BOISE, ID — Idaho Fish and Game officials completed targeted wolf management actions last weekend in the Panhandle Region, removing three wolves in an effort to improve elk survival.

According to a press release issued Wednesday, the actions took place Feb. 21 and 22 and mark the first time targeted wolf control has been implemented in Idaho’s Panhandle Region.

The department said the removals, combined with recent success by local trappers, substantially reduced the size of a single wolf pack in a key portion of the region.

Fish and Game cited recent data indicating elk numbers in the Panhandle Region have declined, with predation on elk calves identified as a contributing factor. Officials said the primary goal of the action was to reduce predation and improve elk survival in a population described as underperforming.

The agency stated that regulated hunting and trapping remain the primary tools for managing wolf populations, but targeted control actions may be used when those methods are not sufficient to meet management goals. A 2024 federal court injunction affecting wolf trapping seasons has led to a statewide decline in wolf harvest, including in the Panhandle Region, according to the release.

Similar wolf management efforts have been conducted annually in the Lolo elk zone in the Clearwater Region over the past decade. Officials emphasized the objective is not to eliminate wolves, but to maintain a smaller, self-sustaining wolf population in the Panhandle Region while reducing predation risk on elk.

The effort was carried out under the state’s 2024–2030 Idaho Elk Management Plan and the 2023–2028 Idaho Gray Wolf Management Plan, which aim to balance wolf conservation with conflict resolution.

For additional information, Fish and Game directed the public to contact its Panhandle Regional office.