Motion To Bar Montana, Idaho Wolf Hunts Denied

[LadyHawkღ]

HELENA, Mont. -- A federal appeals court on Thursday denied a request by environmental groups to halt wolf hunts that are scheduled to begin next week in Idaho and Montana.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the request by the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and other groups. The groups were seeking to cancel the hunts while the court considers a challenge to congressional action in April that stripped wolves of federal protections in Montana and Idaho, and in parts of Washington, Oregon and Utah.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula reluctantly upheld a budget rider that was inserted by Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. It marked the first time since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973 that Congress forcibly removed protections from a plant or animal.

Molloy ruled that the way Congress went about removing endangered species protections from the Northern Rockies gray wolf undermined the rule of law but did not violate the Constitution. Meanwhile, the environmental groups argued Congress' actions were unconstitutional because they violated the principle of separation of powers.

"We lost the injunction, we have not lost the case," Mike Garrity, executive director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, said of Thursday's court ruling. "We will continue to fight to protect the wolves and enforce the separation of powers doctrine in the U.S. Constitution."

Meanwhile, John Horning, executive director for WildEarth Guardians, one of the groups involved in the case, said, "We are discouraged we didn't win a stay of execution for wolves, but we are cautiously optimistic that we will win our lawsuit to protect wolves from future persecution."

Wolf hunts are scheduled to begin Aug. 30 in Idaho and Sept. 3 in Montana. Hunters in Montana will be allowed to shoot as many as 220 gray wolves, reducing the predators' Montana population by about 25 percent to a minimum of 425 wolves.

In Idaho, where an estimated 1,000 wolves roam, state wildlife managers have declined to name a target for kills for the seven-month hunting season. They say the state will manage wolves so their population remains above 150 animals and 15 breeding pairs, the point where Idaho could attract federal scrutiny for a possible re-listing under the Endangered Species Act.

[Tsoi Tawodi]

The egos involved with this type of destruction to wildlife is truly pathetic and one wonders what the hunter/killer mentality will do when there are no more predators left to kill except one another. How sad that so many humans feel they know what is best for all our relations when nothing could be further from the truth. There is an old Native saying...think it is Cree that goes something like this, 'only when the last tree has been cut down, only when the last river has been poisoned, only when the last fish has been caught...only then you will understand your money cannot be eaten'. Not an exact quote....but says it all.

[Tsoi Tawodi]

Daddy...

I awoke this morning
No birds were singing
There were no birds at all
Odd...

I looked out the window
The trees were all gone
Only houses covered the land
No trees...no birds

Looking upward
No sky to be seen
Only haze
Brown and thick

My young daughter came running,
Daddy, daddy....we have to go to the zoo!
Why?
Because they have the last living bear!

My stomach churned
I felt sick
What have we done?
Is this really happening?

Daddy...
Yes?
Why is there only one bear left?
What did you do with them?



Tears welled into my eyes
Daddy...
Yes?
Can you tell me what a bird was?

Daddy...
Yes?
Is it true that there used to be wolves?
Where did they go?

Daddy...
Yes?
Tell me of the old days...
When there used to be animals and we weren’t sick all the time

And tears of guilt ran as a river

3 Hawks

[Robert Spiritwalker Murchison]

Many times the ones who can push hunts like these through are the ones with big money and the most to gain. They are usually livestock groups and fossil fuel companies though occasionally there are others who also help back these hunts with their money in elected officials pockets. This is what has been happening with the Yellowstone bison (the elk and others are soon to join the from that national park) in mainly Montana but they aren't tolerated in Idaho either (I belief that state allows the bison to be shot on site). I haven't heard anything on the wolf hunts but if anyone interferes with the bison "round-up" (hazing is whit really is from off park grounds even) even if it is across your private property you can be fined and put in jail. Does anyone know if this is the case for the wolf hunts crossing onto private property? This is a touchy subject for me. I am partial to wolves for various reasons nearly all my life and having raised half wolf hybrids using pack mentality methods I still that understanding close to me (in my heart, mind and soul). So I might end up attacking a hunter to save a wolf unless the wolf shows signs of being rabid (one of the only reasons I would consider ending the suffering of one my four-legged brothers or sisters. Peace and Blessings, Spiritwalker.