Idaho Authorizes Wolves Killed

In response to several livestock depredation incidents in June in Idaho, four wolves have been killed, and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has authorized three more to be removed. Under federal rules that changed in 2005 and an agreement between Idaho and the federal government signed in January, Idaho took over day-to-day management of reintroduced wolves in Idaho protected under the Endangered Species Act. That includes authorizing the lethal control of wolves to protect domestic livestock. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services carried out the control actions at the request of Idaho Fish and Game. On June 12, a large male wolf was captured by Wildlife Services and euthanized in response to confirmed predation of a ewe on June 9 near Pine. Idaho Fish and Game and Wildlife Services are monitoring the situation. On June 14, a female wolf was captured and killed. The day before, a property owner near Round Valley notified Wildlife Services that wolves apparently had killed a 350-400 pound calf. Most of the carcass was consumed. Wolf scat was present, and strong telemetry signals from an alpha male and female and another male were received. Wildlife Services reported seeing a gray-colored wolf standing about 200 yards from the depredation site. Fish and Game authorized Wildlife Services to remove up to two wolves, but only one collared wolf was to be removed at this time. The department asked Wildlife Services to not remove the alpha female from the Packer John pack, if possible, and to replace her collar if she were captured, but to remove two other wolves. On June 21, Wildlife Services trapped and euthanized another 2 year old gray female wolf, concluding the control action. The wolf carcass will be transported to the Idaho Fish and Game Wildlife Health Laboratory. On June 22, Wildlife Services captured and killed a grey alpha male; the suspected culprit in a June 10 wolf kill of a sheep confirmed by Wildlife Services. On June 13, a herder reported that a lamb had been killed by wolves the night before. Traps were set to capture wolves from the Big Water pack on Boise National Forest near Featherville. The dead wolf's hide and skull will be turned over to Idaho Fish and Game for educational purposes. On June 14, a dead calf was reported near Warm Lake. Wildlife Services confirmed it as a wolf kill in the Gold Fork pack's territory. The pack has four to six wolves but apparently no pups this year. The alpha female is radio-collared. Fish and Game authorized Wildlife Services to remove two wolves from that pack, but asked that if caught, the alpha female be released and her collar replaced. Wildlife Services still is trying to remove a wolf at a Mackay depredation site where a lamb and a ewe-injured but since died-were attacked by a lone wolf. The control action started June 1, and department personnel are helping Wildlife Services by checking neck snares daily and by providing reports on the status of the equipment. Also on June 14, Wildlife Services received a report from a Cascade cattle producer of suspected wolf predation on a 600-pound calf and conducted an investigation and necropsy. Wolf predation was confirmed. Fish and Game authorized removing at least one wolf at the present time.