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Montana hearing on HB258 pits sportsmen seeking longer wolf hunts against tribes, conservationists
Summary
A packed Senate Fish, Wildlife and Parks hearing on HB258 drew hours of testimony. Sponsor Rep. Paul Fielder said the bill would let the commission align wolf hunting with spring bear seasons; opponents warned it would allow killing lactating females and pups, undermine population estimates and harm tourism.
Representative Paul Fielder, the bill sponsor, told the Senate Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee that House Bill 258 restores longer, regionally adjusted wolf hunting seasons by directing that the commission authorize seasons that end in concurrence with the spring bear hunt. "We've got a wolf population in this state," Fielder said, arguing recent court decisions shortened trapping and left hunting as a primary tool.
The bill would remove a 15-mile buffer the House added around national parks and let the Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Commission set wolf season dates by management unit. Fielder cited the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisting guidance and the 2003 Montana Wolf Management Plan to justify managing wolves by the state and said…
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