(HELENA, MONTANA) — The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission has officially set the state’s 2026-2027 wolf harvest quota at 300 wolves, following nearly four hours of intense debate and public comment.
The new limit is lower than last year’s quota of 452, but higher than the 250-wolf limit originally recommended by wildlife officials. Fish, Wildlife, and Parks biologists based their lower recommendation on a new, Montana-specific population model that estimates smaller pack sizes and a lower overall wolf population.
Amid over 2,300 total public comments, the commission unanimously approved a compromise amendment by Commissioner Ian Wargo. The plan divides the 300-wolf quota by region, heavily concentrated in northwest Montana’s Region 1 with 131 wolves, and Region 2 with 92.
Montana’s wolf hunting season officially gets underway this Saturday, September 5th.
