Hunters near quota

By Nick Gevock of The Montana Standard - 11/10/2009

Hunters had killed 57 wolves throughout Montana as of Monday, which is three-quarters of the way to reaching the total statewide quota of 75 wolves.

This year marks the first wolf hunt in the history of Montana and officials say thus far the hunt has been incredibly successful.

"The harvest is fairly well spread out," said Carolyn Sime, wolf program coordinator with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "We have some areas where the harvest has been a little heavier; those would be places where we have large packs or many packs." Beaverhead County is one of those places, she said. Thus far seven wolves have been shot in the county, most of which have come out of the Big Hole Valley.

Sime said that's not surprising given the large wolf population there.

Wolf hunting is still open in wolf management Unit 2, which includes the Big Hole Valley. Thus far 17 wolves have been killed in the unit, with five to go to reach the quota of 22 wolves.

In Unit 1 throughout the northern half of the state, hunters have taken 27 wolves thus far. That harvest too has been well spread out, with wolves killed west of Missoula, in the northwest corner of the state and along the Rocky Mountain Front. Hunters can still kill 14 wolves in that district before the total quota there of 41 wolves is reached.

The kill in the unit includes two wolves from a subunit that covers the North Fork of the Flathead River. The second wolf was reported Monday and that area is now closed.

Sime said the spread out nature of the harvest is good because it shows wolves won't be eliminated from particular areas.

"One of the concerns people had is that hunters would wipe out entire packs and that hasn't been our experience thus far," she said.

Jim Williams, Region 1 wildlife manager, said in the press release the hunt has gone well.

"We couldn't have scripted a better wolf hunt so far," he said. "The distribution of harvest, hunter participation and the rate of wolves taken in wolf management Unit 1 have all met expectations for a well-designed wolf hunt." Hunting was shut down after the opening day of rifle season for deer and elk in Unit 3, which covers most of southern Montana.

Sime said biologists have learned a lot with this inaugural hunt. The quota system has worked just as it does for other species, with hunters having no problem calling in their kills within 12 hours, she said.

In addition, hunters have reported they shot wolves at ranges from 30 to 300 yards, Sime said. Some hunters reported hearing wolves howl and just getting lucky, while others have called in wolves with a distressed rabbit call or by imitating wolves.

Sime said as in years past, wolf-livestock problems have dropped off with the onset of hunting season. That's partially because wolves have gut piles from deer and elk to feed on as well as less contact with livestock as ranchers move cattle and sheep out of mountain pastures.

— Reporter Nick Gevock may be reached at nick.gevock@mtstandard.com