FWP Director Dustin Temple explains the FWP proposal to the Fish and Wildlife Commission on trapping regulations for 2024/2025.
Folks,
I want to draw attention to this press release (below) from Oct. 25. We believe the changes FWP is proposing here aren’t well understood.
First, we are proposing to implement Free Supplemental Trapping Permit for people who trap for coyotes and other predatory and nongame animals within the court-established geographic area (see map). Coyotes are predators and under Montana statute, there’s no season or limit for them. However, we believe that if we can get a better understanding of coyote trapping, whether for personal reason or for livestock protection, we’ll be better able to understand how we might develop future proposals that would further help us prevent incidental capture of grizzly bears.
Second, we’re proposing additional trapping equipment regulation go into effect if a grizzly bear is incidentally captured in a trap or snare. These regulations would apply only to the court-established geographic area, which you can see in our proposal here. These regulations would only apply before and after wolf trapping season which runs from Jan. 1 to Feb. 15. They would not apply to trappers trapping for livestock protection.
The reasons we’re proposing these changes are fairly simple – we want a better understanding of the scope of coyote trapping on the landscape and we want to do what we can to provide trapping opportunities while limiting or preventing the chance of the incidental capture of a grizzly bear.
Ultimately the Fish and Wildlife Commission will make the final decision on this proposal and will consider public comment received since it was proposed.
Thank you for your help in ensuring the public understands what we’re proposing and why. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.
Greg Lemon
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ICYMI: FWP releases wolf trapping season proposal for Nov. 12 commission meeting
HELENA – The final piece of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting agenda for Nov. 12 was released today outlining the 2024 wolf trapping season dates and proposing new changes to predator trapping to avoid incidental capture of a grizzly bear.
This new proposal builds upon a federal court order that limits wolf trapping within a geographic area that includes all of FWP regions 1, 2 and 3, along with the western portions of regions 4 and 5 to Jan. 1 through Feb. 15.
