2000s–Present: Population Growth
- By the end of 2002, the Northern Rockies wolf population met the biological recovery criteria of at least 30 breeding pairs for three years in a row.
- By the end of 2004, there were an estimated 835 wolves and 66 breeding pairs in the tri-state area. In Montana, there were about 153 wolves and 15 breeding pairs at that time.
- With the exception of Wyoming, the wolf population was delisted from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2011, giving management authority to the states. The five-year federal oversight period for Idaho and Montana ended in 2015, and wolf populations remained well above minimum federal management objectives of 15 breeding pairs and 150 wolves in each state.
- While Montana has full authority to manage wolves in the state, federal regulations continue to guide management practices. To remain in compliance with federal law, FWP’s conservation and management program aims to maintain the overall population high enough to prevent its reclassification as “threatened” or “endangered” under the ESA.
- Trapping and hunting were introduced as highly regulated, scientifically based management tools to balance wolf numbers with human interests (e.g., livestock, game populations). FWP has managed wolf harvest consistent with state law and commission regulation (i.e., hunting and trapping seasons) since wolves were delisted from the ESA.
