Changes to Montana's 2013-14 Wolf Season

“Montana’s Fish & Wildlife Commission recently approved regulations for the upcoming wolf season.”

Montana hunters and trappers have new regulations to follow for the 2013-14 wolf hunting season. Hunters and trappers, mark the following dates on your calendars!

Hunting licenses are $19 for Montana residents and $50 for nonresidents and trapping licenses are $20 for residents and $250 for nonresidents. Wolf hunting licenses will be available starting August 5th and trapping licenses are currently available.  Hunters can purchase up to 5 wolf hunting licenses, taking one wolf per license. Electronic calls for hunting wolves are allowed.

“New prospective wolf trappers must attend a mandatory wolf-trapping certification class to use a Montana trapping license to trap wolves and can sign up at fwp.mt.gov. Trappers who successfully completed a wolf trapping certification class in Montana or Idaho in the past do not need to retake one this year,” (Tribune Staff, 2013). Find a wolf-trapping certification class here.

No statewide hunting harvest or trapping quotas have been set with the exception of the following Wolf Management Units (WMU):

Also, hunters and trappers are limited to one wolf per person in WMUs 110, 313, and 316.

Trappers are required to check their traps every 48 hours. The commission will be considering a new measure that will require additional setbacks of traps along specific roads and trails popular with recreationalists in western Montana. The Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks will post these locations on their website if approved.

“Montana wolf specialists counted 625 wolves, in 147 verified packs, and 37 breeding pairs in the state at the end of 2012. The count dropped about 4 percent from the previous year and marked the first time since 2004 that the minimum count declined,” (Tribune Staff, 2013).

Tribune Staff. (2013, July 25). Changes in Store for Montana's 2013-14 Wolf Hunt. Retrieved from http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20130725/LIFESTYLE05/307250012/Changes-store-Montana-s-2013-14-wolf-hunt