anytime of the year and without a license if the wolf is deemed a potential threat to human safety, livestock, or dogs. Now you could collect a bounty for doing so. This bill incentivizes killing wolves rather than promoting effective nonlethal methods to coexist with them. It also serves as a future set-up (HB554) if and when no wolf license would be required, period. 
An amendment requiring reporting bounties to FWP, brought forth by Rep. Jill Cohenour (D) HD83, failed.
PASSED House 57:43 and Senate 31:19.
All Democrats and 2 Republicans opposed the bill. Rep.Julie Darling (R) HD84 Helena, and Sen. Wendy McKamey (R)  SD112 Great Falls.
Sponsor: Rep. Lukas Schubert (R) HD8, Kalispell.
The bill was signed into law on 4/17/25 by Governor Gianforte. 

HB259: May use thermal/infrared, unlimited wolves with single license, etc. but Commission SHALL apply the most liberalized wolf “harvest” regulations in regions where the most wolves occur. In other words, we can expect to see, at minimum, significant increase in wolf quotas and means to kill proposed for Regions 1-6. 
PASSED House 56:44 and in partisan vote, the Senate 32:18
All Democrats and 2 Republicans opposed, Rep. Julie Darling (D) HD84 Helena and Rep. Sherry Essmann (R) HD49, Billings.
Sponsor: Rep. Paul Fielder (R) HD18, Thompson Falls.
This bill will be headed to Gov. Gianforte’s desk soon for veto or passage into law.

HB554: Removes the requirement to reclassify wolves as furbearers or game animals as was directed in statute upon delisting and whereby they would receive some protections under either of those classifications. Trappers and anti-wolf extremists do not want any protections for wolves. Therefore, wolves conveniently remain as a nebulous “species in need of management.”  This bill is a backdoor effort leading to wolves as predator or nongame, either of which have no protections under federal or state law or regulation. Unfortunately, there has been considerable misunderstandings of the bill and fueled by significant embellishment about it on social media.
*Please reach out to us and encourage others with any questions regarding anti-predator and trapping bills. we will do our best to answer. Trust your source. We may not always be right, but we have high standards for accuracy and maintaining our reputable credibility. To promote falsehoods is very damaging to the uphill battle we all fight. 
Passed House 57:42, Senate 29:21.
All Democrats and 3 Republicans opposed, Sen John Fuller (R) SD104 Kalispell, Sen. Mike Cuffe (R) SD1 Eureka, Sen. Greg Hunter SD115 Glasgow.
Sponsor: Rep. Brandon Ler (R) HD33 Savage.
Headed towards Gov. Gianforte’s desk next for veto or passage into law.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has 10 days once the bill hits his desk to sign or veto. If he does not respond, the bill automatically becomes law. 

PLEASE CONTACT Gov. Gianforte and urge vetos on:
HB259 and HB554.
Online and/or via phone 406-444-3111. By mail: Office of the Governor PO Box 200801 Helena MT 59620-0801

Both bills are playing with fire.
Be respectful, brief, and use your own words.
You can simply just urge him to VETO HB259 and HB554 and without an explanation.
And yes, nonresidents can act, too. Wildlife are entrusted to all of us under the public trust, not just Montanans. The latter though carry more weight as that is who he is suppose to represent.

A recap:
HB259 is designed to force the Commission to facilitate killing massive numbers of wolves across the majority of the state and including allowing the use of unethical and unfair chase, such as the added thermal/infrared for night hunting on private lands.
HB554 is a backdoor, sleight of hand, setup for the future unregulated killing of wolves unprotected as predators or nongame.

Remember what happens to wolves could harm Gov. Gianforte’s major motive which is to delist grizzlies.
Although, Montana Gov. Gianforte is no friend to wolves or other large predators, as well as being a trapper, we cannot let up and must still speak up! 

Gov. Ginaforte cannot hear it or see it if we do not say or write it!

FAILED: YAY!

HB258 Extend wolf season 3 months to kill nursing wolves and puppies. FAILED 44:54 upon return to the House. 12 Republicans in the House crossed over and voted NO with all Democrats.

HB176 unlimited wolf quota, as long as wolves are believed to be at a population of 550 or more and based on a flawed population estimate model, IPOM. FAILED Senate 23:27 with 9 Republicans joining all the Democrats in opposition. 

HB222: open season on wolves until population is believed at or below 650 wolves. FAILED in the House 40:60 with 18 Republicans joining all Democrats in a NO vote.

Unfortunately the two trapping bills failed:
HB436 by Rep Bob Carter (D) HD96, Missoula, requiring signage on state land trailheads was tabled along party lines in the House FWP committee.

SB427 by Sen Willis Curdy (D) SD49, Missoula, return trap setbacks on seasonally closed roads in Ravalli county.
Passed on the Senate floor with 14 Republicans joining all the Democrats in support 32:17.
In the House FWP committee, trappers caught wind and made up their own fear-based consequences of such a bill in their testimony and demonstrated they do not know trapping regulations.
Quickly tabled along party lines in the House FWP Committee with an immediate call by Rep. Paul Fielder to table and no discussion.

TABLED also:

HB101: Reclassify wolves as furbearers by Rep. Jamie Islay (D) HD58 Bozeman. Bill was at the request of FWP. Trap Free Montana was a proponent. Rep Islay later spoke about why this bill failed and was because anti-wolfers planned on HB554.
Tabled in House FWP committee 1/30/25. Resurrected and FAILED 2nd reading on House floor 41:56.

HB 661: Generally revise laws related to the unlawful harassment of wild animals. Trap Free supported.
Sponsor: Debo Powers (D) HD 3. Whitefish.
HB661 sought to amend 87-6-107 “Unlawful harassment of game animals and game birds with vehicle or device,” by simply applying it to all wild animals.
In Montana “whacking” a species classified as predators, e.g. coyotes, red fox, with a motorized vehicle is legal.
Chair Rep Hinkle of Montana FWP Committee opposed this bill and for one reason he shared he found humor in the annual spring running over of ground squirrels.
Tabled in committee.
     

SR84: Confirmation of Kristy Clark as the new FWP director passed in the Senate. There were a number of proponents, including Trap Free Montana, and no opponents. We credited her for the directives against the wolf bills. We shared we hope we can have a respectful working relationship with her as we have had with other directors, even when we did not agree. However, we voiced our objection to her opening statement, “she is committed to delisting the grizzly.” We will do all we can to stop that from happening.

Thank you for all your support, calls, public comments, donations, emails, and shares of our social media posts over this trying Montana legislative session.

You help lift us up and reassure us we will prevail, together, step by step for the wolves, all creatures’ rightful and respectful role, and against the inhumanity of trapping.

From Your Friends at Trap Free Montana &
Trap Free Montana Public Lands