Commission Adopts Wolf, Mule Deer Plans

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission Thursday morning, March 6, adopted an Idaho wolf population management plan. The plan lays the foundation for Idaho's first hunting seasons on wolves. During a special meeting Wednesday and Thursday, March 5 and 6, the commissioners adopted the wolf plan, a long-range mule deer management plan and set big game seasons for the coming hunting season. They also heard a mostly optimistic forecast for spring and summer Chinook salmon seasons. Idaho Fish and Game intends to manage wolves at a population level between about 500 and 700. The plan sets out how it will do that - once wolves are removed from the endangered species list. Wolves were declared endangered in 1974 and have since been under the protection of the federal Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced wolves to central Idaho in 1995 and 1996. The original 35 wolves have grown to number more than 700 by the end of 2007. On February 27, the Fish and Wildlife Service 1 its final rule removing wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains, including Idaho, from the endangered species list. The rule takes effect March 28 - unless it is blocked by a court injunction. Barring an injunction, Idaho would take over management of wolves on March 28. Fish and Game is preparing wolf hunting seasons and limits that would be a key part of its population management plan. Hunting may include general seasons, controlled hunts, harvest quotas and tag quotas. In areas of high conflict between wolves and livestock or big game herds, hunting limits would be eased, such as longer seasons, more tags or increased quotas. Seasons would close when quotas were reached. The plan would not allow poison or aerial hunting. Wolf numbers would be monitored like any other big game species. Typically 700 wolves would produce 30 to 40 percent surplus annually. About 20 percent die, leaving about 15 percent huntable surplus, large carnivore program manager Steve Nadeau told commissioners. For 700 wolves, that pencils out to about 105 wolves that can be taken by hunters annually without changing the overall population numbers. The commissioners expect to consider and set seasons and rules for Idaho's first wolf hunting season in May. The plan is available from Fish and Game offices or in the right hand column at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/wildlife/wolves/.