Montana wildlife commission pursues more aggressive wolf-killing

Trapping puts other species at risk, raises stakes unnecessarily

HELENA, Mont. (July 12, 2012) – Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Commission approved changes to the 2012-2013 wolf hunting regulations today that will allow widespread wolf trapping, triple the number of wolves an individual can kill in a single season, and eliminate hunt quotas across nearly the entire state.

The following is a statement from Mike Leahy, Rocky Mountain director for Defenders of Wildlife:

“Montanans already live with 13,000 black bears and 3,500 cougars, so there’s no reason we can’t learn to live with 650 wolves as well. Sharing the landscape with these animals is an important part of life in the West and what makes Montana so special.

 “We’re disappointed to see Montana focusing on reducing the wolf population instead of maintaining it. Montana was a bright star in the region, showing everyone what a balanced, incremental approach to wolf management looked like. Now they’re moving to kill hundreds more wolves unnecessarily when there is no legitimate need to do so.

“Trapping wolves could have serious impacts to rare, non-target species, including lynx and wolverine. Livestock losses to wolves were at a five-year low in 2011, so using that issue as a justification for this unnecessary program is disingenuous. Instead, FWP should prioritize using cost-effective nonlethal tools to reduce livestock conflicts.” 

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Links:

Learn more about Defenders efforts to protect wolves in the Northern Rockies

Get the latest news on Northern Rockies’ wolves on Defenders blog

See Montana’s wolf hunt regulations

Contact:
Mike Leahy, 406-586-3970, mleahy@defenders.org
John Motsinger, 202-772-0288, jmotsinger@defenders.org

Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.