Associated Press - November 19, 2009 7:54 PM ET

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Hunters will have three more months to hunt wolves in Idaho.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to stretch the season to March 31, 2010 in the Panhandle, Palouse-Hells Canyon, Selway, Middle Fork, Salmon, Southern, and South Idaho zones. Hunting in those zones had been set to expire Dec. 31.

Hunting could close before the March 31 deadline if hunters reach quotas set for each zone.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game set a quota of 220 wolves for this year's inaugural hunt. So far, hunters have reached half that total, bagging 110 of the predators as of Thursday.

Montana closed its wolf hunting season on Monday after nearing its quota of 76 wolves, or about 15 percent of Montana's total wolf population.

Idaho officials estimate the state's population between 800 and 900 wolves.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.