|  Montana has officially released their 2009 wolf hunting regulations. The regulations are pretty much what you would expect, but their are some important things that you need to know if your going to be hunting a wolf this year.
Wolves have been classified as a Game Species, not as a predator. Because of this there are some specific regulations for hunting them.
First you must purchase a wolf tag.
Tags have been priced at $19 for Montana residents, and $350 for non-residents. You must also have a valid Montana hunting license.
With your tag, you are permitted to kill 1 wolf. Montana defines a legal wolf as:
"Any male or female wolf, including young-of-the year".
This means you can shoot any wolf you see including pups if you so choose.
Harvest Quotas
Anyone will be able purchase a wolf tag, but only 75 wolves will be killed in 2009. This means the season may be cut short if the quota is reached before the published date.
Montana has divided the state into 3 Wolf Management Units (WMUs) for the 2009 season. Each of this units will have a harvest limit.
Wolf Management Unit 1
General Wolf License.
Harvest Quota: 41 any legal wolf.
North Fork Flathead Suvquota is 2
-Sept 15 - Oct 24 Valid only in Deer/Elk hunting districts 150, 151 and 280.
-Oct 25 - Nov 29 Valid entire WMU, including North Fork Flathead Subunit.
-Dec 1 - Dec 31 Harvest quota not more than 10.
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Wolf Management Unit 2
General Wolf License.
Harvest Quota: 22 any legal wolf.
-Oct 25 - Nov 29 Valid entire WMU.
-Dec 1 - Dec 31 Harvest quota not more than 5.
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Wolf Management Unit 3
General Wolf License.
Harvest Quota: 12 any legal wolf.
-Sept 15 - Oct 24 Valid only in Deer/Elk hunting district 316.
-Oct 25 - Nov 29 Valid entire WMU.
-Dec 1 - Dec 31 Harvest quota not more than 3.
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Important Regulations: Hunting Hours – Authorized hunting hours for the taking of wolves begin one-half hour before sunrise and end one-half hour after sunseteach day of the hunting season. See offi cial sunrise-sunset tables in these regulations.
Prohibited Methods of Taking
• It is unlawful to place any bait for the purpose of attracting wolves to hunt.
• It is unlawful to hunt wolves with dogs.
• No artificial scents or lures may be used to hunt wolves.
Recorded Animal Sounds – It is unlawful to use any recorded or electrically amplifi ed bird or animal calls or sounds OR recorded or electrically amplifi ed imitations of bird or animal calls or sounds to assist in the hunting, taking, killing or capturing of wildlife, except predatory animals and those birds not protected by state or federal law. MCA 87-3-108.
Now pay attention to that previous statement- NO RECORDED SOUNDS- that means you can not use your electronic coyote caller for wolves. You can still call a wolf in using manual calls like an elk bugal, or a rabbit distress call, but leave the Foxpro at home.
Night Vision Equipment – It is illegal to use night vision equipment or electronically enhanced light gathering optics for locating or hunting game animals.
Two-way Communications – It is unlawful to use two-way communications to: 1) hunt wolves. “Hunt” means to “pursue, shoot, wound, kill, chase, lure, possess or capture.” OR 2) avoid game checking stations, FWP enforcement personnel, or to facilitate unlawful activity. The rule shall not be interpreted to prohibit the possession or use of two-way radios for safety or other legitimate purposes.
Immediately after killing a wolf, a hunter must cut out the proper month and date of the kill from the appropriate license and attach it to the animal in a secure and visible manner.
To properly validate a license, locate the appropriate month and date the animal was killed and completely cut away (notch out) the month and the fi rst and second digits of the date designations. Removing more than one month or one date designation invalidates the license.
Evidence of sex must remain naturally attached to the hide.
Once again, You are required to keep:
-The Skull
- The Hide
- Evidence of Sex
-For males, this means the testicles
- For females, the vulva or mamaries will do.
Wolves are exclued from being considered "suitable for food". You can certainly eat your wolf if you want to, but you are not required to do so, and can leave the carcass in the field.
A hunter must personally report their wolf kill within 12 hours by calling the Wolf Reporting Number at 1-877-FWP-WILD (1-877-397-9453) so that FWP can monitor quota levels. Hunters are required to provide: name, telephone number, ALS number, species, date of harvest, WMU, specifi c location (legal description), and sex when reporting a wolf harvest. When reporting a wolf harvest, it is unlawful to subscribe to or make any statement that is materially false.
A hunter is required to personally present the hide and skull to a designated FWP employee within ten (10) days after harvest for the purpose of:
-inspection and registration of kill.
- verify evidence of sex.
- tagging the hide. The hide tag must thereafter remain attached to the hide until tanned.
- Any hide and skull not presented or registered to FWP personnel within ten (10) days of harvest are subject to confiscation.
- It is unlawful for anyone to possess, ship, transport, sell or purchase any wild wolf harvested in Montana, or part thereof, unless the animal has been tagged as prescribed.
That pretty much summarizes the Montana Wolf season, but you should also be familiar with Montana Hunting Laws. To get the information straight from the horses mouth you can also download the guide directly from montana fish and game by clicking here.
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