BOISE, Idaho — Conservation groups have filed a lawsuit against the state of Idaho claiming that traps and snares will have a negative impact on grizzly bears in the Idaho Panhandle and Yellowstone Region and will violate the Endangered Species Act.
On Thursday morning, Federal Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale heard arguments from both sides of the issue that revolves around wolves and their management in Idaho which has been a problem since wolves were reintroduced to the region in 1995.
In 2011 wolves came off the endangered species list, and in 2014 Idaho created the Wolf Depredation Board to control the population. Then, back in 2021, a new state law made it easier for hunters and trappers to kill wolves.
The population of wolves was around 1,500 in 2021, but that dropped by 13 percent down to 1,337 in the summer of 2022. The goal for Idaho is to have a population of around 500, according toIdaho Fish and Game.
"Idaho has been liberalizing its wolf killing year after year," said plaintiff Suzanne Asha Stone, the executive director of the International Wildlife Coexistence Network. "I think Idaho is the worst place in the world to be a wolf."
Conservation groups during the preliminary hearing argued that trapping wolves in grizzly country causes imminent harm to those bears. They believe the trapping regulations are insufficient and that the state doesn't do an adequate job of reporting what gets caught in a trap.
Those groups are asking for the time frame of trapping reduced from the current period of November to March, so that bears don't get caught outside their dens.
The state argued that there hasn't been a documented case of a grizzly getting caught in a wolf trap in Idaho, they say the grizzlies are heavily monitored and studied, especially in the Yellowstone region. There also haven't been reports of bears losing limbs or showing signs of injuries from traps and snares.
The state also pointed out both the cultural history of trapping in Idaho and the training available to trappers to ensure responsible use, but the representatives of the state would not talk to us on camera.
The judge heard both sides of the argument and will consider the information saying a decision will be made in due process.
"I thought the judge asked really great questions and seems to be taking a pretty keen interest on the details of this case," said Stone. "So we are hopeful."
