FWP seeks comments on wolf-livestock policy

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are seeking comments from Montana’s county commissioners and Indian tribes on policies that define how wolf managers respond to confirmed wolf depredations on livestock.

FWP has led wolf management in Montana under federal guidelines since 2004. The delisting of wolves in 2011 allowed the state to manage wolves in a manner similar to how they manage bears, mountain lions and other wildlife species are managed.

The agency is currently working to revise the response protocol to improve the effectiveness of animal damage management while still meeting all the objectives of Montana’s wolf conservation and management program, FWP wildlife bureau chief Ken McDonald said.

“Most successful response protocols aimed at removing depredating wolves are carried out in the immediate vicinity of the livestock damage and as soon as possible following a confirmed depredation,” McDonald explained. “The intent of this revised set of guidelines is aimed at allowing federal Wildlife Services to accurately identify and remove offending wolves as quickly as possible.”

Wildlife Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides expertise to states to resolve wildlife conflicts. Montana’s existing livestock depredation policy requires Wildlife Services to obtain direction from FWP before removing a specified number of offending wolves.

The proposed policy revisions would authorize or require Wildlife Services to:

• Identify, target and remove confirmed depredating wolves.

• Avoid lethal removal of non-problem wolves in areas near the site of a depredation.

• Collar and release at least one wolf when a confirmed depredation occurs in an area where wolves haven’t been previously collared and where it can’t determine which wolves were involved in the depredation. Radio collars allow wildlife biologists to follow wolves and learn more about their pack size and structure, territory and habits.

• Report to FWP when each control action is initiated and terminated and provide the results of every control effort.

“The bottom line is that regular and open communication between FWP and Wildlife Services field staff will be expected,” McDonald stressed.

For more information, visit online at http://fwp.mt.gov. Click on “For Fish & Wildlife Information” followed by “Montana Wolves.”