In a unanimous decision announced Aug. 25, officials with Idaho’s Fish and Game Commission (IDFG) elected not to pursue a proposal that, if taken to its conclusion, would have allowed hunters in that state to use bait stations as a tool when hunting wolves.
The idea of allowing hunters to use bait to lure wolves within shooting range has been floated in Idaho several times since wolves in that state were removed from federal Endangered Species Act protection. The most recent proposal comes as part of a larger effort to update the state’s wolf management plan, which has been in place since 2002. IDFG officials opened the proposal to public comment in early July, rapidly drawing fire from numerous wildlife and wolf advocacy groups.
“Since wolves lost Endangered Species Act protection, Idaho has grown increasingly aggressive in how and where it permits their hunting and trapping,” read a statement from the Center for Biological Diversity.
“In the absence of federal oversight, Idaho is doing everything it can to decimate Idaho’s wolf population.”
Sportsman’s groups that favored the proposal saw it as a way to manage wolf populations by increasing the success rate of hunters, with an eye towards defending a declining elk population. Hunters removed just 139 wolves in 2016, despite the state issuing some 35,000 tags. Trappers accounted for another 131 wolves during the same time period. Still other commenters voiced concerns that baiting could lead to behavior changes, resulting in greater conflict between humans and wolves.
According to IDFG spokesman Mike Keckler, roughly 24,000 comments were received during the comment period. While comments were received both in favor and against the proposal, says Keckler, what struck the commission was the polarity between the two sides.
“There were comments from both sides; there always is when it comes to anything to do with wolf management,” he says.
“The comments were so far apart in terms of the feelings that people had for this proposal, (the commission) just felt that coming up with a negotiated rule was not something they could feasibly accomplish. There are such divergent views on wolves and wolf hunting.”
Currently, no other state allows the baiting of wolves. Idaho does, however, allow hunters to use bait stations when hunting black bears, something that Keckler says is not expected to change. In addition, he says, bear hunters who have a wolf come in on their bait are allowed to shoot it.
“As long as you have a wolf tag, and the proper permit, you can take a wolf during bear season when bait is used,” he says.
Wolf management
Cattlemen’s organizations within the state voiced neither support nor opposition for the baiting proposal. However, Richard Savage, wildlife chairman of the Idaho Cattle Association (ICA), does indicate that the current wolf management plan is working for the state’s producers.
“From a cattle perspective, we’ve been pretty happy with the way this has been working for us,” he says.
Beginning in 2014, Idaho established a wolf depredations control board. Comprised of representatives from agriculture, sportsmen, and government, the board is tasked with directing and managing funds used for wolf control. Under the program, all three groups contribute an equal share of funds annually, most of which is used to contract the services of USDA’s Wildlife Services (WS) to remove problem wolves. In the case of the state’s cattle ranchers, funds are collected via an assessment on brand renewals throughout the state.
According to Keckler, steps are taken to ensure that, when the public portion of the money is used, it is to benefit big game animals, while the ag contribution goes to mitigate livestock depredations. In total, the program operates on an annual budget of roughly half a million dollars.
The program is paying dividends, says Savage, as livestock depredation cases have fallen significantly over the last few years. Besides providing the funding, Savage credits much of this success to having all three groups—agriculture, hunters and government—on the same team.
“We get WS the money, so that when there is a problem, they can investigate and do their job,” he says. “If they find it is a wolf depredation, the head of IDFG is also on the committee, and he’s the one that can give permission to take lethal action. If it’s warranted, he’s able to do that.”
“When there’s a problem, we’ve been able to get right after it,” he adds. “It puts a little pressure on the wolves, and the wolves are a smart animal. For the most part, our depredations have been down the last three years and a lot of that is due to the pressure that we’re able to put on them. Not everyone’s been pleased, but I think that it’s something everyone sees as necessary.” — JASON CAMPBELL
