Media Contacts:
Chris Smith, WildEarth Guardians, csmith@wildearthguardians.org
Nadia Steinzor, Project Coyote, nsteinzor@projectcoyote.org
Clint Nagel, Gallatin Wildlife Association, clint_nagel@yahoo.com
Connie Poten, Footloose Montana, rattlefarm@gmail.com
Montana’s kill quotas could potentially collapse the wolf population within one year
MISSOULA, Mont. — Today the Montana First Judicial District Court of Lewis and Clark County declined to halt Montana’s 2025/26 wolf hunting and trapping season, permitting regulations that authorize the killing of up to 558 to stand.
“We are deeply disappointed that Montana’s wolf eradication agenda will continue. Wolves, and anyone who values them and the ecosystems they support, will pay the price,” said Lizzy Pennock, carnivore coexistence attorney at WildEarth Guardians. “While we lost this battle, our lawsuit is far from over, and we will not stop fighting to protect this essential, intelligent wildlife.”
Even while issuing its decision on the current killing season, the Court made clear that the right to a clean and healthy environment in the Montana Constitution most likely extends to wolves, given their critical ecological role. It also confirmed that the constitutional challenge to Montana’s unsound management practices could still ultimately prevail in the ongoing legal dispute.
The court determined that there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that this season’s killing quota would irreparably endanger the survival of wolves in Montana. But the court decision also underscored that serious and valid questions exist about the reliability of how the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) estimates wolf populations, and that these problems could potentially result in inadequate protection of Montana’s wolves over time.
The state estimates a wolf population of just under 1,100 wolves, but experts have concluded that the state’s population estimate model is likely overestimating the population—a key argument in this case. This means that much more than half of the population could be killed this season.
FWP’s own data indicate that killing 450 wolves during the hunting and trapping season could drop the population to below sustainable levels within one year, potentially causing population collapse and undermining genetic viability of the entire northern Rockies gray wolf population.
“This court ruling tragically will result in yet more senseless, cruel killing of wolves and serves only to satisfy the narrow interests of a few Montanans,” said Nadia Steinzor, carnivore conservation director at Project Coyote. “This decision strengthens our resolve to keep fighting to protect wolves, for the benefit of wild and human communities alike.”
Despite its own analysis demonstrating the risks of such a high quota, this August the State approved a kill quota of 558 by hunting, trapping, and lethal control. This is the highest quota the State has set since wolves in the Northern Rockies lost federal protections under the Endangered Species Act in 2011. Today’s ruling means that wolf hunting and trapping in Montana will continue unabated until the season ends March 15 or 458 wolves have been shot or trapped, while another 100 can be killed by controlled removals. As of today, wolf hunters and trappers have killed 86 wolves since the season started in September.
“Although this ruling is a severe setback for Montana’s magnificent wolves, the resulting slaughter will only strengthen our ongoing case for the protection of this vital species,” said Connie Poten, board chair of Footloose Montana. “The fight for wolves is deep and broad, based in science, connection, humaneness and necessity. Wolves will not die in vain.”
WildEarth Guardians, Project Coyote, Footloose Montana, and the Gallatin Wildlife Association filed an emergency legal challenge to stop Montana’s 2025/26 wolf killing season. Today’s ruling, which is a response to that emergency petition, is part of an ongoing lawsuit filed in 2022 challenging regulations and legislation targeting wolves as a violation of several state and federal laws and the state constitution. While the broader lawsuit plays out in court, today’s ruling will allow the State to kill over half of the estimated wolf population. Trial is currently scheduled for early 2027.
“There are some extreme antagonistic views being held by several within the State Legislature, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Commission against Montana’s wolf population. Our work is to bring some semblance of science management back to the agency and to the state. This decision means our work will obviously need to continue in that effort,” said Clinton Nagel, president of the Gallatin Wildlife Association.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys at Greenfire Law, P.C., Morrison Sherwood Wilson & Deola, PLLP, and Gallik & Bremer, P.C.
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