The backcountry wolf hunt in Montana just north of Yellowstone National Park will be halted half an hour past sunset Friday by order of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Even though the quota of 12 wolves in that hunting unit hasn't been met, nine have been harvested so far, and state officials fear the quota will be filled by the time the general hunting season starts on Oct. 25. That would mean hunters would only take wolves from the backcountry, instead of near ranches where they might have been preying on livestock.

"... We don't want to kill the wilderness wolves and the wolves that don't need some education, (we want to go after) those on the ranch land," Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commissioner Ron Moody said on Thursday. "I want to ensure sufficient opportunity to be available during the general season."

FWP will reopen the backcountry area to wolf hunting when the general big game rifle season begins on Oct. 25.

The commission plans to hold a conference call - open to the public - on Tuesday to discuss whether to increase the quota in that wolf management unit, known as WMU 3. To do that, the commission would have to lower the quotas in one or both of the other WMUs to keep the total statewide quota at 75 wolves.

Related

• Suspension of wolf hunting will be lifted Oct. 25