Environmentalists Try to Halt Idaho Wolf, Coyote Hunt
On permitting issues
BOISE, Idaho — Environmental groups Monday asked a federal judge to halt a planned wolf and coyote derby in Idaho, branding the event an illegal killing contest.
The complaint by Wild Earth Guardians and other environmental groups in U.S. District Court in Pocatello contends that the U.S. Forest Service ignored federal laws by allowing the derby to proceed this Saturday and Sunday without requiring its organizers to first secure a special-use permit for a commercial event.
A group behind the event, a pro-hunting organization called Idaho for Wildlife, aims to lure up to 300 hunters to Salmon, Idaho, including children, to boost the economy — and raise awareness for health concerns it says are related to wolves.
