Wolves in ID

[jsr34c]

First post here, really enjoy this forum and all the valuable content.

I'm headed to ID for the first time, September bow hunt. I've hunted in SW CO the last 6 years and wanted a change of scenery, no other reason, just want to see this beautiful area of the country. My question is how bad is the wolf situation in Idaho? I've heard varying opinions and first hand experiences but i'll admit I guess i don't quite grasp it. I'll be hunting the south central part of the state. Thanks for any feedback.

 

[idahohikker]

What is your question exactly? There are tons of wolves in Idaho, probably over 1000. They probably won’t eat you but very well might affect your hunt.

Some drainages their sign is all over and the elk are absent. Some elk zones, particularly backcountry, have very low calf recruitment and lowish elk numbers due to heavy wolf predation while other zones it isn’t as impactful.

 

[jsr34c]

We'll be deep in the back country wilderness area. I've heard people say that if we see or hear wolves we might as well pack it up and find another area to hunt. Is that somewhat true?

 

[idahohikker]

We'll be deep in the back country wilderness area. I've heard people say that if we see or hear wolves we might as well pack it up and find another area to hunt. Is that somewhat true?

The general rule is is line with what you said. Going deep in wilderness you don’t have anywhere else to go, wolves hit every drainage regularly.

Going deep in Idaho gets you worse hunting due to uncontrolled wolf activity. Everywhere but the Frank and Selway guys can hunt wolves all winter. All of the frontcountry zones are producing more elk and better trophy quality than the wilderness areas which can have calf recruitment of 10/100 elk in many cases which is horrible. Success rates for DIY hunters is real low—5-10%. Mostly just the outfitters do well.

I spent years going real deep since I was young and in great shape. I saw way less elk than other areas closer to roads. The wilderness is great country for backpacking but the wolves have destroyed most of the good elk hunting back there.

 

[kiddogy]

well , if wolves eat elk , it just may stand to reason that there may be some elk in the same vicinity as wolves.


don't let the wolves scare you away . just adapt to the situation you face as all good hunters do. and buy a wolf tag !

 

[jsr34c]

Is it a matter of elk used to be in these areas and then left due to wolf pressure and then the wolves stayed and are preying on other game or do they follow the elk herds from drainage to drainage? Wolves are opportunists as far as i know and would come reason that there's elk not far away if there are wolves near, or am I way off?

 

[Wapiti1]

The elk move, the wolves find them, the elk move, and so on. The wolves will get a couple of kills down, feed on them. Meanwhile the elk will pack up and leave to a new drainage. The wolves will get hungry again, and follow the elk. Since the wolves eat other things, the elk might get a reprieve for a couple of days to a week or more, then they are targeted again.

For a less mobile back country hunt, it can be frustrating since the elk could be there one day, gone tomorrow, and you have to hike a long way to find them again.

Jeremy

 

[idahohikker]

Is it a matter of elk used to be in these areas and then left due to wolf pressure and then the wolves stayed and are preying on other game or do they follow the elk herds from drainage to drainage? Wolves are opportunists as far as i know and would come reason that there's elk not far away if there are wolves near, or am I way off?

In huge country like those wilderness areas you can go days without finding elk. When wolves move them off the elk can easily relocate five miles away to their next favored hangout. It’s why success rates are so low back there—low elk numbers and critters being bumped around by wolves.

In places outside the Frank and the Selway you don’t have to work so dang hard to find elk so it’s not as big of a deal.

 

[Ross]

As noted due to the wolves more and more elk closer to civilization sad but true they are safer close to people than far removed from civilization where few venture and wolves harass chase and kill everyday....elk can be had for sure just more difficult and fewer animals and they will clam up when wolves are around have tags in hand should you get lucky enough to shoot one or two

 

[Mike 338]

Yup, there's wolves. I wouldn't regard them as a personal danger although a sidearm while bow hunting is a personal choice I'd employ because there's more than just wolves in them woods. That also goes for standing in line at Walmart too. They may or may not affect your hunt. You won't know till you hunt or scout the area. Go hunt it and have a good time. Don't worry about the wolves because the worry won't help you one way or the other.

 

[Willdorf]

I will be hunting ID first rifle elk for the first time and bought the wolf tag for just in case I get the chance at one as well

 

[jsr34c]

Thanks for the replies fellas. I wish I would be able to kill one out there but can't afford the weight of a rifle since we'll be hiking in with camp on our backs. Looking forward to the hunt regardless of the challenge, will report back if we see/hear any wolves. Thanks!!!!

 

[Brett8133]

Buy a wolf tag and kill it with your bow or take a pistol it’s 35$ it’s not a expensive tag .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lang]

FYI NR can use a deer tag for any predator.

 

[HuntingAddict]

Last season saw a pack of 4 howling there heads off. We are there only real predator. Hunted up in the Selway one season and saw more wolf tracks then elk and deer combined . This is definitely a problem. I would love to see a heavy bounty on them . On the east coast we have major coyote issues . A lot of clubs have a contest every year for the biggest Yote . They have it for 3 days and the biggest yote takes $2000. and each yote turned in get $100 . Maybe do that with the wolves. In the contest you can trap. bait or call . I bet they will get a few.

 

[4shore]

I'm headed to central ID for rifle season and will have a wolf, elk and deer tag. Here's to hoping for punched tags and heavy packs!

 

[dirtclod Az.]

They have outlawed some of the Coyote contests in a few states here
in the west.Thanks P.E.T.A....
People.Eating.Tasty.Animals.Ha!,Ha!.

 

[HuntingAddict]

Wait till a Yote eats there lap dog or cat . I bet they would want them all dead lol

 

[idahohikker]

Last season saw a pack of 4 howling there heads off. We are there only real predator. Hunted up in the Selway one season and saw more wolf tracks then elk and deer combined . This is definitely a problem. I would love to see a heavy bounty on them . On the east coast we have major coyote issues . A lot of clubs have a contest every year for the biggest Yote . They have it for 3 days and the biggest yote takes $2000. and each yote turned in get $100 . Maybe do that with the wolves. In the contest you can trap. bait or call . I bet they will get a few.

Your experience is typical in there.

The contests just cause the PETA types to lose their shi* and make it harder to manage wolves in Idaho and, here’s the kicker, few if any wolves are shot.

Wolves are incredibly difficult to hunt. Outfitters in the heart of wolf country in the Idaho wilderness hunt for 6 straight months from September elk to winter predator hunts and shoot a couple per year. A guy would have to hunt for 10 times the length of an average elk hunt to have a decent shot at a wolf. I personally know tons of resident Idaho hunts and zero who have shot a wolf.

The only way to reliably kill wolves is run a trap line in the winter in a highish population area. This was born out in kill numbers published weekly by fish and game while they were still required to closely track wolf numbers. Not many guys have the guts or time to do winter trapping.

 

[ndbuck09]

not to mention you have to check the traps every 72 hours which is prohibitive to getting traps in the central idaho backcountry for the largest population center in the state. I personally wish we could go to a 6-7 day check interval.