With a stormfront moving across western Montana, I made the decision to change locations for the night. A tough venture when there’s three guys and frozen, crunchy ground. That night and the next day we spent our time attempting to still-stalk elk through the dark timber. We threw the spare tire on and got geared up at the trailhead. Unfortunately the trip started out with a flat tire just a few short miles from camp. He was looking for his first elk, and we were excited to help him try to achieve that goal. This past weekend we met up with our Dad for some time spent elk hunting. That’s why I bought a wolf tag and if the opportunity arose, I would be glad to use it. One thing is clear, hunting is conservation. As of now, the population has grown to over 1,700 and stronger measures were taken this year to help hunters reduce the population.

The wolves have expanded into most mountain ranges now in Montana, and we are seeing a decrease in elk & deer populations in many areas. In the past decade, Fish and Wildlife has killed about 7% of wolves annually (1,200 wolves in total over the years). By the year 2002, the Northern Rockies wolf population surpassed the federal recovery goal of 300 wolves in 30 packs. In 1995 & 1996 federal Fish and Wildlife Service transplanted 66 Canadian wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Idaho. Wolf tags have been issued in Montana for a reason. I never realized how many other predators were out there until the past two years. This is the time of year when I get the chance to harvest my own wild meat and enjoy all the amazing wild places found here in Montana. Seeking to find my prey, preferably elk or deer. During most of the hunting season I am the dominant predator, or so I thought. Help support our future film endeavors by renting or purchasing the film HERE. This three year film project shows a rancher’s perspective on how coyotes affect the wildlife and livestock on and around their ranches.ĭon’t be mistaken, we made sure to show some of our best coyote encounters while helping balance the coyote populations on multiple tracts of land throughout the treasure state. We traveled thousands of miles, talked with many ranchers, and visited some of the most beautiful landscapes that Montana has to offer. Tooth & Fang is a very unique coyote film that goes into some of the reason behind coyote management. Coyotes affect many ranchers livelihoods and have a much larger impact on livestock than many realize. When a rancher has a $50,000 loss in one year due to coyotes, you know they are a huge problem.

On top of that, coyotes are the largest cause of death for cattle and sheep calves in the spring season. Coyotes have a strong knack to survive the harshest conditions and have a rapid ability to reproduce. An overpopulation of coyotes will reduce fawn survival rates drastically and put added stress on the wildlife in that area. Coyotes affect deer, elk and antelope numbers in many regions of Montana.

To most hunters it seems to be an obvious necessity to keep a balance between predators and prey. Coyote hunting, its a controversial topic for many.

Calling wolves with a foxpro