Colville expand tribal wolf hunting in northeast Washington

Associated Press

NESPELEM — The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation has approved wolf hunting for tribal members on land off its reservation in northeast Washington state.

The Seattle Times reported that the tribes voted Thursday to expand wolf hunting in land north of its reservation to the Canadian border. The tribe retains hunting and fishing rights in that area.

The tribes had opened a wolf hunting season on part of its reservation in 2012. Last year, a tribal member out hunting deer encountered a wolf and killed it.

Colville Tribal Fish and Wildlife Director, Randy Friedlander, says creating regulated seasons ensures tribal members have the opportunity to legally shoot a wolf if encountered at certain times of the year.

Critics worry that increasing the hunt will lead to more poaching and trapping, while others applauded the move as a way to reduce livestock kills.