Wolf Management

An article in the Idahobusinessreview.com reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services at the request of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game used a helicopter in the Clearwater National Forest to hunt and remove wolves in what is known as the Lolo zone. Idaho Department of Fish and Game says the reason behind this management of the wolf population is a severely diminishing elk population from 16,000 the neighborhood of 2000 and that wolves are playing a large role in that depredation. Of course any time wolves are taken out there is a huge hullabaloo on the part of the public. Here is Northwest rancher Jack Field: "When the Department goes through - even after they check all the boxes and can document that all the steps have been taken to prevent or mitigate impact - whenever lethal force has to happen it always becomes a very divisive and explosive discussion politically and socially. The Department really needs to focus and spend their time and energy educating the general public about what wolf management is and what it takes to manage and recover an apex predator - meaning the Department needs to make sure the public clearly understands that when you're recovering wolves you have to be able to successfully remove problem wolves. " Almost every elk hunter I know in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washington says he or she has noticed a major decline in elk numbers.