The Tribal Council recently approved a Gray Wolf Hunting Season for the Flathead Indian Reservation for 2013-14. Wolf hunting tags will be available from the Tribal Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation Permit Office to Tribal members who present valid Tribal Identification.
The wolf hunting season will begin on October 1 and will run through January 31, 2014. The three wolf hunting zones are Mission, Northwest and South. The Mission Mountains Zone is described as the Reservation south of the northern boundary of the Reservation along the east shore of Flathead Lake to Kerr Dam, then southward to the confluence of the Flathead River and the Jocko River, then east along the north side of the Jocko River to the source of its middle fork at the east boundary of the Reservation. The Northwest zone encompasses portions of the Reservation from northern boundary of the Reservation near Rollins, then south along the west side of Flathead Lake to Kerr Dam, then along the west side of the Flathead River to the Reservation boundary. The South Zone encompasses southern portions of the Reservation from the western boundary eastward along the Flathead River to its confluence with the Jocko River, then along the south side of the Jocko River to its source on the eastern boundary of the Reservation.
The harvest limit for each hunting zone are as follows: Mission Mountains Zone: One wolf per hunter until a maximum of 4 wolves are taken or January 31st. Northwest Zone: One wolf per hunter until a maximum of 8 wolves are taken or January 31. Southern Zone: One wolf per hunter until a maximum of 6 wolves is filled or January 31.
Means of taking include rifle, bow, trapping, and electronic calling.
To assist the Tribal Wildlife Management Program with wolf management on the Reservation, hunters who take a wolf must present the skull and hide of the animal for analysis and data collection within 5 days of taking the animal. Failure to do so will result in a rejection of applications for future wolf hunting tags. Also, unused permits and questionnaires must be returned to the Permit Office by no later than 7 days following the closure of the hunting season.
Tribal Game Wardens will assist in the enforcement of Tribal hunting regulations should the need arise. Wolf hunting tags will be available from the Tribal Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation Permit Office after September 15, 2013 to Tribal members who present a valid Tribal Identification card.
In case of excessive taking of wolves in a particular hunting zone, closure of the wolf hunting season may occur within a 48 hour period with a notice in the news media.
For further information on the Gray Wolf Hunting Regulations contact Dale Becker at 675-2700, ext. 7278 or daleb@cskt.org