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 wolves or higher, replacing the previous threshold of 450 wolves. It also provides an exception for areas near Yellowstone National Park. The Fish and Wildlife Commission is granted the authority to authorize specific hunting and trapping practices when the population is above 550 wolves, while also allowing for different management techniques when the population is between 450 and 550 wolves. The bill emphasizes the need for data consistency in determining wolf populations using integrated patch occupancy models.

Additionally, the bill amends existing regulations to ensure that the commission can implement more liberal harvest regulations in regions with higher wolf populations. It allows for the issuance of multiple wolf hunting licenses, the harvest of an unlimited number of wolves by a single individual, and the use of bait for wolf hunting or trapping. The bill also stipulates that landowners can take wolves on their property without a license if the wolves pose a threat to safety or livestock, and it requires the department to maintain consistent modeling criteria for wolf population estimates to ensure accurate data interpretation.

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(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