A federal magistrate has upheld a previous decision to prohibit trapping and snaring wolves during certain seasons.
The initial lawsuit was filed by Earthjustice, an environmental nonprofit.
Ben Scrimshaw, a Senior Associate Attorney with Earthjustice, said the decision to limit the recreational wolf trapping season to times when grizzly bears are hibernating will help protect the bears.
“We know that the size of the wolf traps that are permitted by Idaho are more than capable of capturing and holding grizzly bears. And then snares are even more dangerous for grizzly bears” he said.
After federal Magistrate Judge Candy Dale made the initial decision in March 2024, Idaho Fish and Game requested she reconsider.
Roger Phillips, the Public Information Supervisor for Idaho Fish and Game, said they are disappointed by both rulings.
“We've been trapping wolves for over a decade. There's never been a grizzly bear killed. And none that we know of have ever been caught in a wolf trap" Phillips said.
Phillips says wolf trapping and snaring is a part of a long-term plan to manage wolf populations in Idaho but trappers have already adapted their practices to comply with the ruling.
