Wyoming plan to increase grizzly hunt quotas in dispute
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Conservation groups alleged Tuesday that Wyoming used part of Montana's grizzly bear hunting quota to increase its own allocation for a proposed hunt this year, even though Montana wildlife regulators voted not to give away any part of its quota.
A Montana wildlife official denied there was an agreement to give a portion of its grizzly allocation to Wyoming, and a Wyoming official walked back the claim.
Wyoming's proposal for its first grizzly hunt in decades sets a quota of two female and 10 male grizzlies. That quota rounds up from the state's actual allocation of 1.45 females and 9.86 males under a formula used by Wyoming, Montana and Idaho to decide hunting quotas.