Montana Approves Additional Year-Round Killing of Wolves

[SunKat]

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is proposing that private landowners could kill a combined 100 wolves, if the animals are perceived to pose a threat to human safety or domestic animals, including livestock and dogs.

This move comes in response to last year’s Montana Senate Bill 200, which allows landowners or their agents to kill wolves who pose a "potential threat" to human safety, livestock, or domestic dogs. Unwilling to define what constitutes a "potential threat," FWP now allows the killing of 100 wolves on private land—no questions asked, no license or permit necessary. This amounts to an additional hunting season on private lands!

This proposal gives landowners unprecedented discretion to shoot wolves on sight.

The approved killing of 100 wolves on private lands comes in addition to the general hunting and trapping season that resulted in the death of at least 230 wolves in 2013-14; it is in addition to federal predator control, where Montana contracts with the USDA Wildlife Services to shoot and trap wolves on behalf of ranchers. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), a trophy hunting organization based in Missoula, has "donated" more than $240,000 to this wolf killing program.

 

 

 

For U.S. Residents Only

Please send a comment to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to let them know that this proposal is unacceptable. Please follow a couple of easy steps:

1. Copy the text below.
2. Click here and paste your comment in FWP's webform.
3. Fill in your personal information and click "Done."

THANK YOU!

As a supporter of In Defense of Animals (IDA) and an avid wildlife advocate, who prefers to see wolves alive, I strongly oppose the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ recent decision to allow the killing of 100 wolves by private landowners.

This proposal gives landowners (mostly ranchers) unprecedented discretion to shoot wolves on sight. And while Montana ranchers killed 69 wolves in response to livestock attacks between 2005 and 2013, they can now kill one third more wolves in one year. This proposal amounts to a separate hunting season on private land.

The approval of killing 100 wolves on private lands comes in addition to the general hunting and trapping season that resulted in the death of at least 230 wolves in 2013-14; it is in addition to federal predator control, executed by USDA Wildlife Services to shoot and trap wolves on behalf of ranchers, and funded partially by Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), a trophy hunting organization that has donated more than $240,000 to this wolf killing program.

This proposal is yet another piece of evidence that wolves are being managed on behalf of ranchers, trophy hunters, and trappers, while the values of wolf advocates who prefer wolves to be preserved, are ignored.

I strongly oppose the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ decision to allow private landowners (ranchers) to kill an additional 100 wolves and strongly urge you to reconsider.

Sincerely,

[Tuffy]

I think its because the Gov.. wants to save money instead of moving them to a more safe area for the wolves .Its a touchy subject especially for the people in the region too I think thank you SunKat