Montana set to offer wolf hunting licenses on August 23

HELENA — Montana's Fish, Wildlife & Parks will offer licenses for sale beginning Aug. 23 for the state's regulated wolf hunting season.

The FWP Commission today set the statewide harvest quota at 186 wolves for hunting seasons that are set to open Sept. 4 for archers, Sept. 15 in select backcountry areas and Oct. 23 for the general hunting season.

Licenses will be valid within 13 specifically defined wolf management units. Hunters must obtain permission to hunt on private lands.

Wolf licenses will be available for purchase online at fwp.mt.gov, or from any FWP license provider. Hunters must have, or also purchase, a valid 2010 conservation license. Wolf hunting licenses are $19 for residents and $350 for nonresidents.

Montana's wolf hunting seasons generally correspond to the state's archery only, early backcountry, and general big game hunting seasons. The general wolf season is scheduled to end Dec. 31, or when quotas are reached, whichever occurs first. The archery-only season for wolves, which is set to end Oct. 17, is limited to not more than 20 percent of the established quotas or subquotas.

The 2010 wolf hunting season, however, could be blocked by a lawsuit in federal court seeking to return the wolf to the endangered species list. In 2008, legal challenges prevented wolf delisting and a hunting season. FWP continues its vigorous defense of the federal wolf delisting decision.

To learn more about Montana's wolf population, visit FWP online at fwp.mt.gov. Click "Montana Wolves."