- April 30 - May 16 - Public review and comment period.
- May 16 - Summaries of regional public comments, and final regional recommendations are due to Fish and Game headquarters.
- May 21-22 - Idaho Fish and Game Commission scheduled to consider wolf hunting rules and seasons during meeting at Jerome Fish and Game office.
Fish and Game Seeks Comments on Wolf Hunting Rules
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The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has scheduled a series of public open house meetings around the state to seek comments on the proposed 2008 wolf hunting season framework.
The meetings will be announced by regional offices. The proposed seasons and rules are available at all Fish and Game offices and on the Fish and Game Website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/public/.
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved the Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan, and the gray wolf in the Northern Rocky Mountains was removed from the endangered species list - both in March.
The plan calls for managing wolves at a population level of between 500-700 wolves for the first five years following delisting. The plan includes hunting as part of the methods of maintaining the population levels.
Fish and Game recommendations call for a total mortality quota of 328 wolves in 2008, which includes all reported wolf kills - from natural causes, accidents, wolf predation control actions and hunter kills. Reaching the quota would result in an estimated end-of-year population of 550-600 wolves.
When the statewide quota is reached, all hunting would stop. When quotas in individual zones are reached, hunting in those zones would stop.
Details for the fall 2008 hunting season are scheduled to be set by the commission at the May 21-22 meeting and season and rules brochures should be out to the public in July.
Fish and Game has set this schedule for wolf rule setting: