Sheridan — Wyoming wildlife managers cut the allowable wolf mortality in northwest Wyoming to 20 animals for the 2026 season, a reduction of more than half from last year’s quota, after disease and other setbacks reduced the regional population to its lowest point in about 20 years.
Population, quota and targets
State biologists reported that as of Jan. 1 there were 132 wolves in the northwest wolf management area, well under the Game and Fish Department’s objective of 160 wolves for that region, said Ken Mills, a large carnivore biologist and wolf management specialist. The department recommended the mortality quota of 20 during the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission meeting Tuesday in Sheridan; the commission voted unanimously to accept the department’s proposed seasons and quotas.
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Mortality quota (northwest) | 44 | 20 |
| Confirmed population (Jan. 1) | — | 132 |
| Management objective | — | 160 |
Reasons for the decline
Biologists attributed the drop in numbers in part to an outbreak of canine distemper and unspecified additional setbacks. Mills told the commission hunters killed 31 wolves in 2025, which was below but closer to the prior quota of 44. The mortality quota represents the total number of wolves that may die — from hunting or other causes — before the commission must close the season in that area.
“The department recommended setting the wolf mortality quota for the 2026 hunting season at 20, less than half of the 2025 44-wolf quota,”
Localized concerns and protections
The commission’s approved seasons include a quota of four wolves total across Hunt Areas 1 and 2 (Clarks Fork and North Fork). That area overlaps public interest because Yellowstone National Park’s well-known female, Wolf 1090F, and her pack are denning on the Shoshone National Forest inside Hunt Area 1.
Supporters of 1090F had urged the commission to create an exception or suspend hunting where her pack is denning. Commissioners did not adopt an exception and instead approved the department’s proposed regulations.
What the decision means
- Hunters: If the mortality quota of 20 is reached before season end, the hunt will close even if tags remain unfilled.
- Conservation and public stakeholders: The lower quota aims to allow recovery toward the department’s 160-wolf objective for the area.
- Park visitors and wildlife watchers: Notable animals such as 1090F remain a focal point for concern because denning near national park boundaries places them in authorized hunt areas.
The commission’s action closes a policy chapter shaped by disease dynamics, hunting mortality and public debate over the management of large carnivores on the landscape adjacent to Yellowstone. The reduced quota signals a more conservative approach to harvest in response to the current population shortfall announced by department biologists.
Future adjustments to quotas or season structure will depend on ongoing monitoring of wolf numbers, causes of mortality and the department’s ability to meet the regional objective for sustainable wolf numbers.
