Regional
Montana hunters, trappers kill at least 222 wolves
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) -- With at least 222 gray wolves killed by Montana hunters and trappers this winter, Gov. Steve Bullock and wildlife officials say they now have the right rules in place as the state seeks to reduce the predator's population to about 400 animals statewide.
Montana's wolf season ends Thursday. Harvest numbers are up roughly 25 percent from last winter.
Fish, Wildlife and Parks Director Jeff Hagener says he expects at most a modest drop in the population as a result.
But a new law loosens hunting and trapping rules for coming seasons.
In Idaho, where the 2012-2013 wolf season runs through June, hunters and trappers so far have killed at least 245 of the animals.
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