Wolf hunting closed in eastern Idaho zone

BOISE — Hunters reached the five-wolf limit in eastern Idaho’s Upper Snake Wolf Zone, prompting state wildlife managers to close the season there. Two other zones were also approaching their limits Monday. In the McCall-Weiser Zone, with a limit of 15 wolves, 14 wolves have been taken. And in the Palouse-Hells Canyon Zone, with a limit of five, two have been taken, leaving three. Across Idaho, wildlife managers are allowing hunters to shoot a total of 220 wolves, but in 12 different hunting zones. So far, 86 wolves have been killed statewide. Hunters haven’t been so successful in some regions where managers had hoped to see them reduce wolf numbers. For instance, in the Lolo Zone, where wolves and poor habitat have been blamed for reducing elk numbers, the wolf limit is 27 animals, but hunters there have only killed five of the predators.