Crowd of 200 packs hearing on wolf hunts
There was predictably strong support for a Montana wolf-hunting season at a hearing on hunting regulations in Kalispell, with many hunters calling for a season extending beyond dates proposed by the state.
About 200 people turned out for the hearing, which was preceded by an open house at the Red Lion Hotel Kalispell. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials took input on a variety of topics for the 2008 and 2009 hunting seasons, but the proposed wolf season drew considerable interest.
The state is proposing a hunting season that would extend from Sept. 15 to Dec. 31, to be governed by quotas that would be set for three hunting districts. After the first hunting season is evaluated, state officials are considering establishing a trapping season as well.
The major prerequisite for a wolf hunt is the removal of wolves from the federal endangered list. Delisting is expected to happen this winter, but state officials also are expecting lawsuits aimed at preventing delisting.
Several hunters who spoke at the hearing said the season should be extended well into February if established quotas for a district haven't been met.
"I would agree with extending the season into February to allow for more opportunity," said Chuck Hunt of Kalispell.
"An extended season would give us an opportunity to get a lot of other predator hunters out there," said Mike Baker of Kalispell.
Some hunters said the Sept. 15 start of the season is too early, allowing wolves to be harvested before their winter coats are full.
After the hearing, regional wolf-management specialist Kent Laudon explained that one of the considerations for the proposed Dec. 31 cut-off involves wolf biology. Wolves breed in mid-February, so packs that lose an alpha male or female to a hunter need some time to "reshuffle" for a successful breeding season.
Intergenerational breeding within a pack is rare, he said.
"If a pack loses an alpha female, it's pretty unlikely the male will breed one of its daughters," Laudon said, adding that the male is more likely to seek out a "disperser" female.
Some at the hearing called for the state to proceed conservatively with a wolf hunt.
Brian Peck, a Columbia Falls resident speaking for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that after delisting, Wyoming and Idaho will pursue wolf-management plans "so extreme that they can best be described as extermination campaigns."
By insisting on an immediate Montana wolf hunt, he said, the state "risks being lumped in with [Idaho and Wyoming] in the court of public opinion, and tarred with the same brush as not only anti-wolf, but as anti-conservation."
Because Montana has a "mere" 400 wolves, Peck said, the state should hold off on its hunt for a year. "Let's get it right the first time and craft the right hunt, at the right time."
More than one hunter expressed skepticism that the state's official wolf-population estimates reflect the actual population size.
"I definitely believe there are far more wolves than what we are led to believe," said Flathead resident Larry Campbell.
The state and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have emphasized that their population numbers are conservative estimates, and they acknowledge that there are more wolves on the landscape.
Laudon heavily relies on reports from the public to locate new wolf packs and to keep track of packs about which he is already aware. Laudon investigates "clusters" of reports in the spring, when he can trap and radio-collar wolves.
"Right now, I have a whole rash of reports that came out of the hunting season," he said. "I can think of two places right now where we very well may have [new wolf packs]."
Perhaps the most complex aspect of establishing hunting or trapping seasons will be the calculation of appropriate quotas. State officials do not want to plunge wolf populations to a point where they could be relisted.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com