HB 630: Aerial Wolf Killing on Private Lands (2026)

Summary: Would classify wolves as predatory animals and authorize the year-round killing of wolves, including by aerial methods, shifting management authority away from IDFG and into ISDA, an agency primarily focused on agriculture.

ICL’s Position: Oppose

Current Bill Status: House Floor

Issue Areas: Wildlife, Wolves, Agriculture, Management Authority

House Bill 630, introduced by Rep. John Shirts (R–District 9), would amend Idaho code to classify wolves as predatory animals and authorize individuals, with approval from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) director, to kill wolves from the air.

Wolves are currently classified as big game in Idaho and are managed by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG). IDFG establishes seasons and regulates methods of take in accordance with its gray wolf management plan. Over time, both IDFG and the Legislature have liberalized harvest regulations in an effort to reduce the statewide wolf population to roughly 500 animals.

In cases of livestock conflict, the Idaho Wolf Depredation Control Board has jurisdiction and may authorize removal actions. State and federal authorities already have the ability to remove wolves on public or private lands, including through trapping and aerial control, when wolves are determined to pose a threat to livestock operations.

HB 630 raises structural concerns. By reclassifying wolves from big game to predatory animals and shifting management authority to ISDA, the bill transfers wildlife oversight away from IDFG, the independent agency established by voter initiative to manage Idaho’s wildlife. It places wolf management within an agency whose primary mission is agricultural regulation rather than wildlife conservation and management.