Published: March 29, 2008 12:19 am            

Idaho finalizing plans to allow public hunting of gray wolves

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho is finalizing plans to allow the public hunting of gray wolves this fall, now that federal protections have been lifted, and state wildlife officials know "the world is watching" how they perform.

Federal Endangered Species Act protection of the animals was lifted Friday in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, giving those states management of the estimated 1,500 gray wolves in the region. Hunts are being scheduled by state wildlife agencies to reduce the wolf population to between 900 and 1,250.

"We manage big game for a living, we're good at it," said Steve Nadeau, who oversees large carnivores for the Idaho Fish and Game Department. "The world is watching and we know it."

Indeed, environmentalists plan to sue the federal government next month to restore wolf protections.

Should the number of breeding pairs in Idaho fall below a target number, the animals could be brought back under federal protection.

Fish and Game estimates Idaho now has 800 gray wolves.

Idaho hunters will be allowed to kill between 100-300 of the animals this fall under a plan approved by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission this month. The hunts are partly in response to increasing numbers of livestock being killed as the predators' population has grown.

The commission will consider proposed hunting rules in May.

After a series of public shouting matches between wolf advocates and opponents, comments from Idaho Fish and Game officials on Friday seemed largely designed to reassure both ends of the debate. Cal Groen, director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, told reporters that his agency has already proven its ability to recover and maintain Idaho wolf populations.

"We've exceeded all the goals the federal government set," Groen said.

Doug Honnold disagrees.

Wolf populations won't be fully recovered in Idaho and the northern Rockies until the animals number between 2,000 and 3,000, said Honnold, a managing attorney for the nonprofit environmental law firm Earthjustice who represents 12 local and national environmental groups that plan to sue the federal government on April 28 to continue wolf protections.

All three state plans to manage the wolves call for a reduction in their numbers, which will eventually lead to weaker breeding, Honnold said in a telephone interview from Bozeman, Mont.

"We think that would be a disaster," he said. "We've spent a lot of time, money and effort to promote wolf recovery."

Gray wolves were listed as endangered in 1973 after being hunted into near extinction, but the population has rebounded dramatically after restoration efforts began in 1995.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission will take public comment before deciding on the state's proposed hunting rules, which are designed to help keep the wolf population in Idaho between 500 and 700, Nadeau said.

Under the proposed plan, wolves would be hunted October through December, with hunting dates based on the area and the type of weapon used.

Nadeau said wolf hunting tags will cost $11.50, with one tag per hunter. More tags will be sold than the number of wolves allowed to be killed, a system the department uses for other big game species. The hunting season will be stopped after a certain number of wolves are killed, and hunters must report kills within 24 hours to make sure quotas aren't exceeded.

Wildlife biologists estimate there are now 41 breeding pairs in Idaho, in 72 packs. If that number falls below 10 breeding pairs, or 15 during a three-year period, the wolves could be brought back under federal protection.

On Friday, Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter signed a bill to allow ranchers, outfitters and pet owners to kill wolves harassing livestock. The law gives owners up to 72 hours to report wolves they've killed after catching them annoying, disturbing or stalking animals or livestock

        

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