Idaho will have to change its rules for wolf trapping to avoid harming federally-protected grizzly bears, according to a federal court decision.
The case was filed by 13 conservation groups after Idaho greatly expanded opportunities to hunt and trap wolves in 2021. The ruling, issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale last week, said Idaho’s wolf trapping laws make it “reasonably likely” that a grizzly bear will get caught.
Grizzlies in the lower 48 are protected under the Endangered Species Act, though the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering their delisting in two regions, including the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The court said to avoid "incidental take," Idaho can’t authorize wolf trapping and snaring in grizzly bear habitat from early spring through late fall, when the animals are likely to be outside of their winter dens. That includes the Panhandle, Clearwater, Salmon and Upper Snake regions of the state.
This shortens Idaho’s wolf trapping season in those areas by about six weeks on public land, and cuts the year-round season on private land to about three months.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game Commission is meeting this week to decide on adjustments for next season.
“We’re very disappointed in this decision,” said Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks in a press release. He said the state is considering legal options for reversing the decision, which is believes "is wrong based on the law and on-the-ground reality."
Fredericks said there’s no evidence of a grizzly bear getting injured or caught in a legally-set trap during Idaho's wolf trapping seasons, which started in 2011.
Find reporter Rachel Cohen on X @racheld_cohen
Copyright 2024 Boise State Public Radio
