Michigan Wolf Hunters Look to Montana for Advice
Four wolves have been killed in the first two days of a controversial wolf hunting season that began in Michigan on December 20, according to state wildlife officials.
Some hunters have reached out to experts in Montana for tips on how to bait a wolf. Montana has allowed wolf hunting for three of the last four years, because the 2010 hunt was cancelled by court order. Professor Noah Hall of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center in Detroit writes that in 2009, Montana had a population of 524 wolves.
According to the Montana Wolf Hunting Season Reports, the wolf population has risen from 524 in 2009 to 625 in 2013, and this is despite relatively aggressive wolf harvests. In 2009, 72 wolves were harvested. For 2011 the harvest goal was raised and 220 wolves were taken. During the most recent season in 2012, 225 wolves were taken in Montana.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Education and Communications Director Ron Aasheim said that the wolf trapping season in Montana runs from December 15 to February 28, while the wolf hunting season continues until March 15. Aasheim said there is no overall quota for wolves in Montana, although only a limited number are allowed to be trapped or shot near Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.