It was only a year ago that the wolves in Montana were taken off the Endangered Species List, but now some ranchers in Jefferson county are petitioning for a bounty system to be instated on the species to cut down livestock predation. Wolves went extinct in Montana by the 1930’s largely because of such a system.
Hunters are one of the most vocal groups opposing the bounty petition, according to the helenair.com. One of the main arguments against the instating a bounty is that wolf hunting has not been open long enough to lower the population.
“Give [hunters] the chance to learn about this and let the process work a little bit,” said Josh Pallister, an avid hunter from Jefferson county. “It’s not that I love wolves, but we are uneducated about them.”
Jefferson County commissioner Leonard Wortman said that if more than 51 percent of the county residents petition for this system, that they have no choice but to put it into action. Of course, the county residents including the ranchers, would be taxed to pay for the bounty funds.