Oregon Public Broadcasting

Hunters in Idaho will be allowed to shoot wolves in most parts of the state for an extra three months.

Idaho's Fish and Game Commission Thursday extended the state's wolf season through next March. Doug Nadvornick reports from the commission meeting in Coeur d'Alene.

Planning for Idaho's first wolf season is the responsibility of Jim Unsworth, the deputy director for the state Department of Fish and Game.

Halfway into the season, he says hunters statewide have killed 106 wolves. That's about half of the quota of 220.

He says the state has closed the season in three of Idaho's 12 hunting zones because the kill targets have been reached.

For most of the rest of Idaho, the season was to last until the end of the year. Unsworth asked the commission to extend the deadline for three other zones to March 31st.

Jim Unsworth: "The harvest has been low in those zones and there's plenty of opportunity there."

But the commission went one step farther.

Some commission members worry that wolves are decimating elk populations. They decided to extend the deadline for the rest of the state.

Unsworth says he's not sure how much effect that will have.

Jim Unsworth: "Most of our deer and elk seasons are over so that the only folks that will really be out looking for wolves are just wolf hunters and I wouldn't predict there will be that many folks doing that."

Montana has already closed its wolf season.

In related news, Oregon wildlife officials announced Thursday that they have new video evidence of a wolfpack in the northeastern corner of the state.

It's one of two confirmed packs in Oregon. Washington also has two.