Wolf bill liberalizes hunting regs

A bill that liberalizes wolf hunting in Montana headed for the governor’s desk last week. House Bill 73 passed the House with a unanimous 100-0 vote and by 45-4 in the Senate.

The bill allows hunters to buy more than one wolf license in a season, whether they’re a resident or non-resident.

It also restricts the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission from prohibiting wolf hunting or trapping outside of a national park unless the quota in that area has already been met.

The bill allows the use of electronic devices to call in wolves, and hunters will not have to wear blaze orange clothing outside of big game season.

The national parks provision comes after wolf hunting and trapping was temporarily halted by the commission after hunters had taken wolves on the border of Yellowstone National Park — three of which had radio collars and were subjects of a Park study.

Gov. Steve Bullock was expected to sign the new wolf legislation, so the new regulations could go into effect before the season ends.

To date, hunters have taken 111 wolves and trappers have taken 80. FWP has no wolf quotas over much of the state, except in the North Fork of the Flathead River area just west of Glacier National Park. That region has a wolf quota of two. So far, hunters have taken one wolf, and that was in archery season.

A management area just north of Yellowstone Park has a quota of three wolves. To date, two have been taken.