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Idaho wolf population remains well above
federal recovery levels; livestock depredations
down |
January 27, 2015 |
During their scheduled meeting in Boise on
January 21, the Fish and Game Commission was
updated on the status of Idaho’s wolf
population. Staff Biologist Jim Hayden’s report
offered three key messages: Idaho’s wolf
population is well above all standards for a
recovered population; wolf monitoring was
intensified and expanded in 2014; needs and
expectations for predation management vary
widely across the state.
To better monitor wolf populations, Fish and
Game hired additional trappers and technicians
in the summer of 2014, intensified winter
collaring efforts for 2015, and hired an expert
wolf tracking pilot from Alaska to help locate
uncollared packs. GPS collars are now being used
in place of radio collars. This will provide
more detailed real-time data. Personnel deployed
40 remote cameras to locate and document pack
size, and field personnel collected more than
1200 DNA samples to compare with that from
harvested wolves.
Monitoring efforts in 2013 documented 659 wolves
in 107 packs, and no dramatic changes are
expected for the 2014 report. These numbers and
supporting data suggest the wolf population has
decreased and the number of wolves in documented
packs has decreased. Wolf-related depredations
have also decreased resulting in the lowest
number recorded since 2008. Data on breeding
pairs continue to be collected but so far, 22
breeding pairs have been documented in the 30
packs that have been examined. (More
comprehensive data will be included in the
annual report due March 31).
Predation management needs and expectations vary
across Idaho, with highly variable base
productivity of ungulates across game management
units. Different GMUs provide various
combinations of food sources for predators. In
addition to elk, predators seek out white-tailed
deer, moose, sheep, beaver, and in the case of
bears; forbs and berries. Combinations of
predator species also vary across the state
among wolves, bears and lions, affecting deer
and elk in different ways. Predation limitations
were identified as high in four zones, moderate
in seven zones and low in 18 zones.
To learn more about wolf management in Idaho, go
to
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/wildlife/predationMgmtBrochure.pdf |
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