Wolf hunt a $167K boon to game & fish coffers

Tuesday's expanded wolf hunting season passed without a hunter filling a tag in Montana or Idaho, but wildlife managers in both states made a killing. At $19 apiece, Montana wolf hunters have added more than $167,000 to the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks general license account since wolf tags went on sale Sept. 1. Only about 40 of 8,796 licenses sold went to out-of-state hunters, who paid $350 for the opportunity. Idaho has sold about 14,500 tags. At $11.50 for in-state hunters, that's an over-the-counter windfall of nearly $167,000. Montana has a quota of 75 wolves to be shot by hunters in the 2009 big-game season. Wolf hunting opened Tuesday in four remote, backcountry hunting districts, with the rest of the state closed until the regular season opens Oct. 25. Idaho has a limit of 220 wolves. It opened two remote districts to hunting Sept. 1 and two more Tuesday. The rest of the state opens Oct. 1. License proceeds in both states go into their respective big-game license accounts and are not earmarked or otherwise separated for specific purposes...Missoulian