For the past few years in Idaho, hunters, trappers and government officials have killed wolves in a variety of ways. One hunter hit a wolf with a snowmobile before shooting and killing it. Dozens of wolves had broken teeth, possibly from chewing the traps they were caught in.
But one particular state report struck wolf advocates as a red flag: Three pups born in the spring were killed weeks later, likely before they had left their den.
Since 2021, trapping, hunting, government control actions, vehicles and natural causes have killed more than 1,400 wolves in Idaho. The Idaho Statesman obtained Big Game Mortality reports for each wolf through a public records request and reviewed them to learn more about wolf deaths in Idaho.
The reports are a routine part of documenting the deaths of predators like wolves, mountain lions and black bears. They showed where and when a wolf was killed and what weapon and method of take was used. Other categories include information on weight, coat color and age.