Five wolves spotted near Mountain Home reservoir

Five wolves have been spotted near the Mountain Home Reservoir recently, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

Cindy Taverne of Mountain Home spotted the pack on March 27 at about 4 p.m. just past the Mountain Home Reservoir, while she was heading in a northern direction.

"I had to brake hard," she said in her sighting report to Fish and Game, "as five wolves crossed the road from the west and headed in an eastern direction.

"All of the wolves were a two-tone gray color. With my own dog weighing 84 pounds, I would estimate the wolves weight ranged from 90-100 pounds. I saw no radio collars," she said in her report.

"I watched them continue running in an eastern direction until they ran across a ridge. When they crossed the road, they were running in a follow-the-leader style.

I am certain these are wolves. I have seen coyotes and I have seen wolves up in the Trinities. These were wolves, and they were extremely close to Mountain Home! I could still see the Mountain Home Reservoir in my rear view mirror!"

Regional Wildlife Biologist Michael K. Lucid said that the department has been receiving "occasional" reports of wolves in that area. "We haven't 'officially' documented a pack there," he said, although several years ago there had been a pack in the Bennett Hills.