In light of that, it\u2019s doubtful that the proposed new quota of 500 wolves will be met,\u00a0Ryan Bronson, spokesman for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) told Cowboy State Daily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
FWP has a proven track record of managing Montana\u2019s wolves, and the agency should have the leeway to adjust hunting quotas as needed, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lizzy Pennock, carnivore coexistence attorney for WildEarth\u00a0Guardians,\u00a0said Montana\u2019s wolf policy has been too heavy-handed for years, and killing 500 wolves would be outrageous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That would not only hurt the wolf population in terms of sheer numbers, it would also hamper healthy genetic exchange, she told Cowboy State Daily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Montana Fish and Wildlife\u00a0Commission will take up the matter during its next meeting Aug. 21.\u00a0<\/p>\n
WildEarth Guardians opposes predator hunting, but still considered Montana\u2019s wolf management policy to be \u201crelatively more balanced\u201d prior to 2021, Pennock said.<\/p>\n Since then, the state has taken an increasingly intolerant stance toward wolves and other predators, she said.<\/p>\n Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte took office in January 2021, and has been an outspoken advocate for more aggressive wolf hunting.<\/p>\n The proposed 500-wolf quota takes things to a \u201cshocking\u201d new level, Pennock said.\u00a0<\/p>\n She questions why wolf hunting and trapping is necessary in the first place, arguing that wolf populations are naturally self-regulating because packs are so territorial.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at the wolves in Yellowstone (National Park), they manage themselves,\u201d she said. \u201cThe\u00a0No. 1\u00a0killer of wolves is other wolves.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, one of Yellowstone\u2019s most famous wolves,\u00a0907F<\/a>, died on Christmas Day 2024 after being severely injured a few days earlier in a fight with wolves from a rival pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, wolves in Montana are \u201csource wolves\u201d for an expanding population in the Pacific Northwest, she said. So the overkill of wolves in Montana will hurt the species\u2019 ability to expand its territory. \u00a0<\/p>\n Allowing hunters or trappers to kill up to 15 wolves on a single license is geared toward eradication, not sound management, Pennock said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt just doesn\u2019t make sense. No other game species is managed this way,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Habitat Management And Predator Control<\/strong><\/p>\n As Bronson sees it, Montana is, in fact, managing wolves like other species by adjusting quotas as needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Northwest Montana is densely populated with wolves and is also \u201cin a part of the state where people are clearly frustrated by (lower) deer and elk populations,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n RMEF considers wolves to be a factor contributing to the decline in big game populations, he said, adding that forestry\u00a0management is also a major factor.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Gray](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Gray-wolves-4.26.23.jpg\")
(Getty Images)\u2018Wolves Manage Themselves\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n