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Bill to allow unlimited statewide wolf quota when population above 450 draws intense testimony from ranchers, conservationists and tribes
Summary
Representative Shannon Maness said House Bill 176 would accelerate wolf reductions statewide, citing a current estimate of roughly 1,100 wolves in Montana and urging more aggressive action to protect ungulates and ranching livelihoods.
Representative Shannon Maness opened the HB176 hearing saying the bill’s goal is “to increase harvests of wolves in Montana in a faster manner” and cited a statewide population estimate of about 1,100 wolves. Maness referenced the 2009 federal delisting rule and said the bill was intended to allow the department to reduce statewide wolf population more rapidly and consistently than current practice.
Supporters — including sportsmen’s organizations, trappers, livestock and ranching groups, and some regionally based hunters — urged the committee to approve the bill. Justin Webb, representing the Foundation for Wildlife Management, told the committee that he preferred legislative direction to the commission in the face of perceived political…
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