First Yellowstone-area grizzly hunt in 40 years blocked by federal judge

A federal judge in Montana on Thursday issued a court order temporarily blocking the first trophy hunts of Yellowstone-area grizzly bears in more than 40 years, siding with native American groups and environmentalists seeking to restore the animals’ protected status. The 14-day restraining order by U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen in Missoula, Montana, came two days before Wyoming and Idaho were scheduled to open licensed grizzly hunts allowing as many as 23 bears in the two states to be shot and killed for sport. Groups opposing the hunts had sought a restraining order while waiting for the judge to rule on the larger question of whether the federal government should return Endangered Species Act safeguards to grizzlies in the greater Yellowstone region. Christensen heard arguments from both sides on Thursday and took the case under advisement without indicating when he would render a decision. But in granting the restraining order, he said that the conservation and tribal groups had shown that they were “likely to succeed on the merits” of their lawsuits...MORE