10/23/09

WISDOM, Mont. (AP) _ A southwestern Montana rancher says he's
withdrawing his property from a public hunting program, on grounds
that the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks isn't
managing wolves properly.

Fred Hirschy, who had allowed hunters to use about 45,000 acres
of his family's property west of Wisdom, said ``We want more people
on the ground and we want the people on the ground that can shoot
some wolves.''

Montana is allowing hunters to shoot 75 wolves this year, part
of the state's first legal wolf hunting season.

But Hirschy and other ranchers in the Big Hole Valley are
frustrated that the big predators are still inflicting losses on
their livestock.

Pat Flowers, regional FWP manager, says he's hoping to
eventually assuage Hirschy's concerns and re-enroll his property in
the hunting program.

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Information from: The Montana Standard,
http://www.mtstandard.com

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
APNP-10-23-09 0637MDT<