Wolf Hunting Begins
Hunting of Grey Wolves in Idaho and Montana began over the weekend as state game officials in the two states hope to reduce the numbers of wolves to closer to those numbers set as the target for recovery. Currently, the high numbers of the canine predator has been impacting livestock and big game herds in the region. The Montana hunt began at sunrise Saturday and will continue for six weeks for archery only. The general season begins October 22nd. Idaho, fearing there may be as many as 1000 individual animals across the state, have not set a quota of how many wolves can be killed this hunting season. Meanwhile, Wyoming’s wolf management plan is still not finalized and accepted by the state legislature and so no hunting season has been set here. Wolf management actions by the states will be monitored for five years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under terms of the animal’s removal from the endangered species list. If wolf numbers tumble, federal protections could be restored.
