Yellowstone National Park announced earlier on Monday, September 27, that three wolves from the famous Junction Butte Pack were killed during the first week of Montana's wolf hunting season.
Officials say the Junction Butte pack lost two female pups and one female yearling. That pack is the most viewed wolf pack in the world, according to the park, and occasionally moves beyond Yellowstone's northern range.
Montana has limited the number of wolves taken from the wolf hunting areas in Gardiner and Cooke City in the past but this year that was lifted. In addition to lifting the restriction of wolves hunted just adjacent to the parks' northern boundary, the state is allowing baiting on private property. Over 30 percent of the boundary Yellowstone shares with Montana is within one mile of private property.
"Yellowstone plays a vital role in Montana's wildlife conservation efforts and its economy. These wolves are part of our balanced ecosystem here and represent one of the special parts of the park that draw visitors from around the globe," said Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly.
"We will continue to work with the state of Montana to make the case for reinstating quotas that would protect the core wolf population in Yellowstone as well as Montana's direct economic interests derived from the hundreds of millions spent by park visitors each year."
