KALISPELL – Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials say this season’s wolf hunt has been a successful one so far – and that Region 1 has accounted for a one-third of the animals.
FWP spokesperson John Fraley says there have been 101 wolves taken during the wolf hunt statewide, and 33 of those came from Region 1 in Northwest Montana. Fraley added that traps have caught 18 wolves – seven of which came from region one.
Fraley told MTN News that the hunt has been successful for managing the predators. Since being placed on the endangered species list, Fraley says that wolf populations grew rapidly across the state of Montana – and now that the predator is no longer threatened, a managed hunt keeps the numbers from getting too high.
“This has been just a great management tool for Montana because we’re harvesting good numbers of wolves, and yet we’re keeping the population right about stable. So. it’s the best of both worlds,” he explained.
The wolf hunt season lasts into March.