A federal judge Friday allowed a wolf and coyote-shooting derby to proceed on public land in Idaho this weekend, ruling its organizers aren’t required to get a special permit from the U.S. Forest Service. U.S. District Magistrate Judge Candy Wagahoff Dale issued the ruling in Boise hours after a morning hearing. WildEarth Guardians and other environmental groups had sought to stop the derby, arguing the Forest Service was ignoring its own rules that require permits for competitive events. The agency, meanwhile, countered no permit was needed, concluding while hunting would take place in the forest on Saturday and Sunday, the competitive portion of the event — where judges determine the $1,000 prize winner for the biggest wolf killed — would take place on private land. Dale decided derby promoters were encouraging use of the forest for a lawful activity. “The derby hunt is not like a foot race or ski race, where organizers would require the use of a loop or track for all participants to race upon,” she wrote, of events that might require such permits. “Rather, hunters will be dispersed throughout the forest, hunting at their own pace and in their own preferred territory, and not in a prescribed location within a designated perimeter.” Steve Alder, an organizer of Idaho’s derby, said dozens of people had already arrived in Salmon to participate. He was elated following the decision. In Friday’s telephone hearing, WildEarth Guardians’ attorney told Dale that a wolf derby taking place on Forest Service land that surrounds Salmon should be required to get the same kind of special permit as any other competitive gathering, including running races or snowmobile events. “People are trying to kill as many animals as they can in two days in order to win the prize,” Sarah McMillan told the judge. Meanwhile, attorneys for the U.S. Forest Service countered that no permit was needed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Hurwit also said hunters could be in the woods and fields near Salmon this weekend shooting wolves and coyotes — regardless of whether their excursions were associated with a contest. “There’s nothing to stop people who intended to participate in the derby, from going forward and taking the same action, killing coyotes and wolves, and just not participating in the derby,” Hurwit told Dale. “The derby doesn’t change hunting, hunting will happen throughout the season regardless of this lawsuit...
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Well shucks, the AP reports 230 hunters entered the derby and shot 21 coyotes...but no wolves. The article also says:
Steve Alder of Idaho for Wildlife, the derby's promoter, said the low
tally helps prove sport hunting isn't a very effective tool in managing
Idaho's wolves. "This is why the Idaho Department of Fish and
Game has implemented trapping and other control methods to better manage
wolves," Alder said in a statement. "I can assure you that in the last
two days while this derby was taking place, more wolves and wolf pups
died in Idaho's back country due to starvation and or cannibalism from
other wolves."
Still, you gotta be happy we can still have wolf derbies and possum drops. The next event is in Dillon, Montana where they are having a coyote derby on Jan. 11. The Montana event is picayune compared to the Idaho derby. Not only are wolves not included, but according to their game dept. Montana has a rule which limits the prize money awarded to $50. The promoters in Idaho had prizes of $1,000 for the most coyotes taken and $1,000 for the largest wolf harvested. Montana's hunters will probably be heading to Idaho next year.
And no, sports fans, it wasn't this kind of derby:
It was this kind of derby:
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