Idaho officials: Wolf depredation drops, management working

Idaho officials say livestock depredations by wolves appear to have reached a low point, showing that the program is on the right path.

The Capital Press reports that Idaho Wildlife Services Director Todd Grimm says his office killed 70 wolves in Fiscal Year 2016, which ended Oct. 1. Fifty of the wolves were tied to livestock depredations. The recent numbers were about the same as during FY 2015 and slightly down from 2013.

Grimm says he believes depredation cases have gotten about as low as they will be.

Idaho Governor’s Office of Species Conservation Administrator Dustin Miller says the state, which recently took over wolf management, has greater flexibility to manage the predators than the federal government did. He says he expects the depredations trend to stay low.

___

Information from: The Capital Press (Ore.), http://www.capitalpress.com/