FWP commission looks to make more wolf reg changes
A gray wolf in this file photo.
Hungry Horse News
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking public comment on several proposals slated to go to the Fish and Wildlife Commission in August. Under the new commission process, FWP is taking public comment on these proposals now and will present the collected comments and proposals to the commission for their review and decisions on Aug. 25. Commissioners can offer amendments to the proposals as they see fit. The proposals and supporting documents, commissioner amendments and collected public comment will be available on the FWP website two weeks prior to the commission meeting.
The commission will make a final decision on these proposals at its Aug. 25 meeting.
To comment and for more information on these proposals, go online to https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/commission/meeting
Fall 2022–Winter 2023 Furbearer and Wolf Trapping and Hunting Seasons and Quotas
The department recommends the commission adopt the furbearer and wolf trapping and hunting regulations as presented. Below are the proposed changes to the regulations adopted last year.
Recommend reducing the quota for bobcat within Trapping District (TD) 1 from 275 to 225.
Recommend reducing the quota for bobcat within TD 5 from 200 to 100.
Recommend including the opportunity to purchase a C-4 license to hunt bobcats as established by SB 60 from the 2021 legislative session. A hunter that purchases a C-4 license to hunt bobcat may harvest the per person limit under the one C-4 license. (A hunter does not need to purchase multiple C-4 licenses to harvest more than one bobcat).
Recommend reinstating the requirement that trappers are required to personally present the pelts of marten for tagging to a designated FWP employee within 10 days after the close of the season.
Recommend amending the commission regulation on pelt possession by fur dealer license holders to include tagged marten pelts.
Recommend eliminating all wolf management units (WMUs), except for combining former WMUs 313 and 316 into a new WMU 313.
Recommend establishing a harvest quota of 10 wolves in total for trapping and hunting in WMU 313.
If a quota is instituted and when a season quota is reached, the trapping and hunting season will close upon a 24-hour notice, but no later than March 15, 2023.
Recommend establishing a total quota of 100 wolves to be authorized by the commission in increments of 25 in accordance with MCA 87-1-901 section 3(c), commonly known as SB 200.
Recommend managing wolf harvest primarily by trapping district.
Recommend maintaining the floating start date for wolf trapping within the identical described area last year, except within trapping districts or portions of trapping districts (rather than wolf management units) in or near occupied grizzly bear habitat. Unchanged are recommendations for thresholds as approved by the commission in 2021, with the only exception being that the threshold for total harvest and harvest in TD 3 excludes those wolves harvested within WMU 313.