- MIKE SUNNUCKS Belgrade News
- Jul 8, 2025 Updated 1 hr ago
- https://www.fairfieldsuntimes.com/news/state/montana-eyes-more-wolf-hunting-trapping/article_cf3af1b2-a035-5f03-84ec-59ff6e3e6994.html
The state of Montana is considering allowing more hunting and trapping of wolves.
The Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is looking at its wolf hunting and trapping quotes for the 2025-26 season.
A proposal from the state agency would increase the statewide wolf hunting and trapping quota to 500. That is up from 2024’s wolf hunting quota of 334.
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The changes will be considered Aug. 21 by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission.
The proposals would allow a hunter to bag and trap as many as 30 wolves.
The commission is also looking at increasing some regional otter trapping quotas and decreasing the number of bobcats hunted and trapped in another part of the state.
The state commission will consider allowing private landowners to remove 100 wolves from their properties, farms and ranches if the wolves are a threat to people, livestock or dogs.
FWP also said in a new report that there are 1,091 wolves statewide and that 297 wolves were hunted and trapped during the last hunting season.
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“We are committed to following the law to reduce wolf numbers to a sustainable level, which means ensuring Montana has a healthy state managed population,” said Quentin Kujala, FWP chief of Conservation Policy.
FWP said its 2024 wolf population estimate of 1,091 wolves is down 12 from 2023’s estimate of 1,103 wolves.
There were pushes in the Montana Legislature during the 2025 session to expand hunting of wolves to get their numbers down to 450. FWP also uses 450 wolves as its baseline in its population management policies and objectives.
There were 297 wolves trapped and hunted last season and 286 wolves were taken during the 2023-24 season according to FWP. According to FWP, there are 181 wolf packs statewide.
USDA Wildlife Services reports that wolves reportedly killed 35 cattle, 16 sheep, three foals, and eight livestock guard dogs last year.
The 2025-2026 wolf hunting season runs Sept. 6 to Sept. 14 for archers, Sept. 15 to March 15 for hunters and Dec. 2 to March 15 for trappers.
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