Idaho rules require a wolf trapper certification class to be completed and passed before a person can purchase wolf trapping tags. The course includes 6.5 hours of instruction including both classroom and field experience followed by a written exam.

Courses are offered periodically throughout the year, but most are offered in the fall and early winter when people are preparing to spend more time in the field. This also coincides with the time of the year when wolf hides are prime and have the most value.

For those planning to trap this winter, a class has been scheduled for Friday, Nov. 21 at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Panhandle Region office in Coeur d'Alene. Advance registration is required.

Individuals interested in completing the class can register online, or at any Fish and Game office. The course costs $8 per student. The fee is due at the time of registration.

Registering at a Fish and Game office is the flat price of $8. Online registration by credit card requires an added convenience fee of $1.24. Registrants must be at least 9 years of age to take the course.

Fish and Game also offers a general furbearer trapping class that is different from the wolf trapper certification class. The general furbearer trapping class does not qualify people for the purchase of wolf trapping tags. When registering, please be certain to sign up for the trapping class you actually want to take.

The wolf trapper certification course is instructor-led. Instructors are experienced trappers who are trained and certified to provide students with both classroom study and interactive, hands-on training. Course topics cover a wide variety of topics related to wolf biology, wolf behavior and management as well as specifics regarding wolf trapping.

Instructors and Fish and Game staff leading the class have expertise in furbearer management, trapping laws and ethics, responsible trapping, proper equipment and trapping techniques. Proper care of a hide for maximum value, and harvest reporting requirements are covered as well.

On-site demonstrations in the field include making trap sets free of human scent, rigging snares, placing diverters to avoid non-target catches, and trap site selection.

Students successfully completing the wolf trapping course receive an Idaho Wolf Trapper Certification Card, which enables them to purchase wolf trapping tags. Certified wolf trappers may purchase up to five gray wolf trapping tags per trapping season. Tags must be validated and securely attached immediately upon taking a wolf.

Anyone with questions about the wolf trapper certification course is encouraged to contact the Fish and Game Panhandle office at (208) 769-1414.

Phil Cooper is a wildlife conservation educator in Coeur d'Alene for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.