State wildlife officials say the wolf population has remained fairly steady

Montana’s wolf population remains healthy, according to the 2023 Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wolf Report.

Increased harvest during the 2023 wolf season has not yet resulted in the estimated decline in total wolf numbers statewide. However, state biologists expect a moderate decline in wolf numbers next year as a result of increased harvest in early 2024.

“We are committed to following the law to reduce the wolf population to sustainable levels, which means ensuring Montana has a healthy population managed by the state,” said Quentin Kujala, the wildlife agency’s chief of conservation policy. “The statewide wolf population estimate for calendar year 2023 is approximately 1,100 wolves, similar to 2022. However, we are seeing declines in the estimated number of wolves and wolf packs in Regions 3 and 4, suggesting that a combination of hunting, trapping and removal as part of conflict management can effectively reduce wolf numbers.”

An example of this moderate decline is Region 3, where wolf population estimates have gradually declined from 214 in 2020 to 178 in 2023. Statewide, wolf harvest from Jan. 1 to March 15 totaled 176 wolves harvested in 2024 compared to 144 during the same period in 2023. Both trends indicate a moderate decline in the wolf population, which biologists expect to see in the 2024 wolf report, which is expected to be released in the summer of 2025.

The estimated statewide wolf population for 2023 was 1,096, just one less than the estimated 2022 population and slightly below the 10-year average of 1,140 wolves but well above the recovery threshold, state officials said.

The number of wolf packs was 181, spread over an area of ​​66,000 square miles. The total wolf harvest for the 2023-24 season was 286 wolves, an increase from the 258 wolves taken in the 2022-23 season.

Livestock conflicts, confirmed livestock losses and wolf removals all declined significantly in 2023, according to the report. Wildlife Services confirmed the loss of 32 livestock to wolves, including 23 cattle and eight sheep. Wolves also killed one livestock guard dog. That number was lower than in 2012-2022.

“As we implement the proposed wolf regulations, we will continue to provide the Fish and Game Commission with the best science and lessons learned to date from managing the wolf population in Montana,” Kujala said.

At an Aug. 16 Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, state officials proposed wolf and furbearer regulations for the 2024-25 seasons. The proposed total wolf hunt limit is 334 wolves, up from 313 for the 2023 season.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission reviewed and made a decision on the proposed furbearer and wolf trapping and hunting seasons at its Aug. 16 meeting, except for the wolf trapping dates and where they will apply. Trapping dates will be determined by the commission at its October meeting.

Last fall, a federal judge ruled that Montana’s wolf hunting regulations violated the Endangered Species Act because the state wildlife agency opened the wolf hunting season while grizzly bears were still active and potentially susceptible to being trapped or snared.

Montana District Court Judge Donald Molloy last year set the dates for the grizzly bear hunting season from Jan. 1, 2024, to Feb. 15, 2024, a period when most grizzlies are likely to be in their dens.

The decision, however, was temporary and came after environmental groups questioned the state’s original hunting season, which was to open on November 27 and last until March 15.