August 13, 2010 in Outdoors, Idaho

Idaho F&G unveils Clearwater wolf-kill plan

• Print
• Email
• Share

BOISE - The Idaho Fish and Game Department released a plan late this afternoon to kill 70 to 80 of the 100 or so wolves in the Lolo elk management zone, and keep that zone’s wolf population at just 20 to 30 for the next five years to reduce pressure on elk herds.

With wolf hunts off the table since a federal judge reinstated endangered species protection, the Fish and Game plan calls for officials to do the wolf removal, rather than hunters.

“Idaho Fish and Game would prefer to let hunters help manage the wolf population. But until the wolves are delisted and turned over to state management, Idaho has decided to pursue the best option available under the Endangered Species Act,” the department said in a news release.

The Lolo zone, one of 29 in the state, is the only one targeted, because of “unacceptable impacts on the elk population by a wolf population that has recovered biologically.” Fish and Game is opening a two-week public comment period on the plan; at the close of the period, it’ll be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for final approval.

Fish and Game spokesman Ed Mitchell said the Fish and Game Commission will discuss details of the plan on Monday at its meeting in Idaho Falls. That’s the day the commission had planned to set wolf hunting seasons and limits for the next year, but the federal judge’s ruling changed that.

Fish and Game estimated that the wolf-kill plan for the Clearwater drainage would remove about 7 percent of the estimated minimum of 835 wolves that were in the state at the end of 2009.

Deputy Director Jim Unsworth said the move would not affect overall wolf recovery efforts for the state, but it could improve elk numbers, and described the department’s plan as a “science-based proposal.”

Suzanne Asha Stone, Northern Rockies representative for Defenders of Wildlife, said, “We certainly agree wolves should be managed, but they shouldn’t substitute a political agenda for the science behind it.” She said her group believes other factors have impacted Lolo elk herds besides wolves.

Four comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  maddiewalker on August 13 at 6:40 p.m.

  disgusting—we have plenty of elk—just relocate the wolves—I’ll bet Canada will take them.

• 

  PhiltheBibliophil on August 13 at 7:11 p.m.

  100 Wolves? We got rid of the wolves once before for a very specific reason, they are natural born killers! Everybody cries over the cute little wolves, but wait until they eat one of your $1000 Dogs or your child! Then we’ll see how you feel about them.

• 

  misjustice on August 13 at 7:19 p.m.

  Hunters (and others) that claim wolves destroy the elk population are ignoring the fact that elk (and other naturally occurring mammals living in the wolves’ habitat) are a NATURAL food source for the wolves.

  Wolves are targeted for elimination when they kill domesticated livestock; and also when they hunt their “natural” foods stock. What’s a poor wolf to do?

  Hunters argue that wolves destroy elk populations, and while I’ll agree that wolves do hunt, kill, and consume elk, I would also argue that wolves do natures’ work; they tend to kill the weakest, sickest, smallest, oldest and youngest members of the elk (and other mammals) population. Wolves play an important role in helping to maintain the ecosystem; if the herds were not culled, by natural predators, then the population would implode and, eventuallly, collapse due to over grazing and other over population complications.

  Wolves are not in direct competition with recreational hunters; or even subsistence hunters. If hunters are not merely engaging in the sport for a ‘rack’ they do not want an old male, the meat is too tough. Wolves will take care of the old elk, as nature intended and they are not into the kill merely for a trophy to hang in the den… they MUST hunt to survive or face death. There isn’t a super market for wolves…there is for humans, we have choice. Those that chose to hunt as a subsistence thing must learn to coexist with the other creatures that also hunt for an existence thing…

• 

  horsecyn on August 16 at 1:27 p.m.

  I implore you to do research on the devastation wolves are causing all across the North Western United States.
  They invade private property of those of us who live far off the National Forest Boundaries and kill our livestock, pets and livelihoods. At the rate they’ve reproduced in the last 15 years they’ve exceeded the original intent of reintroduction by tenfold throughout the NW. They are decimating the elk population in the mountains and driving elk by the hundreds to the lowlands in Idaho, exposing them to extreme hunting pressures. I do not hunt but I do have livestock that are part of my livelihood and many of us never graze our animals on public lands. Defenders of Wildlife act as if only livestock on public lands are being killed, they claim they pay actual value for livestock killed, neither of these claims are true. Please don’t be duped by this organization who doesn’t care about innocent working peoples livelihoods and promote false media claims in the desire to propagate a wolf existence coast to coast.
  There has got to be a way to control their numbers as they’ve proven to multiply out of control with no predators. Look up the Wikipedia facts of how many humans have been killed in the history of mankind to see that they do and will pose a threat of us and our children if left unchecked.