Quota of 18 wolves was reached over a large area of the state-
Unit 390 which is the following counties closed after 18 wolves were killed and tagged. Prairie, Custer, Powder River, Silver Bow, Golden Valley, Fergus, Cascade, Meagher, Gallatin, Park, Judith Basin, Wheatland, Sweet Grass, Dawson, Stillwater, Carbon, Petroleum, Musselshell, Big Horn, Treasure, Rosebud, Garfield, McCone, Richland, Carter, Fallon, Wibaux, and Yellowstone counties.
Because the quota was only 18, this is not a part of the state where wolves are abundant (with a couple exceptions). These are most southeastern Montana counties. 76 wolves have been reported as legally killed over the entire state. Presently no other units are close to meeting their quota.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Montana must be proud that they saved the state from vicious predators (sarcasm). The predator hunters around here sure gloat over the couple bobcats and coyotes that they kill during their predator hunts. It must take a lot of guts to kill an animal with a high-power rifle at 150 yards from the safety of your heated blind. (sarcasm, again)
Last night on the local TV news, they ran this story. Then they had a hunter / taxidermist on who declared the season shouldn’t have been ended in these areas. The fact that the quota was filled already showed that there many wolves there, or so he claimed, and that the season should be extended.
Saw that IDhiker. Figures someone like him would be complaining since he’s probably got coyote mounts down to a science now and looking for a bigger challenge. Beleive I saw a full wolf mount at some point during his whine (oops sorry, conversation)
I did send an email to the news director of KECI, Channel 13, expressing my dismay over the very negative wolf coverage they’ve put on all fall. I suggested they do a story on the trapping and snaring in Idaho, with pictures.