Big Game Survival Study

Idaho Fish and Game research on the survival of big game animals shows that the role of wolves and other predators varies across the state.

Of specific interest is the effect of wolf predation on the adult female elk population in 11 elk management zones across the state, and how that affects big game hunting. Review the Cow Elk 2008 link in the sidebar.

In most of the parts of Idaho that they inhabit, wolves' prey of choice is elk.

In southwestern and western parts of Idaho, wolves are responsible for a small part of overall mortality of elk and deer. They play a slightly larger part in central Idaho.

In the Lolo Elk Management Zone in the Clearwater Region, however, predation by wolves is responsible for most of the deaths of adult female elk and more than half of the deaths of six-month-old calves.

The continuing research project began in January 2005, prompted by hunters and Fish and Game concerns over mule deer and elk populations that are growing in some parts of the state, and declining in others.

Noxious weed invasion, fire suppression and human development have altered the many habitats on which Idaho's deer, elk and moose depend. And since they were introduced in 1995, wolves in Idaho have expanded to more than 800 individuals statewide.

The project involves capturing and putting radio collars on and monitoring about 1,000 mule deer, elk and moose throughout their lives to learn how they live and how they die and to determine how wolf introduction, other predators and habitat changes affect big game populations.

The research is being conducted in areas that represent the variety of habitats and weather patterns that elk and deer inhabit and with varying densities of predators, including black bear, mountain lions and wolves.

The study results show that across the state, hunting and predation are the primary causes of death among deer, elk and moose. They show that hunting, wolf predation and mountain lion predation are the primary known causes of death.

But the degree of mortality and cause of mortality varies considerably across the state. Again, review the Cow Elk 2008 link in the sidebar.