Dispatch from the South Fork Payette River

Spring in the Rocky Mountains. Snow packed peaks wedged into jet blue skies, and the sun actually felt warm. The snow pack is retreating very fast, and the valleys are snow free for the most part. There were lots of elk on the south Fork of the Payette River of Idaho, last week. They seemed to be in herds of 6-12 animals, and they looked good; a bit shaggy with their winter coats but otherwise they faired well this winter. The elk seemed to be everywhere I looked and you didn't need to look to hard. In the middle of the day there were herds along the river, in the lower and upper meadows, on the steep slopes. In the woods.

The elk herds in this region seem very healthy and plentiful. The wolves have done them good, by culling out the weak animals, keeping the herds of elk healthy. The elk are plentiful because of good management practices by the Idaho Fish and Game Department, and because the range is in very good shape. There are no domestic cattle to compete with the elk. They have a good winter range on the south slopes of the South Fork. There are few roads or trails in this region which promotes higher elk populations, because the elk like their isolation especially during calving.

I noticed several small stands of aspen in one canyon, each having 10-20 mature trees. These mature trees were probably 30 foot tall and they were surrounded by new aspen trees or shoots. There were hundreds of them, and they were all about 4 to 6 feet high. Most likely the wolves have kept the elk on the move which has kept them from overgrazing the aspen shoots which they so dearly love. The aspen appear to be thriving which is good for other wildlife, and it provides feed for the elk during the winter when the snow is deep.

I see no evidence of any sort that wolves are decimating elk herds. In fact it's quite the opposite. A robust population of wolves will allow other critters to thrive and protect the range from being overgrazed by elk. Diseased and injured elk are quickly removed from the herd by wolves which makes the rest of the herd stronger.

This could easily have been some location in Yellowstone Park. And how lucky to have this virtually in my back yard.

Idaho Fish and Game Commission Sets Wolf Hunt

Photo Credit: Alan Wilson; Naturespicsonline.com

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission (IDFG) recently announced the quota's for the fall wolf hunt in Idaho, and there will be a statewide harvest of 220 animals, out of a total estimated population of 740 wolves. Separate quotas have been established by hunting zone and once the quota is met then hunting will be suspended in that unit. Tags will go on sale on Monday and the hunt will commence on Tuesday. If the harvest levels are met it reduce the Idaho wolf population by about 25%. This announcement has already been challenged by the Defenders of Wildlife, which will seek and injunction. In comparison the State of Montana annouced a wolf harvest limit that would take at the most, 15% of the total wolf population.

IDFG and other State of Idaho officials have been inconsistent in previous announcements concerning the wolf harvest, with some officials supporting a kill of over 400 animals.

Establishing a hunt for wolves is a good idea, if the take of wolves is regulated to keep harvest levels in line with what the total wolf population can support. Killing 25% of the wolves in Idaho is not sustainable and will result in a decrease of wolf populations across the State of Idaho.

Hunters have a great deal of stake in this issue and having their support to keep a viable wolf population is critical. The numbers of elk and deer populations have been fairly stable for the last 10 years, in the face of increasing wolf packs. This is because the wolves kill animals that would normally die anyway of starvation, disease or winter kill. Where wolf packs exist in Idaho the herds of elk and deer are much stronger because the weaker animals have been culled, and the big game animals are better able to survive predator attacks, disease and long winters.

There is great irony in the number set for harvest of 220 wolves in Idaho. In comparison the entire wolf population of Yellowstone Park was estimated at 128 animals, in 2008. Do the citizens of Idaho support the kill of 220 wolves, which is nearly twice the total population of the wolves in Yellowstone Park? I think not.

A wolf kill of 220 for Idaho is not sustainable nor reasonable, and the IDFG would be be wise to follow the lead of the State of Montana. It is not likely that hunters will harvest the maximum number of wolves allowed, but setting those numbers so high, is not wise. The howls will follow.