Gray wolves are currently present in Idaho, following a successful recovery effort. The species was historically eliminated from the state due to predator control efforts. Wolves were eventually returned to the central wilderness areas through a federal reintroduction program. This effort led to a rapid population rebound, transforming the ecological landscape of the region.
Current Presence and Population Estimates
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) monitors the wolf population using sophisticated methods to accurately estimate their numbers and distribution. Recent data suggests the state’s wolf population has been robust, with annual estimates typically fluctuating above a thousand animals. For instance, the estimated population for the summer of 2023, after the breeding season, was approximately 1,150 wolves.
The IDFG has recently moved toward a new genetics-based modeling system to determine abundance, which uses genetic and age data collected from harvested wolves. This new approach offers a more cost-effective and reliable estimate than earlier methods used to survey wolf occupancy across the state.
The History of Wolf Recovery
The gray wolf was eliminated from Idaho by the 1930s due to unregulated killing and government eradication programs. After decades of absence, the species was declared endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1974, establishing the pathway for its return.
The formal recovery effort began in the mid-1990s, guided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Northern Rocky Mountain Recovery Plan. In 1995, fifteen wolves were released into the Central Idaho wilderness, followed by twenty more the next year. These animals were designated as an “experimental, nonessential” population to allow for greater management flexibility.
The federal recovery goal was set at a minimum of 10 breeding pairs and 100 wolves, a target the population quickly surpassed. By 2003, the population had exceeded the recovery criteria, and a Congressional rider in 2011 removed Endangered Species Act protections, returning oversight to the state.
Geographical Distribution Across Idaho
Idaho’s diverse and rugged terrain has allowed wolves to establish a wide distribution throughout the state. The initial reintroduction focused on the remote, mountainous public lands of Central Idaho, which remain a stronghold for the species. These core areas include the vast Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness and parts of the Bitterroot Ecosystem.
The wolf population has expanded significantly from these central habitats. Wolves are now widely distributed from the Canadian border in the north down to the Snake River Plain in the south. While they prefer the Northern and Central regions, the most consistent presence of established packs is found north of Interstate 84.
Management and Oversight
Following the 2011 delisting from the Endangered Species Act, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) assumed full management authority. The state now classifies the gray wolf as a big game animal, allowing the Idaho Fish and Game Commission to set regulated hunting and trapping seasons.
The current regulatory framework is outlined in the IDFG’s 2023–2028 Wolf Management Plan. This plan manages the wolf population to fluctuate around an annual midpoint of 500 animals, using regulated harvest and agency control actions to achieve this objective.
Management focuses on mitigating conflicts where wolves interact with human interests. This includes addressing chronic livestock depredation in agricultural areas and managing wolf predation on wild ungulate populations.