House Bill No. [insert bill number] proposes significant revisions to the current wolf hunting laws in Montana. The bill allows for an unlimited gray wolf hunting quota when the wolf population reaches 550 or higher, replacing the previous threshold of 450. It also provides an exception for areas near Yellowstone National Park. The Fish and Wildlife Commission is required to authorize certain hunting and trapping practices when the population exceeds 550 wolves, while also having the discretion to apply different management techniques when the population is between 450 and 550 wolves. The bill mandates consistency in data collection for wolf population estimates using integrated patch occupancy models.

Additionally, the bill outlines specific hunting and trapping practices that may be authorized by the commission, including the issuance of multiple wolf licenses, the harvest of an unlimited number of wolves by a single individual, and the use of bait for wolf hunting or trapping. It also allows for hunting wolves on private land outside of daylight hours with artificial light or night vision scopes. The bill emphasizes the need for the commission to adopt rules that align with the Montana gray wolf conservation and management plan, ensuring that landowners can take action against wolves that pose a threat to safety or livestock without needing a specific hunting license.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 87-1-901
HB0176_1(1): 87-1-901
HB0176_1(2): 87-1-901
HB0176_1(3): 87-1-901
HB0176_1(4): 87-1-901
HB0176_1(5): 87-1-901
HB0176_1(6): 87-1-901
HB0176_1(7): 87-1-901
HB0176_1: 87-1-901
HB0176_2(1): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(10): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(11): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(12): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(2): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(3): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(4): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(5): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(6): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(7): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(8): 87-1-901
HB0176_2(9): 87-1-901
HB0176_2: 87-1-901
HB0176_3(1): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(10): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(11): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(12): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(2): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(3): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(4): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(5): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(6): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(7): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(8): 87-1-901
HB0176_3(9): 87-1-901
HB0176_3: 87-1-901
HB0176_4(1): 87-1-901
HB0176_4(10): 87-1-901
HB0176_4(11): 87-1-901
HB0176_4(2): 87-1-901
HB0176_4(3): 87-1-901
HB0176_4(4): 87-1-901
HB0176_4(5): 87-1-901
HB0176_4(6): 87-1-901
HB0176_4(7): 87-1-901
HB0176_4(8): 87-1-901
HB0176_4(9): 87-1-901
HB0176_4: 87-1-901