Idaho has expanded opportunities to hunt and trap wolves, including an increase in season date and expanded areas of private and public land.

Some of the season dates approved will allow for year-round hunting while others are for 11-month seasons. A new trapping season was created for 18 units.

The changes were approved Feb. 20 by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, which adopted nine proposed changes for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. The changes took immediate effect and are reflected online in the digital version of the 2019-20 Idaho Big Game Seasons and Rules.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game biologists estimate about 1,541 wolves inhabited the state during summer 2019 based on camera surveys and other monitoring efforts. That population number was after the annual summer birth cycle; officials estimate about 1,000 wolves were in the state at the end of 2019.

State officials say the wolf population estimates are "well above" federal recovery criteria of 150 wolves and 15 breeding pairs statewide. For more than a decade, wolf hunting and trapping seasons have incrementally and consistently increased in response to livestock depredations and impacts to other big game species, according to an IDFG press release.

Livestock predation is primary concern and could get worse in  the southern part of the state if wolf populations increase. Also concerning is continued predation on elk in some backcountry areas.

The nine proposals approved:

• Extended the wolf hunting seasons on public land to Aug. 1 – June 30 in Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8A, 9, 10A, 11, 11A, 13, and 14.
• Extended wolf hunting season to July 1 – June 30 on both public and private land in units 38, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 53, 54, 55, 56, and 57.
• Extended the wolf hunting season to Aug. 1 – June 30 in Units 19A, 20A, 21, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, 45, 48, 49, 52, and 52A on both public and private land. 
• Extended wolf hunting season to year-round on private land and Aug. 1 – June 30 on public land in Units 66A, 68, 68A, 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78. 
• Extended the wolf hunting season to year-round on private land and Aug. 1 – June 30 on public land in Units 51, 58, 59, 59A, 60, 60A, 61, 62A, 63, 63A, 64, 65, 66, 67, and 69.
• Extended the wolf hunting season on public land to Aug. 1 – June 30 in Units 21A, 30, 30A, 36, and 37A. Wolf hunting seasons will remain year-round on private lands in these units.
• Extended the wolf hunting season to year round on both private and public land in units with chronic wolf depredations on livestock: Units 15, 18, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 31, 32, 32A, 33, 36A, 36B, 37, 39, 43, 44, 50, and 62.
• Opened a new wolf trapping season on public land Oct 10 – March 31 in units  52, 52A, 53, 63, 63A, 66A, 68, 68A, 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78, but limit wolf trapping to foothold traps only on public land from Oct 10 – Nov 14. 
• Modified the wolf trapping season from November 15 – March 31 in Unit 45 to allow the use of snares on public land.