With Idaho’s first sanctioned wolf hunt set to close this week, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is touting its success in overseeing the hunt that made national headlines.
In a news release Fish and Game Director Cal Groen says the agency has demonstrated it is capable of monitoring and managing a well-regulated wolf hunt, adding that the season has succeeded in halting the growth of Idaho’s wolf population. According to the department, hunters complied with the rules and reporting requirements of the hunt, and that there wasn’t a wholesale slaughter of wolves as many wolf advocates had feared.
So far, hunters have killed 185 wolves. The hunt ends on Wednesday, March 31 and has a statewide limit of 220 wolves.
The Majority of wolves were shot in October and the fewest in January. At the end of 2009, Idaho had at least 843 wolves, according to IDFG. In addition to the wolf hunt, 138 wolves were killed due to livestock depredation and other causes. (Idahoreporter.com)
