Tell Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone’s wolves
We’re writing today with a simple request: Please join us in telling the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission that enough is enough.
In 2021, the Montana legislature and Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission loosened regulations on killing wolves across Montana, allowing baiting, night hunting and significantly raising bag limits for a single hunter or trapper. The state government also removed quotas limiting the number of wolves being removed in the two Wildlife Management Units just north of Yellowstone National Park in Park County.
So far, these changes have had serious impacts on local wolf populations. To date, at least 13 wolves have been killed in Unit 313, near Gardiner, and at least 3 have been killed in Unit 316, near Cooke City-Silver Gate.
Already, one pack of wolves, called the Phantom Lake Pack, that made its home between Gardiner and Cooke City-Silver Gate has been eliminated.
The hunting and trapping season goes through March 15. By then, it’s hard to know how many more wolves might be killed.
We’re asking the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission to immediately cease the hunting season for 2022 and reinstate a quota of one wolf in each of those units.
Last week, a new group called Wild Livelihoods, representing dozens of businesses in Park County, sent a letter to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission asking them to stop the slaughter. The group explained that in Park County, many businesses and people rely on guiding visitors to view these wolves to make a living.
You can read PCEC member Thomas McNamee’s take in the New York Times here.
The Commission is meeting on February 4th, but isn’t scheduled to make any decision on Yellowstone wolves. We need to tell them that our community does not want the hunt to continue, nor can we afford to continue managing wolves this way.
Living in Park County, we all know that the value of a wolf is more than just a financial transaction, we know that more will be lost than the dollar amount we can tally in our tourism sector. And the wolf is not only a commodity to be threatened or embraced, but rather is a part of who we are and to what we belong.
Please sign our petition, but also let the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission know how you feel. Call and email each commissioner and voice your concerns. It’s not too late for Montana to return to responsible wolf management practices.
You can reach them here:
Patrick Tabor – Vice Chair – Region 1
CommissionerRegion1@mtfwp.org
406-250-2899
Jana Waller – Region 2
CommissionerRegion2@mtfwp.org
(920) 222-1136
Pat Byorth – Region 3
CommissionerRegion3@mtfwp.org
(406) 548-4830
KC Walsh – Region 4
CommissionerRegion4@mtfwp.org
(406) 599-9556
Brian Cebull – Region 5
CommissionerRegion5@mtfwp.org
(406) 860-7416
Lesley Robinson - Commission Chair – Region 6
CommissionerRegion6@mtfwp.org
(406) 301-0787
William Lane – Region 7
CommissionerRegion7@mtfwp.org
(406) 778-2155
