Hunters and trappers should not get their hopes up that soon they will be trapping wolves or that trapping and snaring will make any dents in overblown wolf populations. I see this move by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to consider the use of traps and snares on wolves as nothing more than political whitewash.

Trapping Today refers to the move as a great opportunity saying, “This would provide an incredible opportunity for trappers in Idaho while helping accomplish the state’s wolf management goals.” I agree with Jeremiah if it is allowed it will help but the deck is stacked against such a move with much of the reality of it happening in the hands of fish and game.

Daily Me accurately reports that just because IDFG might approve trapping and snaring doesn’t mean a lot.

But that doesn’t mean hunters will automatically be allowed to do so.

There are a few obstacles that will prevent Idaho from trapping and/or snaring wolves anytime in the near future, if at all. First consider that the Canada lynx is a “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act. Because of this, Idaho will more than likely need an “Incidental Take Permit”. It is up to IDFG to pursue this through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Application for such a permit is no guarantee a permit will be granted. And, more than likely, any permit will come with restrictions on traps and settings, etc. that may prove so restrictive, the effort put forth by trappers may be pointless.

Second, the Canada lynx has become a tool used by the environmentalists to promote their agendas of ending hunting and trapping. They have learned how to get the lynx protected and how to prohibit trapping in areas where lynx exist. Consider the state of Maine, where lawsuits by environmentalists have been effective in putting an end to trapping and snaring of coyotes, the only effective way to control coyote/wolf hybrid populations. For Maine to provide trappers the opportunity to take coyotes in lynx areas, requires an “Incidental Take Permit” and to date the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife have failed to do so. Not only that but MDIFW appears to be so intimidated by further lawsuits they’ve simply banned snaring altogether. All of this taking place while the deer herd disappears.

Third, unless IDFG is living in a vacuum, I would assume they fully realize that any proposal to trap and/or snare wolves will be met with lawsuits. And as history shows us this will be tied up in the courts for years while the wolves continue to wreak havoc.

Remember, any of these proposals are all dependent upon the ruling that will come down from Judge Donald Molloy as he reviews testimony from the trial on whether or not to return wolves to Endangered Species Act protection. If he opts to do so, all this talk is useless. If wolves remain in Idaho’s hands for management, talk of trapping and snaring is cheap.

Is the IDFG all talk and no action? How serious are they of actually reducing wolf numbers? Let’s see!

Tom Remington

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