The wolf hunting and trapping season ended in the southwest corner of Montana on Thursday after total kills in Region 3 hit the threshold of 82 wolves.

An order from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks directed wolf hunters and trappers in the region to remove their equipment from the field as quickly as possible. It applied to wolf management units 313 and 316, which encompass the area directly north of Yellowstone National Park.

Within those two small units, many wolves from packs that reside mostly within the park were killed this winter. Wolf losses there, along with losses in Wyoming and Idaho, resulted in population declines within Yellowstone, according to the park’s reports.

In total, 21 wolves have been taken in WMUs 313 and 316, according to data compiled by Montana FWP. Hunters and trappers had killed 223 wolves statewide as of Thursday afternoon.

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