CHAITKK 2: AFFKCIKU ENViKONMIiNT 



Table 6. Livestock losses that were unconfirmed as wolf-caused by Wildlife Services but that could have 

 potentially been caused by wolves, given that the investigation did not document any obvious 

 cause of death or injury such as noxious weeds or lightening, during calendar years 1999-2001 

 (Wildlife Services, unpubl. data). 



Big Game Hunting 



Hunting in general, and especially for big game, is an important activity for many Montana residents. 

 The 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-associated Recreation found that residents 

 spent over two million days hunting within the state in 2001 (USFWS and U.S. Department of Commerce 

 2002). Additionally, 97% of residents' total hunting days in 2001 were spent hunting within the state. Of 

 all hunting opportunities, elk and deer hunting are some of the most highly valued, both in terms of total 

 days spent hunting, and total expenditures by resident and non-resident hunters within the state. The 

 number of elk hunters and hunter days in Montana has increased steadily through time (Figure 12). The 

 number of hunters and hunter days are more variable for deer (Figure 13). Compared to deer and elk, 

 opportunities to hunt moose are limited, but they are highly sought primarily by residents (Figure 14). 

 Hunter success and total harvest vaiy, sometimes significantly, from year to year. Fluctuations are 

 primarily due to hunting conditions during the season, changes in general regulations and antlerless 

 opportunity, hunter access, changes in population status, and hunter success in previous seasons are also 

 influential. 



Big game hunters in Montana are concerned about the potential for big game population declines and 

 subsequent declines in hunter opportunity due to wolf predation on ungulates. Hunters in Montana enjoy 

 greater opportunity now than even 20 years ago. Since 1990, the hunting regulations, thus, hunter 

 opportunity, for antlered males have been relatively consistent for deer and elk. In recent years, more 

 specialized regulations were adopted to provide opportunities for larger-antlered, mature males for mule 

 deer and elk in certain hunting districts. Hunter opportunity for antlerless elk has also been relatively 

 stable statewide. The number of permits at the individual hunting district level varies through time. 

 Opportunity has significantly increased in some localized areas consistent with management objectives to 

 reduce elk populations through the expanded use of A-7 antlerless elk licenses in conjunction with 

 antlerless elk permits. In other localized areas, antlerless elk opportunity has declined. Hunter 

 opportunity for antlerless deer reflects a number of factors, including deer population status, fawn 

 recruitment trends, and management objectives. The long term trend in the number of moose permits 

 available is relatively stable, with the greatest fluctuation in FWP Region 1 (Table 8). 



FWP used data collected through the telephone harvest survey to examine long term trends in elk and 

 deer hunting participation at the FWP regional scale. Data from 1990-2001 were divided into two time 

 periods (1990-94 and 1995-2001 ) to correspond to increasing numbers of wolves in northwestern 

 Montana and wolf reintroduction into YNP and central Idaho. Significant events also occuiring in that 



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