Wilderness a challenging place to hunt wolves

Wolf pursuit open in some districts

Montana's first wolf hunt in decades got under way in wilderness areas Tuesday, but the actual harvest is expected to be thin.

"If we get more than one or two, I'd be surprised," said Jim Williams, regional wildlife manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Williams said he believes the harvest wlll be low because of the rugged and often heavily forested terrain in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, combined with a low density of hunters who typically venture deep into the backcountry.

But there are wolves in the wilderness.

The Great Bear, Spotted Bear, Flathead Alps and Big Salmon packs occupied hunting districts 150 and 151 covering the greater part of the complex, while the Astra Creek pack occupies District 280 at the southern end of the complex.

"The possibility is there" to harvest a wolf, Williams said. "The likelihood is far less."

Williams said there's no telling how many wolves are in each pack from one day or one week to the next.

"They can move long distances as a group in a single day and in very rugged terrain," he said. "Dispersal is very common, even long-distance dispersals."

Hunters who harvest a wolf are required to report the kill to Fish, Wildlife and Parks within 12 hours, which could be troublesome for a hunter in one of the more remote corners of the wilderness.

"That is a bit of an issue with the wilderness," Williams said.

But most are in the company of hired outfitters who have satellite phones, he said, and in most cases they should be in an area where they can make a report within 12 hours.

The broader-scale wolf hunt will open along with the general big game hunting season Oct. 25 and carry on for the next five weeks.

So far, more than 8,500 wolf permits have been purchased in Montana.

There is a quota of 75 wolves that can be killed, divided across three wolf management units, but Williams believes that the overall harvest will be slow.

"I think the harvest will be very light, I think it will trickle in and it will be pretty opportunistic," he said. "Are there are a lot of unknowns on how the season is going to play out? Absolutely."

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com