This April 18, 2008, file photo provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows a gray wolf. A new population tally of gray wolves in the U.S. Northern Rockies shows their continued resilience under growing pressure from hunting, trapping and government-sponsored pack removals. State and federal agencies said Friday April 4, 2014, there were a minimum of 1,691 wolves at the end of 2013.BILLINGS, Mont. – Gray wolves in the U.S. Northern Rockies are showing resilience as states adopt increasingly aggressive tactics to drive down their numbers through hunting, trapping and government-sponsored pack removals.
A minimum of 1,691 wolves roamed the six-state region at the end of 2013, according to figures released Friday by state and federal agencies.
That’s little changed from the prior year, despite continued political pressure from hunters and ranchers who want the population significantly reduced.
Idaho in recent months put government wildlife agents in helicopters to shoot entire packs that were preying on big game herds. Montana officials last year lifted wolf hunting and trapping quotas, increased the bag limit to five wolves per hunter and lowered the fees for out-of-state licenses.
Wildlife advocates have warned the population could crash, but that hasn’t happened: Wolf numbers are down just 6 percent since the animals lost federal protections in 2011.