M
MonteMontana
Guest
Article in Montana Standard August 28/09. 120 sheep killed at the base of the Snowcrest Range south of Dillon. Maybe this will help push the season through. Kills were confirmed by FWP.
T
tufcntry
Guest
i talked to a rancher down there who said he also lost 40 registered rams from his herd near there as well. Hopefully those chicken shits can figure it out up north and not give in to the money of the ignorant environmentalists
M
MonteMontana
Guest
If anyone finds out the results of the hearing today(monday), please post them. Hopefully Judge Malloy doesn't shut us down again.
M
MonteMontana
Guest
Look in the General forum. There is a post which reveals Judge Malloys decision on the pending wolf hunt.
Good luck there are are at least 6 of em'
J
JohnColter
Guest
J
JohnColter
Guest
J
JohnColter
Guest
Anybody watching this? 8 harvested in district 316...only 4 left on the quaota for all of management unit 3. I think it's a load of BS, all these wolves have been shot in 316 in the wilderness area, not helping the elk in my neck of the woods. I think the early season should be done like the houndless lion season that coincides w/ deer/elk, where they are limited to 20% of the entire quota, help spread the harvest around. Anyway that pack is probably thinned out pretty good!!
http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/wolfStatus.html
http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/wolfStatus.html
J
JohnColter
Guest
WTF? Just checked it again, now it's up to 9 w/ only 3 left on the quota!!
M
MonteMontana
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Oct-05-09 AT 02:15PM (MST)[p]Funny how the Gov't figured that one just right. The area with the most wolf problems and sightings around the Dillon area is on the east side of the interstate. Because of the small quota and a "backcountry" area that is loaded with wolves, they knew that the quota would be met before general season started. BULLCRAP! I know lots of ranchers with wolves on their property, but now I won't even have a chance to pop one. The ranchers have got it the worst though. This season is supposed to help them, but if they can't get rid of any wolves, how does the Wolf Hunt help!?
M
MonteMontana
Guest
I doubt that there will be a separate quota. I really think that they are trying to keep the wolves in the "greater Yellowstone" area from being killed. I know that "316 backcountry area" is next to the Park, but it's such a small area with so many wolves, that they can fill the quota for the whole entire region and not put a dent in the population. 12 wolves is 2-3 litters of pups. How many breeding pairs are there? 12 wolves....not even a dent!
L
live2huntmuleys
Guest
Maybe they will increase the quota?
BRETT FRENCH Of The Gazette | Posted: Monday, October 5, 2009 10:10 pm | (11) Comments
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Related: Montana?s wolf hunting season
Related: Idaho?s wolf hunting season
Montana's inaugural wolf hunting season has been almost too successful in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.
Nine wolves have been killed by hunters in the area along the northern border of Yellowstone National Park, including four from the Cottonwood Pack, two of which were radio-collared as part of the park's wolf studies.
The large kill in the Absaroka-Beartooth has surprised Montana's wolf manager.
"We didn't think wolves would be that vulnerable to firearms harvest," said Carolyn Sime, wolf program coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "The uncertainty is why we went with a low quota to begin with."
The total quota for the hunting district, one of four backcountry wolf-hunting districts in the state, is only 12 wolves. The season opened Sept. 15, while the general season, which encompasses the entire state, opens Oct. 25.
"It is conceivable that three more wolves could be harvested in the backcountry and the season could be closed before it opens in the front country," Sime said.
That's not what FWP had envisioned. The agency has viewed the hunt, in part, as a way to remove the predators from the front country where they're more likely to interact with or kill livestock. If only wolves in the backcountry are killed, FWP isn't meeting part of its objective.
"When we started out on the whole hunting season, we would've been the first to say we don't know how this is going to work," Sime said.
She said wildlife managers want to encourage wolves to remain in the backcountry, away from potential conflicts with livestock.
"So what we're learning is that maybe we need to rethink these backcountry hunts and see if we can fine-tune that."
Montana has allowed wolf hunting this fall in four backcountry districts that coincide with early deer and elk hunting seasons. The three others are in the Bob Marshall-Great Bear wilderness areas in northwestern Montana.
So far, only two wolves have been killed in these three districts during the early season for a total wolf harvest in the state of 11.
On Oct. 25, the wolf hunting season opens across the state coinciding with the opening of the big game deer and elk seasons. The total quota for the state is 75 wolves, but that is divided into three management units - 41 in the northern unit, 22 in the west and 12 in the southeast that includes the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.
To prevent an overharvest, hunters are required to call FWP within 12 hours of a kill. The hunter then has 10 days to present the animal's skull and hide for inspection.
In Idaho, which is also holding its first wolf-hunting season, 27 wolves had been killed as of Monday out of a statewide quota of 220.
Sime said that FWP has the ability to fine-tune its wolf hunting season next year and that it will be "taking to heart" the difference in the terrain between the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and that of the Bob Marshall, which tends to be more thickly forested. More open country in the Absaroka-Beartooth may be contributing to the greater harvest of wolves, Sime speculated.
