Fielder discusses wolf measures

Montana has already seen numerous House and Senate bills passed regarding wildlife management in the year 2021. Several of these have involved wolves. District 13 Rep. Paul Fielder of Thompson Falls has weighed in on a few of these. The representative comes from a career of wildlife biology and brings that knowledge with him to speak on the new legislation.

According to the federal delisting regulations for wolves, which were established when the local wolves found themselves on the endangered species list, there needs to be about 30 breeding pairs within Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. This program established those figures for there to be a sustainable population of wolves. In order to get wolves delisted from the endangered species list, more wolves were introduced into the area. Since their introduction, the wolf population has “skyrocketed” to over 100 breeding pairs and 1,156 individuals in Montana, alone, Fielder stated, “well beyond delisting criteria for three states.”

Fielder compared these numbers to a wildfire. When wolves were reintroduced, wolves were endangered, however, since “wolves are pretty prolific,” according to Fielder, this “prescribed burn” has gotten out of control. Another aspect Fielder mentioned is that the wolves that were introduced are not of the same native subspecies that were traditionally found in Montana. According to Fielder, there are five varieties of wolf found in North America. The subspecies of wolf native to Montana is called the prairie wolf, which is a medium sized wolf. The introduced variety are northwest wolves, which are native to northern Canada and are the largest and most aggressive of all North American subspecies. According to Fielder, these are “very good killing machines.”

As per the Montana Wolf Management Plan, Montana has set the goal of achieving 15 breeding pairs of wolves in Montana and a minimum of 150 animals. Fielder explained that not all packs will have a breeding pair. Fielder added that Region 1 of northwest Montana, which includes Sanders County, has by far the highest density wolf population in the state. According to Fielder, these wolf numbers have drastically affected the moose, deer and elk populations.

In the 2021 legislative session, Sen. Bob Brown of Thompson Falls carried Senate Bill 314. It is meant to reduce the number of wolves in the state, Field said. SB 314 removes the wolf harvest limit for individuals, which was previously five. The bill now also permits hunting over bait, and limits traps to no further than 30 feet away from exposed bait. Wolf trappers and hunters can now hunt on private land, with permission, after daylight hours.

Senate Bill 267 will allow the reimbursement of trappers for costs incurred harvesting wolves, provided they show approved receipts. This bill was also carried by Sen. Brown. Fielder said the process of trapping wolves can be extremely expensive as traps must be checked no more than every 48 hours and a single trap set can cost more than $100. “It is a big investment. This bill is to encourage wolf trapping as a wildlife management tool,” said Fielder.

House Bill 225 will extend the wolf trapping season an extra 30 days. With HB 225, the season starts the first Monday after Thanksgiving and runs until March 15. Fielder hopes this will create better conditions for trappers to work in early in the season.

House Bill 224 now allows trapping wolves with the use of snares. Fielder said this is a good method for trapping wolves, especially in the snow. “It is just another good tool for management.”

Fielder expressed the importance of limiting wolf numbers. "Many Montanans stock their fridges with deer and elk meat to feed their families. Wolves are one of the most efficient predators in the world, and are putting pressure on these ungulate populations. I would rather see sportsmen, who pay licensing fees, manage these animals than pay the federal government to do the same job. It is just more efficient.”

Fielder also mentioned House Bill 163, which expanded the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission to include two more commissioners, increasing from five to seven in total. This will mean each of the seven regions will have their own commissioner. Fielder said this will create better representation.