When wolves commit depredations on livestock, the appropriate IDFG Regional Supervisor typically authorizes WS to initiate some form of incremental lethal control to help resolve the depredation activity. Nonlethal control measures may also be implemented or recommended depending on the specific circumstances, but in many cases, particularly with sheep producers, wolf predation has occurred in spite of ongoing nonlethal efforts to prevent wolf depredations. During wolf control actions initiated in FY 2009, 12 wolves were captured, collared and released on site (as compared to 10 in FY 2008 and 9 in FY 2007) and 107 were killed (as compared to 82 killed in FY 2008 and 48 killed in FY 2007 (Figure 4)).

Montana's top wildlife official acknowledged Friday that the state has too many wolves on the landscape, so he's implementing a new strategy that will allow problem wolves to be killed more quickly by federal agents.

In a hearing before the Environmental Quality Council, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks director Joe Maurier said federal Wildlife Services agents no longer need FWP authorization to kill wolves at or near confirmed livestock depredation sites.

The agents also will be able to immediately kill any wolves that are trapped when they return to those sites to feed on dead livestock.

"For the amount of conflict we have in all sectors today, we probably have too many wolves on the landscape," Maurier told the council. "We had tolerable conflict on the landscape; now it's intolerable. Now we have to go back to the point where it's tolerable at all levels but we still have a viable population."