In the middle of writing a post on wolverines celebrating the end of trapping in Montana, I was informed that trappers and the Montana Fish Wildlife Parks Department are frantically trying to reverse the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and commence with the wolverine trapping season. The agency is even getting other states wildlife agencies involved to act as witnesses. Stay tuned for my lengthy, updated wolverine post; in the meantime, Here’s the latest article on the situation–note that the follow up hearing is set for January 10th…….
A Helena judge issued a temporary restraining order that will delay Montana’s wolverine trapping season.
Written by Tribune staff
A district court judge in Helena granted a temporary restraining order against the state’s wildlife agency that blocks the opening of Montana’s wolverine trapping season until at least early next year.
The season was set to open Saturday.
The restraining order was sought by a coalition of groups trying to halt wolverine trapping in Montana. Helena District Judge Jeffery Sherlock granted the order. A follow-up hearing is set for Jan. 10.
The eight-group coalition, led by the Western Environmental Law Center, wants to ban wolverine trapping until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines if the wolverine will be placed on the federal list of threatened and endangered species.
Ken McDonald, wildlife bureau chief for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Helena, said Montana’s quota of five wolverines is based on sound wildlife management science that doesn’t put the state’s wolverine population at risk.
In 2010, USFWS determined that threats to the wolverine included climate change but declined to list it as an endangered or threatened species due to higher priorities. At the time, USFWS suggested that the wolverine population is stable or expanding and that between 250 and 300 wolverines inhabit the northern Rocky Mountains.
McDonald said FWP will immediately begin to examine the restraining order and consider legal options but for now trappers are prohibited from pursuing wolverines in Montana.
Exposing the Big Game 
Just fucking wow. The fuckwit faction (including MFWPD) of Montana won’t be happy until they’ve wiped out every last wolverine from the state. You’d think they’d be happy being able to torture all the other furbearers, but it’s just not fucking enough for them. My contempt for the torturers and murderers of wildlife, and their enablers, grows a bit more each day.
I know. It’s so difficult to retain any equanimity when you see this time and again, every day. I’m constantly trying to find ways to better channel my anger and despondency over these issues.
It’s not easy
Same here, Ingrid. Yet all my attempts to deal with my anger over these issues come to naught.
Yep, the more you know about them, the more you hate ’em
P.S. Yeah, I’m pissed off after reading that.
More humans should “do the right thing.” I have been lucky enough to see a River Otter at play. My friend and I were canoeing in the estuaries of the Bass River, NJ. We sat only for a few minutes. We were close enough to take a photo but decided against it. We didn’t want the “click, click” of the camera to disturb its fun (this was before digital cameras).
The River Otter was a BIG guy. It was playing with a rather large clam. It was hard not to laugh at its antics. We back tracked to another estuary. The scene was tho topic for years to come. We still bring it up from time to time 🙂
Just like humans expect privacy in their home, so does wildlife!
Exactly Danielle, I’ve seen a lot of photographers do the wrong thing and camp out in front of badger or coyotes birthing dens hoping to catch them when they come out. More often than not, when people wonder how someone got such a close photo or film footage, it was a result of disturbing an animal.
250 to 350 wolverines left in the country and the Montana Fish and Wildlife Department doesn’t see anything wrong with allowing trappers to persecute them further! Can you think of a better example demonstrating the utter depravity and malignancy of these people charged with managing the country’s fish and “game”? You don’t aim to reason with or accommodate cancer cells, you seek to eradicate them.
Yep, The only question is whether to use radiation or chemotherapy…
🙂 Either is acceptable.
Whichever’s quicker