Did You Know?

Of the many unconventional ways the State of Idaho has found to kill wolves, the most egregious was conceived in 2014 with the formation of the Wolf Depredation Control Board. The singular purpose of this board is to kill wolves. It was designed to be “a 3-way partnership between livestock owners, sportsmen, and the legislature” to pay Wildlife Services, a federal agency, to kill wolves that attack livestock and elk. Gray wolves live in at least twelve states, but…

Idaho Fish and Game Wants Fewer Wolves One thousand wolves are neither a lot nor too many wolves for Idaho’s vast wild lands. Comparing populations of several large predator species for context, Idaho is home to 20,000 bears, 3,000 mountain lions, and 50,000 coyotes. Ever since wolves were reintroduced to Idaho in 1995, there has been an often-cited fear that...

Keeping Livestock Safe There are many ways to keep wildlife and livestock safe when both are living side-by-side in wild places. An assortment of tools and techniques, known as “non-lethal deterrents,” are proven effective in keeping native predators (wolves, bears and mountain lions) away from cattle and sheep being raised for human consumption. When these tools are not used, sometimes...

Gray wolves aren't always gray. While their name suggests the uniformity of a single drab color, gray wolves are actually very diverse in appearance, boasting an extensive color palette. Not only do gray wolves cover the spectrum from black to white, including many shades of gray and grizzled, they can also be hues of brown, red, tan, cream, buff, taupe,...

Keystone species are animals that have a significant impact on the ecosystem despite relatively low population numbers. In the absence of keystone species, a dynamic ecosystem is often drastically altered and destabilized. Keystone animals are usually top predators fulfilling an essential role in predator-prey relationships. If the keystone species were to disappear…

Wolves rarely pose a threat to people. Fear of wolves is disproportionate to the actual threat they present. Like many wild animals, wolves pose some danger to people, but in rare circumstances. It is important to note how uncommon wolf attacks on people are, before discussing the specific circumstances. Attacks are rare, and lethal attacks are exceedingly rare, especially in...

Wolves only have one litter of pups annually. There is an abundance of misinformation circulating about wolves. One topic often misrepresented has to do with their reproduction, leaving people with the false impression that wolves are prolific breeders. They are not. A mother wolf can only have one litter per year, and pups are always born in the spring. New...

Did You Know? Idaho’s Wolf Hunting Rules Have Changed As the situation for Idaho's wolves continues to worsen, we at Living with Wolves will keep you informed. Thus far, 2020 has been a very bleak year for wolves in Idaho. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game continues to ratchet up public recreational hunting and trapping pressure on wolves in...