The Daily Inter Lake
This year’s Montana wolf hunt is off to a slightly slower start than last year, but the harvest should pick up toward the end of the season, according to Jim Williams, Region One wildlife manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
As of Friday, 41 wolves had been harvested statewide, including 15 in Northwest Montana’s Region One.
“It’s been slow, slower than last year,” Williams said.
But more hunters tend to take to the field once the deer rut gets under way in mid-November. The number of hunters can reach a peak in the last week before the deer and elk season closes Nov. 25.
Many deer hunters are incidental wolf hunters, but others put in a concerted effort at stalking the carnivores.
“A lot of guys are cow-talking them in,” Williams said, referring to the use of a cow elk call.
Montana has no quota for wolves this year, with the exception of two small hunting districts adjacent to Glacier and Yellowstone national parks.
Last year there was a statewide quota of 220 wolves and 177 were harvested.
It remains to be seen how the new regulations allowing for wolf trapping will impact the overall harvest. Trapping season doesn’t open until Dec. 15.
The general wolf hunting season in Montana opened Oct. 15 and lasts until Feb. 28, 2013.