LANDER - The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is in the process of assembling and hiring its wolf management team and is looking for a program coordinator.

Although wolves will be delisted from the federal Endangered Species Act Friday - and the state will take over management of the canines that morning - there will be a six-month transition period during which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will help as the state of Wyoming gets its program up and running.

Scott Talbott, assistant division chief for the Game and Fish Department's wildlife division, will be the supervisor of the state's new wolf management program.

Talbott said the department is reviewing applications and still needs to hire a coordinator for the program. The coordinator will "be calling the shots day to day" and will supervise four wolf management specialists to be stationed in Cody, Lander, Pinedale and Jackson, he said.

"We'll be doing the first round of interviews in the near future," Talbott said. "Hopefully we'll have somebody in place to head this program by May 1st, or May 15th at the latest."

Beginning Friday, Game and Fish will be responsible for investigating and compensating livestock depredation for ranchers inside the wolves' trophy game zone in northwest Wyoming.

Most of the department's energy and resources for wolf management will be focused on the trophy game area, Talbott said. The department will not collar any animals outside the trophy game zone and will only monitor wolves outside that area if they migrate.

"We do not anticipate that there will be a lot of wolves outside the trophy game zone due to conflicts with livestock," Talbott said.

Inside the trophy game zone, wolves will be managed by Game and Fish similar to the way they are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service today. Ranchers will not be able to kill any wolves on sight, but instead must enlist the help of Game and Fish, or obtain take permits from the department.