Post by Logan on May 11, 2016 10:01:45 GMT -6
Montana officials want to triple the number of gray wolves hunters and trappers can kill in an area bordering Yellowstone National Park, citing complaints the predators are eating too many elk wanted by hunters and outfitters.
The potential change marks the latest turn in a dispute that kicked off when endangered species protections for wolves were lifted in Montana in 2011.
Park officials and wildlife advocates argue wolves that spend much of their lives inside Yellowstone should be given special protections. But state officials, outfitters and hunters point to elk numbers that have fallen dramatically since the 1990s, when wolves were reintroduced in the park.
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks proposal would increase the annual harvest from two wolves to six in a hunting district near Gardiner. That would stabilize the population — most recently tallied at 24 animals — and keep it from growing, according to the agency.
Read more: billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/montana-proposes-to-triple-wolf-harvest-near-yellowstone/article_f6e3ff10-78be-5d07-84cd-8609984931ad.html
The potential change marks the latest turn in a dispute that kicked off when endangered species protections for wolves were lifted in Montana in 2011.
Park officials and wildlife advocates argue wolves that spend much of their lives inside Yellowstone should be given special protections. But state officials, outfitters and hunters point to elk numbers that have fallen dramatically since the 1990s, when wolves were reintroduced in the park.
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks proposal would increase the annual harvest from two wolves to six in a hunting district near Gardiner. That would stabilize the population — most recently tallied at 24 animals — and keep it from growing, according to the agency.
Read more: billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/montana-proposes-to-triple-wolf-harvest-near-yellowstone/article_f6e3ff10-78be-5d07-84cd-8609984931ad.html