WYOMING UPDATE

In response to the torturing of the Wolf in the Wyoming bar last year, HB 275 was,written.

In its current form, the bill outlaws deliberately prolonging the suffering of wolves and other predatory animals – such as coyotes and jackrabbits.

BUT it doesn’t ban the practice of pursing and running over predators with snowmobiles and other vehicles – commonly called “whacking” or “mashing.” 

MONTANA

MONTANA WOLVES NEED YOUR HELP

WRITE LETTERS TO EDITOR

MAKE PHONE CALLS TO SPONSORS OF THE BILLS

A flurry of bills have been introduced. Click on the link for each of the bills for current status.

Support: Prohibit the use of motion-tracking devices while hunting animals, such as wolves - Passed 8:4 Senate F&G committee in bipartisan vote.

SB63: Revise law related to the use of motion-tracking devices while hunting.

Oppose: Recruit 10-years old to trap and kill all the furbearer classified species, wolves, and shoot "game species" e.g. mountain lions, bears, elk, deer, etc. Passed unanimous with amendment.

HB96: Create a trapper apprentice program. Amended subsection 8 to not strike out. So a 10-year-old hunting apprentice cannot hunt mountain lions, black bears, or wolves.

Oppose: Open Year-Round Unlimited Quota Wolf "Hunting" Season - Passed House FWP Committee along party lines 12:8 1/23/25. 

HB 222: Creating open wolf hunting season until the population is 600 or fewer. Amended to 600-650 wolves; exclude the season for May and June to avoid whelping wolf pups and at the request of FWP who came out in opposition to this bill.

Oppose: Elimination of Wolf Quotas - PASSED House FWP Committee 12:8 along party lines. 1/23/25

HB176: Require unlimited wolf hunting quota when population is at or above 450 wolves. Amended to 450-550 wolves. Commission could then issue quotas at 550.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

VOYAGEURS WOLF PROJECT & TIMBER WOLF ALLIANCE

Voyageurs Wolf Project is hosting a series of programs 6:30-8:30 CT on each of the following evenings

February 5^th Wolves, deer, deer hunting and wolf management: a deep dive into the data

Presenter: Tom Gable

February 19^th - : Born to die: why most wolves in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem never live to see their first birthday

Presenter: Andrea Hynes

March 19^th - Sex, death, and betrayal: the complicated saga of the Cranberry Bay pack

Presenter: Austin Homkes

The cost to attend all three is $50 (you will be sent a link if you are unable to attend "live").

All money raised goes directly toward the project’s research and outreach

CLICK TO REGISTER

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CALLING ALL WILDLIFE ARTISTS!

Each year since 1990, the Timber Wolf Alliance celebrates a broad theme in wolf conservation through the Wolf Awareness Week poster. The posters feature educational information on the back and striking artwork on the front—artwork from our annual poster contest.

To illustrate the 2025 Wolf Awareness Week poster, TWA is searching for art or photography that depicts individual gray wolves; however, all artwork with wolves will be considered.

Submissions are due by March 31,2025 Please submit proposed artwork to the Timber Wolf Alliance by March 31, 2025. The winner will be selected by May 1, For more information, including instructions for submitting your entry Click Here

The National Wolfwatcher Coalition is a proud supporter of both of these organizations.