“MISSOULA- When the wolf hunt rolls around in September, hunters have permission to remove 220 wolves from Montana’s wolf population. But this hunt includes something the previous hunt in 2009 did not have–a quota and specific wolf management unit for the Bitterroot.
“We have a situation in the West Fork where we have chronically low calf-cow rates of elk,” said Region 2 Wildlife Manager Mike Thompson.
Thompson said there were nine elk calves per 100 elk in 2008, 11 calves per 100 elk in 2009 and 18 elk calves per 100 elk in 2010.
“We expect 20s to 30s on the low end and in the Bitterroot historically there were 40s and 50s,” said Thompson.
To determine how many wolves should come out of the Bitterroot, FWP relied on public comment–which was pretty much split. In the end, F-W-P gave Hunting District 250, or the West Fork of the Bitterroot, its own quota of 18 wolves.
Barring a legal setback, the hunt will go forward and Montana will be back to managing its own wolf population. Of the statewide quota of 220 wolves, 177 wolves are targeted in northwest or western Montana including 36 in the Upper Clark Fork and Big Hole, 22 in the Lower Clark Fork, and 20 in the Blackfoot.”
*Special thanks to Mark Holyoak (KPAX News) for providing this information.
The Wolf Preservation Blog 