LEWISTON, Idaho — Federal wildlife agents report they have shot and killed 14 wolves from helicopters in northern Idaho as part of an effort to help restore the elk population in the Lolo zone, an area long considered home to the best elk herds and habitat in the state.
The three-day operation was carried out earlier this month at a cost of $22,500 by agents with the USDA Wildlife Services and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Wildlife managers believe that a sustained reduction in wolf numbers will allow the Lolo elk herd, which has been severely depressed since the mid-1990s, to rebound. State wildlife officials have long had a goal of reducing wolf numbers in the area along the upper Lochsa and North Fork of the Clearwater rivers, once renowned for its elk hunting.
“We’d like to see one of Idaho’s premier elk populations recover as much as possible,” said Jim Unsworth, deputy director of Fish and Game.
The wolf population in the area has also been diminished by hunters and trappers in recent months. Through Wednesday, the state reported sportsmen had taken 22 wolves from the Lolo, while another six wolves were shot from helicopters last spring, bringing the total of known wolf kills to 42.
Before the start of the hunting season, the Lolo zone wolf population was estimated at 75-100, with additional animals crossing back and forth between Idaho and Montana.
Biologists said the biggest problem for Lolo elk herds was a long-term change in the habitat. But state officials also blame growing numbers of bears and mountain lions. Hunting seasons on those predators were liberalized and managers expected elk numbers to slowly climb. But as the herds continued to shrink, blame was placed on the increasing number of wolves moving into the area.
Recent studies by Fish and Game researchers now show wolves are the primary cause of death in female elk in the Lolo and of calves more than 6 months old. Researchers have said the habitat is capable of supporting far more than the 2,000 elk estimated to be in the area.
Statewide, Fish and Game officials report that hunters and trappers had killed 318 wolves since the public hunting season opened last fall. Most hunting and trapping seasons end March 31, but wolf hunting will be allowed in the Lolo and Selway zones through June.
The department has a goal of reducing the number of wolves in the state, but has not set a target population or limit.
$22,500 dollars , lol Im going to open a business and start selling goods to the feds. All they had to do is give 2 guys permission to shoot them and the would of done it for free !
Heck they could have charged them and they still would have done it.
Put a bounty on Maine coyotes and we’d have a grand ol’ time!
Or allow helicopter hunting of coyotes. Seems to work good for wolf problems.
A good reason to keep wolves out of Maine. The moose population already has enough problems and hunters are not the problem.
Another disgusting display of human arrogance. Have you asked yourself why it is necessary to cull wolves from an area that already had wolves before humans wiped them out? Waiting….
They want to protect the elk herd (which did just fine btw until humans entered the equation). More elk=more hunters. More hunters= more dollars. As usual, in any event orchestrated by man, follow the money.
Oh, you might also want to know that Canada wants to kill off the all of the wolves in the “tar sands” area. They did give a reason for that brilliant stroke of insanity, but it was so convoluted that I can’t begin to recite now. It has something to do with deer, and displacement by habitat destruction and couple of other things that made no sense; other than someone is in line to make a lot of money by selling helicopter rides.
Ther is a special corner of hell for those people, I am sure.
While I have no particular objections to real hunting, what is going on in the hunting industry is very objectionable.
A moose , elk or deer will have a calf , fawn or maybe two. A wolf or coyote will have much larger litters 5, 6 ,7 ,8. The wolf or coyote has no predators to speak of in the wild. Do the math, do you see the problem ?
Kathy, the wolf problem in Idaho is a serious problem and is expanding into other states in the region. To make the problem worse, the government had introduced the Yukon wolf to the region. These things are monsters in size and one wolf if capable of bringing down an elk. Canada has very strict gun laws but they don’t recommend you hike or do overnight camping in the western regions without a rifle. Wolves are a very dangerous part of the wilderness out there.
No one is saying that we need to wipe them all out but the population needs be kept in check otherwise they will overrun the region and moving into regions where they haven’t been seen for hundreds of years. This is already happening. We’ve seen it here in Maine with the coyote.
As far as what you mean by real hunting…? The USDA Wild Life services realizes the problem and attempting to curve the problem that they themselves had created.