Gray wolf hunting and killings in response to livestock attacks have pushed the number of dead wolves to more than 500 this year in the Northern Rockies – just months after their removal from the endangered species list.
Officials said it’s too early to know if the overall population will suffer, and it will be months before they can gauge whether wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana are curbing the predators’ attacks on livestock.
The regional wolf count was at least 1,650 at the beginning of the year. Since September, hunters in Idaho and Montana have claimed just over 200 of the animals, with Idaho’s hunting season slated to continue through March.
Almost 300 more have been killed by government wildlife agents, ranchers defending their livestock, poachers and natural causes. That figure includes deaths in Wyoming, where hunting remains banned. (AP)
