Wolf season closes

SANDERS COUNTY – The state’s hunting season for wolves came to a close last weekend in Sanders County, officially closing on Sunday, March 15.

The trapping season for wolves ended a couple weeks earlier, coming to an official conclusion Saturday, Feb. 28.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region One Game Warden, Troy Hinck, 17 wolves were harvested in Sanders County over the course of this year’s hunting season.

Hinck stated hunters harvested six of the animals, while 11 of the animals harvested in the county were done so by trappers.

During last year’s wolf hunting season 16 wolves were harvested with hunters harvesting 11 animals and trappers accounting for five of the season’s final total.

“This season’s numbers were pretty similar to other years,” Hinck said.

Hinck stated the locations where wolves were harvested in Sanders County were not confined to one area of the county, but spread throughout the region.

“They were spread across the whole area, wolves were harvested throughout Sanders County,” Hinck said.

Though the numbers for the annual wolf-hunting season were slightly up in Sanders County that was not the case in other portions of the state.

As of last week, trappers had harvested 77 of the animals within the state, and hunters 127, bringing the total animals harvested to 204.

The 2013-2014 season saw hunters and trappers in Montana harvest a combined 230 wolves.

Hinck noted the unseasonably warm weather experienced over the past couple months may have impacted the season.

The warm temperatures often brought rain to Sanders County in lieu of snow and the warden stated rain has the tendency to freeze over the top of traps, rendering them ineffective and unable to trap an animal.

Hinck was pleased this year’s hunting season involved no cases of poaching, noting there were no major incidents.