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Wolves of the World

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Idaho at a glance

Gray wolves once existed throughout Idaho; however, persecution and, eventually, poisoning began shortly after European settlement. Wolves were reintroduced to central Idaho in 1995 and 1996 in an effort to facilitate recovery of the gray wolf in the Northern Rockies states. Wolves continue to be controversial, and public attitudes vary. Main prey for wolves there are elk, moose, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and beaver. Wolf range is approximately 20 percent of the map shown, with most wolves occupying the central part of the state. Range lines are not depicted.

Idaho's wolf management plan includes an annual harvest season. Additional information

Species Information

Species
Common Name: gray wolf, northwestern wolf, Rocky Mountain wolf
Latin Name: Canis lupus

Location: Idaho

Wolf running in Idaho (IDFG)

Current Wolf Population, Trend, Status
Number of wolves: minimum of 705 (2010)
Population trend: Stable
Legal status: State managed as of May 5, 2011

Human Relationships

History - Gray Wolf Timeline

Recovery & Management

Wolf Conservation and Management in Idaho (including harvest regulations)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's News, Information and Recovery Status Reports for the Northern Rockies
Mech, L. David, Meier, Thomas J., and Burch, John W. 1991. Denali Park Wolf Studies: Implications for Yellowstone. Transcript of the 56th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. 1:86-90.

Depredation

Ecology

Gray Wolf Biology

Habitat

Prey & Predation

Barber, S. M., Mech, L. D., and White, P. J. 2005. Yellowstone elk calf mortality following wolf restorations: Bears remain top summer predators. Yellowstone Science 133:37-44.
Cook, R. C., Cook, J. G., & Mech, L. 2004. Nutritional Condition of Northern Yellowstone Elk. Journal of Mammalogy, 85(4), 714-722.

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