Although at least four of the wolves have come from a pack monitored by the Yellowstone Wolf Project, two of which were collared, the park's lead wolf biologist wasn't upset.
"With everything that's wolfy, there's a pro and a con," said Doug Smith.
But he added that he supports the wolf's delisting and the killing of the wolves during the legal hunting season.
At last count the state had sold 10,509 wolf hunting licenses, 50 of which went to nonresidents.
The season was opened in Montana and Idaho after a federal judge denied environmental groups' request for a preliminary injunction. The groups are seeking to overturn the delisting of the wolves from endangered species protection. Judge Donald Molloy did say, however, that the environmental groups are likely to prevail in their delisting lawsuit.
Montana's wolf population at the end of 2008 was estimated at 500 animals. So Sime sees a hunter harvest of 75 animals as conservative, especially considering that the count doesn't include young-of-the-year.
"I think this hunting season is very important from a symbolic viewpoint," she said. "It's an important benchmark in the timeline of wolves on the Montana landscape.
"Here's our first opportunity to manage wolves like other wildlife."
Contact Brett French at [email protected] or at 657-1387.
BRETT FRENCH Of The Gazette | Posted: Monday, October 5, 2009 10:10 pm | (11) Comments
Font Size: Default font size Larger font size
Related Links
Related: Montana?s wolf hunting season
Related: Idaho?s wolf hunting season
Montana's inaugural wolf hunting season has been almost too successful in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.
Nine wolves have been killed by hunters in the area along the northern border of Yellowstone National Park, including four from the Cottonwood Pack, two of which were radio-collared as part of the park's wolf studies.
The large kill in the Absaroka-Beartooth has surprised Montana's wolf manager.
"We didn't think wolves would be that vulnerable to firearms harvest," said Carolyn Sime, wolf program coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "The uncertainty is why we went with a low quota to begin with."
The total quota for the hunting district, one of four backcountry wolf-hunting districts in the state, is only 12 wolves. The season opened Sept. 15, while the general season, which encompasses the entire state, opens Oct. 25.
"It is conceivable that three more wolves could be harvested in the backcountry and the season could be closed before it opens in the front country," Sime said.
That's not what FWP had envisioned. The agency has viewed the hunt, in part, as a way to remove the predators from the front country where they're more likely to interact with or kill livestock. If only wolves in the backcountry are killed, FWP isn't meeting part of its objective.
"When we started out on the whole hunting season, we would've been the first to say we don't know how this is going to work," Sime said.
She said wildlife managers want to encourage wolves to remain in the backcountry, away from potential conflicts with livestock.
"So what we're learning is that maybe we need to rethink these backcountry hunts and see if we can fine-tune that."
Montana has allowed wolf hunting this fall in four backcountry districts that coincide with early deer and elk hunting seasons. The three others are in the Bob Marshall-Great Bear wilderness areas in northwestern Montana.
So far, only two wolves have been killed in these three districts during the early season for a total wolf harvest in the state of 11.
On Oct. 25, the wolf hunting season opens across the state coinciding with the opening of the big game deer and elk seasons. The total quota for the state is 75 wolves, but that is divided into three management units - 41 in the northern unit, 22 in the west and 12 in the southeast that includes the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.
To prevent an overharvest, hunters are required to call FWP within 12 hours of a kill. The hunter then has 10 days to present the animal's skull and hide for inspection.
In Idaho, which is also holding its first wolf-hunting season, 27 wolves had been killed as of Monday out of a statewide quota of 220.
Sime said that FWP has the ability to fine-tune its wolf hunting season next year and that it will be "taking to heart" the difference in the terrain between the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and that of the Bob Marshall, which tends to be more thickly forested. More open country in the Absaroka-Beartooth may be contributing to the greater harvest of wolves, Sime speculated.
Although at least four of the wolves have come from a pack monitored by the Yellowstone Wolf Project, two of which were collared, the park's lead wolf biologist wasn't upset.
"With everything that's wolfy, there's a pro and a con," said Doug Smith.
But he added that he supports the wolf's delisting and the killing of the wolves during the legal hunting season.
At last count the state had sold 10,509 wolf hunting licenses, 50 of which went to nonresidents.
The season was opened in Montana and Idaho after a federal judge denied environmental groups' request for a preliminary injunction. The groups are seeking to overturn the delisting of the wolves from endangered species protection. Judge Donald Molloy did say, however, that the environmental groups are likely to prevail in their delisting lawsuit.
Montana's wolf population at the end of 2008 was estimated at 500 animals. So Sime sees a hunter harvest of 75 animals as conservative, especially considering that the count doesn't include young-of-the-year.
"I think this hunting season is very important from a symbolic viewpoint," she said. "It's an important benchmark in the timeline of wolves on the Montana landscape.
"Here's our first opportunity to manage wolves like other wildlife."
Contact Brett French at [email protected] or at 657-1387.
treedagain
Long Time Member
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it will be interesting to see what happens next year...
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