Season Expanded, Quotas Lifted For Montana Gray Wolf Hunting

The latest chapter in the ongoing controversy over how to manage gray wolves in the West has been written by the state of Montana.

Wildlife officials in the Big Sky state have approved a more expansive gray wolf hunt this year, lifting the quota on gray wolf killings, raising the limit on how many gray wolves can be bagged from one to three, and for the first time allowing the capture of gray wolves in traps.

The rulings came after thousands of public comments for and against the plan. Gray wolf advocates call the use of traps "barbaric and uncalled for," while farmers and ranchers say the gray wolf population is getting out of control and complain about the predators killing their livestock.