The number of livestock killed by wolves in Idaho is on the decline, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks told a committee of Idaho legislators Monday.
During a meeting of the Idaho Legislature’s Natural Resources Interim Committee at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise on Monday, Fredericks briefed legislators on predators such as wolves and grizzly bears.
So far in 2025, Fredericks said investigators have found that 23 cattle, 43 sheep and one dog were confirmed, probably or possibly killed by wolves.
That’s down significantly from 2022, when Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials reported 84 cattle and 192 sheep losses attributed to wolves.
When wildlife officials investigate a report of a predator killing or injuring livestock, their reports conclude one of four possible outcomes when it comes to likelihood the predator was responsible: confirmed, probable, possible or unknown.
Depredation is the term that state officials and wildlife managers use to refer to livestock that were killed or injured by predators.
“I will say that depredations have continued to decline in recent years – not that it’s still not significant in some areas and for some producers – but we have seen a decline in wolf depredations recently,” Fredericks said during Monday’s meeting.
Livestock deaths have declined. So has Idaho’s wolf population.
One possible reason that livestock deaths have declined is because Idaho’s wolf population has declined as the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and Idaho Legislature pass policies designed to reduce the wolf population by killing wolves.
The 23 cattle and 43 sheep killed by wolves represents a tiny fraction of the livestock population in Idaho. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Idaho has about 2.5 million cattle, including calves, and about 235,000 sheep, including lambs.
Idaho Department of Fish and Game estimates Idaho’s wolf population decreased to 1,235
Fredericks told legislators that the confirmed, probable and possible cattle and sheep losses he presented represent the minimum number of wolf kills. In some cases, investigators may not be able to determine how livestock died or may never be called out to investigate.
“That does not mean those were the only animals that were killed by wolves,” Fredericks said Monday. “Those were the ones that we were able to have that determination.”
The state of Idaho has a compensation program to financially reimburse ranchers and livestock producers the fair market value of livestock killed by predators such as wolves or grizzly bears. From 2014 to 2022, Idaho’s wildlife compensation program paid out just more than $687,000 to 299 livestock producers who suffered verified livestock losses, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported.
Wolves are a native species that was completely killed off in the American West by the 1930s due to widespread government poisoning and westward settlement. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the federal government reintroducing wolves into Idaho and Yellowstone National Park – one of the most successful and controversial wildlife recovery programs in American history.
To learn more about wolf reintroduction and wolves in the West, check out Howl, a five-part podcast season and written series produced by the Idaho Capital Sun and Boise State Public Radio.
Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com.