In Montana, there are two bills, Senate Bill 267 and 314, that have cleared the state Senate and on their way to the governor’s office.
The two bills would allow private groups to reimburse hunters for the trapping or killing of wolves. They would also allow for an unlimited number of kills per license.
SB, 267 is sponsored by Republican Senator Bob Brown. This is the bill that would allow for the reimbursement of funds for hunting wolves. The money for the reimbursement would not come from public funds, but rather, it would come from private wolf contest sponsors.
The second bill, which is also sponsored by Sen. Brown, would allow the state’s wildlife officials to grant an unlimited amount of kills with a single license. The bill also would allow bait use.
“This will help mitigate some of the problems with impacts to domestic cows and calves for ranchers in the state,” one hunter stated, according to KPVI.
However, like most wildlife control efforts, these bills have been met with opposition.
According to Jenifer Sherry, 314 goes against the state’s commitments to the wolves after they were taken off the Endangered Species List: “Managing wildlife populations down to an absolute minimum is not representative of the kind of wildlife leadership and ethics that Montana should be showcasing to the rest of the world. We should be striving to prove that we are capable of effectively and objectively managing a recovered species.”
Related:
Washington state to kill more wolves that attack livestock
Deaths of two Mexican gray wolves investigated in New Mexico
Wisconsin’s wolf hunt hit half its quota in 24 hours
The battle over the gray wolf continues
Story via Helena Dore with KPVI