An Idaho District Court judge ruled the state of Idaho cannot authorize wolf trapping and snaring in grizzly bear habitat during non-denning periods.
The ruling will stop trapping and snaring in the Panhandle, Clearwater, Salmon and Upper Snake regions from March 1 through Nov. 30 to prevent unlawful take of grizzly bears. The decision comes following a suit filed by environmental groups in late 2021.
“There is ample evidence in the record, including from Idaho’s own witnesses, that lawfully set wolf traps and snares are reasonably likely to take grizzly bears in Idaho,” the decision read.
The groups allege grizzly bears have been captured in wolf traps and snares in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Canada, and the court found the Idaho’s trapping rules violate the Endangered Species Act.
“Today’s ruling provides a reprieve for grizzly bears in Idaho, not to mention wolves,” said Dana Johnson, attorney and policy director for Wilderness Watch, one of the suit plaintiffs.
