State and federal bear offcials to meet and discuss Molloy’s ruling adding griz back to list

Meeting on how to respond to the relisting of Yellowstone area griz set for Oct. 28-9-

Hopefully they will do more than complain and say the judge was wrong.

Story. Associated Press.

A second story. Pheasant hunter shoots grizzly sow

The 3 cubs were in good shape and couldn’t be trapped. In addition, there is yet another sow with 3 cubs in the area!

Rather than some marginal glade far from grizzly country (the Eldorado Grove), this sounds like grizzly central at this time of year where the bears are fat and cubs do well.

Here is a followup story in the Choteau Acantha. Pheasant hunter shoots grizzly sow

Idaho Fish and Game prepares to close wolf hunt in 3 zones

Hunters are nearing the quota in three Idaho wolf hunting zones-

Sixty-nine wolves have been shot now, 151 are left in the quota, but their are  sub-quotas — quotas for each wolf zone.

Palouse-Hells Canyon, McCall-Weiser, and Upper Snake have only 3 wolf tags left to fill.  Two of the three had only 5 tags to start with. McCall-Weiser had 15 tags and 12 have been filled.  The most wolves have been killed in the Sawtooth Zone, 17; but the quota is 55.

No wolves have been shot in Southern Idaho where the quota is 5.  In fact, there might not any wolves there.   The only real surprise to me is the Lolo Zone where Idaho Fish and Game and hunters have been crying for years now that there are huge number of wolves, and they say have had a big impact on elk.  However, only 3 wolves have been taken out of a quota of 27.  I never believed there were all that many wolves in the area, and have stated my opinion time after time.

An interesting question will be will the Idaho Fish and Game Commission increase quotas in some areas if as the hunt goes on, it becomes clear that certain hunting zone quotas will not be filled.  Alternatively they might call on that band of killers, Wildlife Services, to go in and make sure the quota is filled. Both possibilities will create a lot of controversy.

Story. Idaho F&G prepares to shutter wolf hunt in 3 zones. The Associated Press.

Map and table giving Idaho wolf hunt info to date.