The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to approve a statewide wolf harvest quota of 300 animals for the 2026-27 hunting and trapping season, which opens September 5. The new limit represents a significant reduction from the 452-wolf quota set for the prior season.

A Lower Quota Backed by New Population Data

The commission’s decision came after nearly four hours of deliberation and public comment at the meeting, where approximately 120 people spoke. More than 2,200 additional comments arrived online and by mail before the session, underscoring the level of public interest in wolf management across the state.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks had recommended a quota of 250 wolves, grounding its proposal in an updated population model. That model estimates the state has fewer wolves, smaller packs, and larger pack territories than earlier assessments had indicated. The model is currently undergoing peer review. The commission ultimately approved a quota 50 animals above the agency’s recommendation.

In the previous season, 247 wolves were harvested against a quota of 452, meaning hunters and trappers took roughly 55 percent of the allowable total. The gap between the quota and actual harvest influenced how the commission and agency framed the new numbers.

Regional Allocations Concentrated in Western Montana

The largest shares of the statewide quota went to the two northwestern regions, consistent with where Montana’s wolf population is most concentrated. Region 1, which covers the northwestern corner of the state, received a quota of 131 wolves. Region 2, covering western Montana including the Missoula area, was allocated 92 wolves. Together, those two regions account for more than 74 percent of the statewide total.

Wolf management in Montana has long been a point of tension between ranching and agricultural interests, who favor robust harvest limits to reduce livestock predation, and conservation advocates who argue that population estimates and harvest pressure must be carefully balanced. The high volume of public comment at this meeting reflected both sides of that ongoing debate.

Commission Acted Over Agency Recommendation

The commission’s decision to set the quota at 300 rather than the agency-recommended 250 signals that members were willing to allow a somewhat higher harvest while still pulling back sharply from last season’s ceiling. Because the updated population model is still in peer review, commissioners were weighing current data that has not yet been fully validated against external scientific scrutiny.

Wolf management authority in Montana sits with the state, following the species’ delisting from federal Endangered Species Act protections in the Northern Rockies. That status has allowed Montana to set its own harvest rules, a power the state has used aggressively in recent legislative sessions to expand hunting and trapping tools available to landowners and the public.

What Comes Next

With the season opening September 5, hunters and trappers will have access to wolves statewide under the new quotas. FWP will monitor harvest numbers by region, and individual regions can be closed once their quotas are reached. The commission’s unanimous vote means no dissent was recorded, though the hours of public comment made clear that sentiment outside the commission remains divided.

The peer review process for the updated population model will be a key factor shaping future seasons. If the revised estimates hold up under external review, the agency and commission may face continued pressure to keep quotas aligned with what the data supports — particularly as wolf distribution and pack structure continue to shift across western and northwestern Montana.