Bill to Greatly Expand Wolf Hunting in Idaho Heads to Governor

If signed, the law would boost funding for independent contractors to kill wolves and would allow for more than 90 percent of the population in the state to be taken by hunters.

Written byAmanda Heidt

| 3 min read

A gray wolf (Canis lupus) stands in a forest, with the background blurred.

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Update (May 7): Republican Governor Brad Little signed bill SB1211 into law today, according to National Geographic.

Acontentious bill in Idaho, aimed at reducing the state’s wolf population by more than 90 percent, will soon land on the desk of the governor. Proponents of the bill say its passing will stop wolves from harassing and killing wildlife and livestock, while opponents counter that it goes too far and fails to consider the ecological consequences of removing so many large predators.

On April 21, the Idaho Senate approved the bill in a 26–7 vote. A week later, the Idaho House of Representatives voted 58–11 to send the bill on to Republican Governor Brad Little.

“These wolves, there’s too many in the state of Idaho,” rancher and State Senator Mark Harris (R-Soda Springs) said on the Senate floor before last week’s vote, as reported by The New York ...

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Meet the Author

Amanda Heidt
Amanda first began dabbling in scicom as a master’s student studying marine science at Moss Landing Marine Labs, where she edited the student blog and interned at a local NPR station. She enjoyed that process of demystifying science so much that after receiving her degree in 2019, she went straight into a second master’s program in science communication at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Formerly an intern at The Scientist, Amanda joined the team as a staff reporter and editor in 2021 and oversaw the publication’s internship program, assigned and edited the Foundations, Scientist to Watch, and Short Lit columns, and contributed original reporting across the publication. Amanda’s stories often focus on issues of equity and representation in academia, and she brings this same commitment to DEI to the Science Writers Association of the Rocky Mountains and to the board of the National Association of Science Writers, which she has served on since 2022. She is currently based in the outdoor playground that is Moab, Utah. Read more of her work at www.amandaheidt.com.
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