IDAHO CITY - Idaho hunters could be setting their sights on a new prey next year... wolves. While that may excite sportsmen, conservation groups say the move is spreading false hope.

Wolf populations in the Northern Rockies are biologically recovered and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it will try to take wolves off the endangered species act in Idaho and Montana, even though Wyoming still hasn't come up with an acceptable wolf management plan, when originally they said all three states had to come along for the ride.

"They shot a couple of nice Mule Deer bucks up here a lot of deer, lot of elk, lot of bears in this area," said Larry Lansdowne as he pointed to a number of successful hunt pictures posted on the wall of his Idaho City shop, Growling Bear Outfitters. Of all the animals on the wall, Lansdowne hunts them all.

"That's the beauty of Idaho, we have a little bit of everything," he said.

But he might soon be after a new set of tracks, after federal wildlife officials announced they intend to kick-start the delisting process for the endangered grey wolf.

"I'm going to get out there and just add that to my repertoire," said Lansdowne of the prospect of wolf hunting seasons, "I think it's going to be a great experience to not only get to go out and photograph them and listen to them be around them but actually be able to hunt a super predator."

Not everyone is so optimistic. Members from the Defenders of Wildlife group say even before wolves were reintroduced in the west, ground rules were set treating wolves in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as one population. That meant all three states had to be on the same page before wolves could be removed from the Endangered Species List. In fact, the whole reason the process has been stalled to this point was that Wyoming did not have an acceptable wolf management plan.

"So the sudden change of heart [by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service], I still would be concerned that it's still not legal and that even though they're trying to negotiate beyond the conflicts, right now they may be succumbing to political pressure," said Suzanne Stone, the Northern Rockies Representative for Defenders of Wildlife.

Those political pressures are coming from very high places. Governor-elect Butch Otter released a statement saying wolves in Idaho are unwelcome and out of hand, advocating public hunting to reduce wolf populations.

“It’s about time. The uninvited and unwelcome population of wolves in Idaho clearly has gotten out of hand. The federal government once again has proven itself incapable or unwilling to deal with a problem it created. That is why I welcome the opportunity for the state to assume management responsibilities.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is well equipped to manage Idaho’s wolf population. Idaho sportsmen are ready, willing, and able to participate responsibly in that management. When Idaho wildlife managers determine the time is right, they should enlist the help of hunters to buy tags, go into the field and bring wolf populations into balance,” read the statement.

"This sort of thing just adds to the polarization and increases the conflict," said Stone in response.

But Lansdowne says it's about time, and even has a bumper sticker on his pick-up letting everyone know. It reads, "Save 100 elk, Kill a Wolf." He says there are plenty of wolves, even around Idaho City, and the big game populations won't be able to keep up forever.

"It's just like taking a flu shot before the flu gets here, you know if we have the opportunity to do anything up front that may stop something farther down the line," he said.

If things work as planned, wolves could be off the list before the real flu season in Idaho ends.

However, Wyoming lawmakers hope to come up with a plan in January that the feds will finally find acceptable. That would allow all three states to move forward together and could quell claims that the current proposal is illegal.