Bill > HB259

This bill modifies Montana's gray wolf management regulations by expanding the Fish and Wildlife Commission's authority to control wolf populations. The bill allows the commission to implement more aggressive wolf hunting and trapping techniques, including issuing multiple wolf hunting licenses to a single applicant, permitting unlimited wolf harvests per license, and authorizing wolf hunting on private lands outside of daylight hours using night vision, infrared, and thermal imagery scopes. The legislation maintains a goal of maintaining at least 15 breeding pairs of wolves in the state while providing landowners with greater flexibility to protect livestock and human safety. Specifically, landowners can now take wolves on their property without purchasing a special license when wolves pose a potential threat, subject to annual quota limits and reporting requirements. The bill also requires the department to annually report on wolf management implementation to the environmental quality council. The new regulations are effective immediately upon passage and aim to provide more comprehensive and flexible approaches to managing the state's wolf population.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC3034