The first grizzly bear hunting seasons in the Lower 48 states in more than four decades were delayed Thursday by U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen.
Wyoming and Idaho had scheduled hunts to begin Sept. 1, but Christensen put a 14-day delay on them after hearing arguments Thursday in Missoula, Montana. His decision is immediate and was a victory for opponents claiming the bears still needed protection and the states weren't using sound science.
Neither is true, with management goals having been met for the populations that were protected by the federal government for decades through the Endangered Species Act. The grizzly bears were removed from the threatened status in 2017, signaling the achievement of restoration. More than 700 live in the area around Yellowstone National Park, where a hunt was to begin Saturday. Fewer than two dozen bears could have been taken by hunters.
“The threat of death to individual bears posed by the scheduled hunts is sufficient to justify a delay in the states’ hunting seasons," Christensen wrote in the order.
Following removal in 2017 of the federal protections, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho resumed management of the bears as with other species in the states. That immediately led to the possibility of hunting seasons due to the clear recovery of the populations. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead could urge his state wildlife agency to “make adjustments” for the bear season, said Erik Petersen, Wyoming’s senior assistant attorney general.
“The likelihood of any significant harm to the population is essentially nil,” Petersen said.
Christensen could rule soon or wait until the 14-day delay ends before issuing a final decision. It's possible that he could rule that the bears need to be returned to federal protection. Until then we'll have to wait.
