The liveliest agenda item for the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission when it meets on Friday, Aug. 16, is wolf hunting regulations. Prior to the meeting, trappers, hunters, wildlife biologists and advocates sent emails to the officials to argue their points. Fish, Wildlife & Parks has proposed a harvest of 334 wolves this season. Opponents argue that’s too many, and back reducing the killing of wolves, especially those that spend most of their time in Yellowstone National Park. Trappers and at least one state legislator say the state should be killing more wolves. The arguments will fly Friday as polling has shown decreasing support among Montanans for trapping and killing wolves. Even with loosened regulations that allow baiting and night hunting on private land, wolf harvests have trended down in the past five years. Wildlife advocates say that’s because the method FWP uses to estimate wolf populations is skewed to show more wolves on the landscape than there actually is.

To learn more, check out my story at https://billingsgazette.com/outdoors/montana-wolves-fish-and-wildlife-commission-fish-wildlife-and-parks/article_c1639ff4-58e8-11ef-99e5-ef5a173c218c.html or tune into the commission hearing on Friday.

Written by Brett French | Outdoors Editor for the Billings Gazette