Idaho’s wolf population stood at an estimated 1,235 wolves as of May 2024, reflecting a decline of nearly 100 from the previous year, the Idaho Capital Sun reported.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game recently changed both its methodology and reporting timeline, shifting from Aug. 1 to late May. The new system, known as the Approximate Bayesian Computation method, replaces the prior use of trail cameras with genetic and age data collected from teeth of harvested wolves. This approach allows officials to estimate both overall population and litter numbers more precisely. Because wolves typically give birth in spring, the May estimate represents the population’s seasonal peak.
According to the Idaho Capital Sun, updated modeling also retroactively revised past population figures, including a revised estimate of 1,150 wolves as of Aug. 1, 2023.
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