Lawsuit Could Make Wolf Problems Worse for Montana Families
OPINION
Animal-rights groups are suing to limit Montana’s wolf hunt, arguing the state is mismanaging the species. Ranchers warn the lawsuit will lead to more livestock attacks, fewer tools to protect their herds, and greater risks for families who live alongside growing wolf populations.
A coalition of conservation and animal-rights groups — including WildEarth Guardians, Center for Biological Diversity, Project Coyote, and House of the Moon — is suing Montana to reduce wolf hunting opportunities the state expanded to protect livestock and big-game herds.
These organizations say they’re “defending ecosystems.”
But they don’t live next to wolf packs.
They don’t lose cattle in the middle of calving season.
And they don’t have to worry about a $10,000 livestock guardian dog being ripped apart because a lawsuit in Helena tied the state’s hands.
For people in rural Montana, wolves aren’t a symbolic animal or a fundraising photo — they’re a real, daily threat to:
cattle and sheep
working dogs
horses
and even the safety of kids in remote homes
Montanans overwhelmingly supported expanding wolf tags because they see the consequences firsthand. The groups filing lawsuits do not.
The Lawsuit Ignores Rural Reality
These organizations want the court to roll back wolf tags, shorten seasons, and reduce harvest quotas — regardless of:
livestock losses
elk populations declining in wolf-heavy districts
skyrocketing depredation costs
the impact on ranchers, outfitters, and rural communities
Their lawsuits prioritize an ideology — not the lived reality of the people who actually share the land with wolves.
Who Should Set Wildlife Policy: Biologists and Montanans, or Out-of-State Lawsuits?
Montana’s wolf management wasn’t expanded recklessly:
State biologists track wolf numbers
Wolf populations remain well above recovery goals
Montana’s constitution recognizes the importance of agriculture and wildlife balance
The public overwhelmingly supported more management tools after years of conflicts
But groups based far from the conflict zones want the courts to override that — and they aren’t the ones losing animals, money, or sleep over it.
When Lawsuits Replace Management, Communities Pay the Price
If these groups win:
ranchers will see higher wolf depredation
working dogs will be at greater risk
elk herd stability will decline in predator-heavy districts
FWP’s ability to manage wolves responsibly will be crippled
Montanans will deal with the losses.
These organizations will send fundraising emails celebrating a “victory for wildlife.”