(Helena) A Lewis and Clark District Court judge has ruled that Montana’s current wolf hunting and trapping season can continue, despite several conservation organizations submitting a petition to halt the season they allege could spell disaster for the state’s wolf population.
The decision on last week by Judge Christopher Abbott came down against the conservation organizations that had sought an injunction against the state, arguing that the statewide harvest quota of 458 wolves is too high, threatens the survival of gray wolves in Montana and violates the state constitution.
The emergency petition seeking an injunction was filed this fall against Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the Fish and Wildlife Commission, which sets department policies and regulations. Conservation groups WildEarth Guardians, Project Coyote, Footloose Montana, and the Gallatin Wildlife Association argued against the increased wolf quota as the latest part of a larger ongoing lawsuit about the state’s management of the species.
A spokesperson for FWP said that the department does not comment on ongoing litigation.
