Judge Allows Wolf Hunts in Idaho and Montana to Continue
gengberg September 9th, 2009
For Immediate Release
September 9, 2009
Victory in Court - Judge Allows Wolf Hunts in Idaho and Montana to Continue
Washington, DC - the participation of Safari Club International (SCI) in a federal lawsuit has helped ensure that hunters in Idaho and Montana can continue hunting wolves under state seasons. The Montana federal court denied a preliminary injunction requested by Defenders of Wildlife and other plaintiffs who sued to stop the hunting season, and to challenge the delisting of Idaho and Montana’s wolves. 
Following the April 2009 delisting of wolves, Idaho authorized a hunt of up to 220 wolves and Montana authorized a hunt of up to 75 wolves per season. The anti-hunting groups sued to reverse the delisting and asked Judge Donald Molloy, of the U.S. District Court for Montana, to halt the scheduled hunts on an emergency basis.
SCI is participating in the case to defend the wolf delisting and filed a brief in opposition to preliminary injunction. SCI argued that the delisting was proper, and that Montana and Idaho’s limited hunts would not harm the wolf population, which is many times the number deemed necessary for continued recovery. SCI included with their brief expert testimony about the state of Alaska’s wolf harvests and the difficulties Alaska has had with managing its wolf population despite large bag limits and long seasons.
SCI President Larry Rudolph said “SCI continues to lead the way for the hunting community in efforts to keep the recovered wolves of the Rocky Mountains where they belong - off the endangered species list. The states can and will effectively manage the wolf, as demonstrated by their establishing reasonable and well-regulated wolf hunts. SCI recognizes that a difficult battle lies ahead. Our lawyers are already hard at work to meet that challenge.” The judge’s ruling offers an immediate victory for Montana and Idaho’s efforts to manage their wolf populations and for the hunting community’s interest in protecting the wild ungulate populations that are feeling the impact of the growing wolf populations.
Unfortunately, Judge Molloy’s ruling is only a temporary one and it foreshadows an uphill battle in the ongoing effort to defend the legality of the delisting. To make this victory permanent, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), SCI and all of those who support the delisting will need to convince the judge that the FWS has authority to delist Montana and Idaho’s wolves, while leaving Wyoming’s wolves on the endangered species list.
SCI will stay involved to defend the delisting on the merits. Until the case is resolved on the merits, the Idaho hunt, which began on September 1, and the Montana hunt, which will begin on September 15, will proceed under state law. Thanks in part to the efforts of SCI, hunters in these states can now continue to participate in this important wildlife management activity.
Contact:
Nelson Freeman
Safari Club International
202-543-8733
nfreeman@safariclub.org
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SCI-First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s 189 Chapters represent all 50 of the United States as well as 18 other countries. SCI’s proactive leadership in a host of cooperative wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian programs, with the SCI Foundation and other conservation groups, research institutions and government agencies, empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation. Visit the home page www.safariclub.org or call (520) 620-1220 for more info
