IDFG Kills Three Wolves in Panhandle Elk Zone; Trappers Took Four

In Unit 4 of the Panhandle elk zone, Idaho Fish and Game completed targeted wolf management actions that removed three wolves on Feb. 21 and 22, the agency said, marking the first time such actions have been implemented in Idaho’s Panhandle Region. IDFG described the removals as intended to reduce predation and improve elk survival in an underperforming elk population.

Operational detail and immediate results differ slightly by account. Capital Press reports that the three wolves were shot by Fish and Game staff in a helicopter and that trappers took four from the area as tracked by the department, public information supervisor Roger Phillips told Capital Press. IDFG’s release said, “This effort, when combined with recent success of local trappers, substantially reduced the size of a single wolf pack in a key part of the unit.”

IDFG emphasized that regulated hunting and trapping remain the primary management tools and that targeted control actions are used where those tools have not been sufficient. The agency said, “Fish and Game prioritizes regulated hunting and trapping as the primary tools for managing wolf populations; however, targeted control actions are used to address specific conflicts and in situations where hunting and trapping have not been sufficient to meet management goals.” Phillips told Capital Press, “This is a very targeted thing,” and added, “This is what we do in an attempt to balance predators and prey. This is one way we do it, and it’s not one size fits all. We look at each situation and figure out what can be done most efficiently, and in this case it was helicopter removal of some wolves.”

The Feb. 21-22 action was conducted under the guidance of Fish and Game’s 2024–2030 Idaho Elk Management Plan and in alignment with the Fish and Game Commission–approved 2023–2028 Idaho Gray Wolf Management Plan. IDFG said the objective is “not to eliminate wolves, but to maintain a smaller, self-sustaining wolf population in Unit 4 that reduces predation risk on elk populations.” Capital Press also reported that Fish and Game is offering expanded opportunities to harvest wolves, black bears and mountain lions in Unit 4 through extended seasons and additional tag availability to promote elk population growth, and that the agency has worked with the U.S. Forest Service for years to improve elk habitat in Unit 4 and will continue to do so.

Legal and population context informed the decision. Multiple accounts cite a 2024 federal court injunction that affected wolf trapping seasons and led to declines in trapper harvest statewide, including in Unit 4; Capital Press reported that the injunction closed trapping part of the year to help protect grizzly bears during their non-denning period. Capital Press also cited Fish and Game figures showing a May 2024 statewide wolf population estimate of 1,235, down 7.35% from a year earlier, and noted the wolf management plan’s aim to reduce the population toward an average near 500.

Conservation groups objected. Idaho Conservation League spokesman Abrams said, “ICL is disappointed that Fish and Game has opted for the same convenient removal action, instead of beginning to tackle this habitat concern head-on, especially given that (the wolf management action) wasn’t due to any livestock conflicts.” Abrams added, “For the department to continue taking control actions in areas where habitat is a primary driver of elk population is not what most Idahoans want.”

IDFG and Phillips signaled follow-through into spring. Phillips told Capital Press, “We believe we reduced some pressure from that wolf pack on the elk herd up there, and we are going to go into denning this spring and that pack probably is not going to produce pups.” Fish and Game said it will continue using a mix of regulated harvest, targeted actions where necessary, and habitat work with the U.S. Forest Service to support elk recovery in Unit 4.