Back To Court….

UPDATE: November 8, 2011

No word from the Ninth Circuit yet!!

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Advocates seek stop to Idaho, Montana wolf hunts

By MATTHEW BROWN and NOAKI SCHWARTZ – Associated Press | AP

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Wildlife advocates appeared in federal court Tuesday seeking to stop gray wolf hunts that are already well under way in the Northern Rockies, arguing that Congress overstepped its authority in stripping federal protections from the canines.

Federal biologists say the wolf population is healthy enough to support the hunts in Idaho and Montana. The two states want to drive down the predators’ numbers to curb their attacks on livestock and big game herds.

But wildlife advocates say too many wolves are being shot too quickly, threatening to unravel the species’ decades-long recovery and killing animals closely followed by wolf watchers.

Almost 170 wolves have been shot since hunting began in late August.

“The longer the hunting season goes on, the more risk to the population in total,” said James “Jay” Tutchton, an attorney who spoke on behalf of WildEarth Guardians, one of the groups that sued Interior Secretary Ken Salazar after wolves lost their federal protections.

The hunts were allowed after Congress last spring took the unprecedented step of stripping endangered species protections from more than 1,300 wolves. That prompted a lawsuit from wildlife advocates who say Congress effectively reversed prior court rulings that favored protections for the animals.

Tuesday’s hearing was before a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, Calif.

The 9th Circuit agreed to hear the case on an expedited basis. But several groups involved in the lawsuit requested an injunction to stop the killing of wolves while the case is pending.

Read More: http://news.yahoo.com/advocates-seek-stop-idaho-montana-wolf-hunts-220628246.html

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November 8, 2011 @ 5am

Today is a landmark day for wolves. The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is hearing oral arguments on the wolf delisting lawsuit and considering the emergency injunction, to stop the brutal wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana. Wish we could be in Pasadena with everyone. Thanks in advance to all the dedicated wolf advocates who are taking the time to travel to the courthouse in a show of solidarity. Best of luck to the attorneys who are fighting the good fight for our wolves.

CLICK HERE to read the renewed emergency motion as filed.

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Death Toll November 8, 2011

167 Wolves Slaughtered In The Hunts

103 Killed By Wildlife Services and Ranchers (for ridiculously low depredations)

“Even without hunting, wolves are shot regularly in the region in response to livestock attacks. At least 103 of the predators had been killed this year by government wildlife agents and ranchers.”

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Total 264 dead wolves and it’s only November.

These numbers also don’t reflect poaching or general wolf mortality.

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Ranchers routinely lose thousands and thousands of cows every year to non-predation, IE: weather, disease, calving, theft.

2010 Cattle Loss Numbers Non-Predation (NASS)

Idaho: 86,900

Montana: 74,800

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Total: 161, 700

Yet wolves are dying because of extremely low depredations in each state. Why aren’t ranchers squawking about the 161,700 cows they lost in 2010 to non-predation?

This is a campaign to demonize wolves. The media glosses over or doesn’t report at all on the non-predation livestock losses.

Livestock are also lost to other predators. Feral dogs and coyotes are responsible for the majority of livestock  depredations but it’s wolves that garner the negative attention.

We can only hope the truth rings out loud and clear today in the Pasadena courtroom and the wolves plaintive howls of suffering are finally heard.

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Idaho and Montana state wolf hunts head to court

BILLINGS, Mont.—Wildlife advocates are due in federal court Tuesday seeking an injunction to stop gray wolf hunts already well under way in the Northern Rockies.

Federal biologists say the wolf population is healthy enough to support the hunts in Idaho and Montana. The two states want to drive down the predators’ numbers to curb their attacks on livestock and big game herds.

But wildlife advocates say too many wolves are being shot too quickly, threatening to unravel the species’ decades-long recovery and killing animals closely followed by wolf watchers.

More than 150 wolves have been shot since hunting began in late August.

Tuesday’s hearing is before a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, Calif. The hunts were allowed after Congress last spring took the unprecedented step of stripping endangered species protections from more than 1,300 wolves. That prompted a lawsuit from wildlife advocates who say Congress overstepped its bounds by effectively reversing prior court rulings that favored protections for the animals.

The 9th Circuit has agreed to hear the case on an expedited basis. But several groups involved in the lawsuit requested an injunction to stop the killing of wolves while the case is pending.

“We perceive a continuing threat not just to the population in total but to particular individual wolves. Even if the court is going to delay another three months, we would like them to stop the hunt while they consider the case,” said attorney Jay Tutchton with plaintiff WildEarth Guardians.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/11/08/idaho_and_montana_state_wolf_hunts_head_to_court/

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Photo: Lawyer Mohawk Courtesy A.S.

Posted in: Wolf Wars

Tags: US Ninth Circuit, emergency injunction, Pasadena, brutal wolf hunts, wolves suffering