Hill lauds FW&P decision on wolf hunts, says first step in right direction

Letter to the Editor, 

Republican Rick Hill has released the following statement in response to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission decision to allow the trapping of wolves and raising the limit of wolves per hunter: 

“(The) decision by the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission is a first step in the right direction, but we need to do more, and we need to do it now. 

“Every month we delay, we see more impacts on Montana’s livestock and wildlife, and particularly on the upcoming 2012 big game hunting season.

 “We need to take additional steps to aggressively reduce our wolf population so that ranchers, landowners, and sportsmen will not continue to be negatively impacted. It’s critical that we make an immediate and dramatic reduction in wolf numbers.” 

In March, Hill led a coalition of sportsmen, landowners, ranchers, legislators and other stakeholders to announce his plan to reduce Montana’s wolf population. 

 Hill’s plan calls for lengthening the wolf-hunting season, increasing the number of wolves a hunter can harvest, allowing wolf trapping, empowering livestock owners and game wardens to kill problem wolves, and selectively removing wolves and packs using Wildlife Services. 

Hill also pledged to prevent the spread of wolves to Central and Eastern Montana.

 Hill is the only candidate for governor to announce a wolf management plan, according to his press release.

Interested persons can find Hill’s plan linked here: http://www.rickhill2012.com/index.php/issues/wolf-management