By BILL BULEY/Staff writer
COEUR d’ALENE – As the season on gray wolves winds down in Idaho, the number of animals killed this year is down from last, including in the Panhandle.
According to Idaho Fish and Game, 259 wolves have been killed in the state through March 4 – 177 by hunting, 82 by trapping. In comparison, 379 wolves were killed in Idaho last year – 255 by hunting, 124 by trapping.
In the Panhandle this season, 17 wolves have been killed by hunters, and 31 by trappers. Last year, Panhandle hunters killed 33 wolves, and trappers killed 43.
Gray wolf hunting and trapping seasons in most zones in Idaho run through March 31.
Phil Cooper, IDFG regional conservation officer, offered a few possibilities for the lower harvest numbers, based on conversations with hunters and trappers, his own observations and “some assumptions.”
“When the first wolf hunt was held in 2008, there was a lot of excitement among hunters about the opportunity to both hunt wolves and to reduce wolf numbers to benefit big game populations,” he wrote. “Hunters quickly learned that wolves are extremely intelligent and wary; therefore they are very difficult to hunt. However, a number of individuals put in a lot of time and effort in an attempt to harvest a wolf.”
Wolf hunting was suspended in 2010 by court order.
In 2011, wolf hunting returned along with the first modern day wolf trapping season in the lower 48.
“Enthusiasm was reinvigorated and hunters and trappers again made concerted efforts to harvest wolves,” Cooper wrote. “Trapping success began very slowly until trappers learned how to trap them. Ultimately in the Panhandle, trapping harvest exceeded the hunting harvest.”
He said there could be a variety of reasons the 2012-2013 seasons have not produced the harvest of the 2011-2012 seasons statewide or in the Panhandle.
These could include:
• Individual hunters and trappers who wanted to harvest a wolf have succeeded at it, and have moved on to their previous pursuits. Individual hunters and trappers who attempted to harvest a wolf and were not successful may have decided the cost of the pursuit (time and money) does not justify continuing their efforts.
• Risk/ Investment versus reward considerations. Aside from the rare occurrence of a hunter with a wolf tag coincidentally happening upon a wolf and harvesting it while hunting other species; hunters and trappers have heard by word of mouth that the effort, expense and time required to be successful can be significant.
“This may be enough to discourage them from pursuing wolves,” Cooper said. “Hunting of other species often provides significant return on investment.”
An elk can yield more than 200 pounds of nutritious and delicious meat, Cooper said. A large deer can yield 70 or more pounds of meat.
“Wolves provide no edible meat,” he said.
As for trappers, bobcats are far easier to trap and a bobcat hide can bring $300-$900. Most wolf hides, with a few exceptions, typically bring $200 or less.
• Wolves in Idaho had not been hunted in their lifetimes until 2009. Perhaps the less wary wolves have been harvested. Those not harvested are better educated.
• Wolf numbers may have been slightly reduced by last year’s seasons; however, when the annual increment of births replacing deaths is considered, it is unlikely any reduction is significant enough to result in a reduced harvest.
Montana wolf harvest
Montana officials say the final tally from the state’s wolf hunting and trapping seasons is 225 predators.
Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said hunters killed 128 wolves and trappers another 97 in the season that closed Feb. 28.
That’s an increase from 2011 when 166 wolves were killed. Trapping was not allowed.
The three counties with the most wolves killed were Lincoln, Park and Missoula counties.
Another 104 wolves were killed by government wildlife agents and ranchers due to livestock attacks or other conflicts.
FWP officials say they will have a 2012 wolf population report by the end of March. In 2011, the population increased to at least 653 wolves.
They say 18,642 wolf-hunting licenses and 1,500 trapping licenses were purchased for this season.
New law
Last month, a wolf management bill in Montana that allows hunters to shoot more wolves at a reduced price was signed into law.
Gov. Steve Bullock said the law, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Flynn, will allow hunters to purchase up to three wolf licenses and lowers the price of a nonresident wolf license from $350 to $50.
The legislation was amended by law makers to allow hunting and trapping of wolves near national parks and allows wildlife officials to close such areas after established wolf harvest quotas are met.
The new law also allows for wolf hunters to use their license after 24-hours of purchase, instead of a five-day wait; authorizes the use of electronic calls; and removes the requirement for wolf hunters to wear hunter-orange clothing after the general deer and elk hunting seasons have ended.
In Idaho, each hunter can purchase 5 wolf hunting tags per year; those who have completed a wolf trapper education course and have a trapping license can purchase 5 more.
Trapping tags can be used on hunted wolves.
All wolves harvested must be checked in where they are weighed; and a DNA sample and a tooth, to determine age, are take. Bait is permitted for trapping. Electronic calls are permitted.
Idaho season not over
Hunting seasons in the Lolo and Selway zones remain open through June 30. And the Beaverhead and Island Park zones closed Jan. 31.
Fish and Game encourages wolf hunters to concentrate their efforts in backcountry zones where wolf harvest has been the lowest. Access to backcountry and wilderness units may be difficult, but wolves in those areas are less likely to have been disturbed by other hunters.
Examples areas with wolf hunting opportunities include: Unit 25, along the South Fork Salmon River or the East Fork of the Salmon River to Yellow Pine, or Unit 19A along the main stem of the Salmon River.
Wolves have proven to be a challenging big game animal to hunt, Fish and Game said.
Effective wolf hunting techniques include looking for fresh tracks and then closing the distance before calling to wolves, glassing ridges where wolves may travel or bed, and calling by howling or using other predator calls, according to Fish and Game.
Wolf hunters are discouraged from shooting wolves with radio collars.
“The collared wolves provide important information biologists need to document wolf population levels and continue to justify having wolf hunting seasons, and the collars are expensive to place on animals,” said a press release.