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On Thursday, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commissioners voted unanimously to stop the wolf hunt in the Bitterroot despite low harvest numbers.

The Commission hoped hunters would harvest 18 wolves in the Bitterroot but only were 6 killed.

Director Joe Maurier says residents need to remember the majority of the problems caused in the area are due to mountain lions.

However, he says he is fully prepared to take a plan to the next legislature which addresses the problem wolves in the area.

"Within the first two weeks of of the Legislature, we get this wolf package passed which would allow some electronic calling, more than one wolf to be taken, so more than one license to be purchased, and allowing all of those sorts of tools to be used," Maurier says.

He says the agency is completing a comprehensive study on wolves and those results will help dictate the next management steps.

The wolf hunt season closed earlier this week with a total of 166 wolves harvested across the state; the quota had been set at 220.