67th Legislature HB 224.1
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 224
2 INTRODUCED BY P. FIELDER, B. BROWN, J. ELLSWORTH, C. GLIMM, S. HINEBAUCH, J. FULLER, W.
3 GALT, C. HINKLE, J. HINKLE, B. LER, B. PHALEN, J. READ, J. SCHILLINGER, D. SKEES
4
5 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT ALLOWING THE SNARING OF WOLVES BY LICENSED
6 TRAPPERS; AND AMENDING SECTION 87-1-901, MCA.”
7
8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
9
10 Section 1. Section 87-1-901, MCA, is amended to read:
11 "87-1-901. Gray wolf management -- rulemaking -- reporting. (1) Except as provided in subsection
12 (2), the commission shall establish by rule hunting and trapping seasons for wolves. Trapping seasons must
13 allow for the use of snares by the holder of a trapping license. For game management purposes, the
14 commission may authorize:
15 (a) the issuance of more than one Class E-1 or Class E-2 wolf hunting license to an applicant; and
16 (b) the trapping or snaring of more than one wolf by the holder of a trapping license.
17 (2) The commission shall adopt rules to allow a landowner or the landowner's agent to take a wolf on
18 the landowner's property at any time without the purchase of a Class E-1 or Class E-2 wolf license when the
19 wolf is a potential threat to human safety, livestock, or dogs. The rules must:
20 (a) be consistent with the Montana gray wolf conservation and management plan and the adaptive
21 management principles of the commission and the department for the Montana gray wolf population;
22 (b) require a landowner or the landowner's agent who takes a wolf pursuant to this subsection (2) to
23 promptly report the taking to the department and to preserve the carcass of the wolf;
24 (c) establish a quota each year for the total number of wolves that may be taken pursuant to this
25 subsection (2); and
26 (d) allow the commission to issue a moratorium on the taking of wolves pursuant to this subsection (2)
27 before a quota is reached if the commission determines that circumstances require a limitation of the total
28 number of wolves taken.
-1- Authorized Print Version – HB 224
67th Legislature HB 224.1
1 (3) Public land permittees who have experienced livestock depredation must obtain a special kill
2 permit authorized in 87-5-131(3)(b) to take a wolf on public land without the purchase of a Class E-1 or Class
3 E-2 license.
4 (4) The department shall report annually to the environmental quality council regarding the
5 implementation of 87-5-131, 87-5-132, and this section."
6 - END -
-2- Authorized Print Version – HB 224


Statutes affected:
HB0224_1.pdf: 87-1-901
HB0224_X.pdf: 87-1-901
Enrolled: 87-1-901
Introduced: 87-1-901