By Alison Gene Smith
SALMON • The fate of a disputed coyote and wolf derby planned for this weekend in central Idaho will be debated today in federal court.
U.S. District Magistrate Judge Candy Dale scheduled a telephone hearing in an environmental group’s lawsuit for 9:30 a.m.
“We hope that the judge just laughs it off, which he should,” said Steve Alder, executive director of Idaho for Wildlife, the group hosting the derby.
Hunters will receive a $1,000 prize for the largest wolf killed. There is a $1,000 prize for shooting the most coyotes.
WildEarth Guardians and other environmental groups contend the U.S. Forest Service ignored federal laws by allowing the competition to proceed this Saturday and Sunday near Salmon without requiring organizers to first secure a special-use permit for a commercial event on public land. They’ve asked Dale to issue a temporary restraining order
that would halt the event.
The U.S. Forest Service says its rules don’t require a special permit.
“This twisted ‘wolf derby’ is a horrific demonstration of what happens when wolves are prematurely stripped of Endangered Species Act protection,” the Defenders of Wildlife organization posted on their website. “Over 154 wolves have already been killed in Idaho since this year’s hunting season began. Idaho wolves can’t bear to lose more pups, mothers and pack leaders than they already have. It’s up to you and me to stop this.”
Opponents have called the derby a “killing contest.”
These claims aren’t true, Alder said.
Data from Idaho Fish and Game shows that wolf harvest will be minimal, he said. Cold weather is mostly to blame, he said.
“There’s so much misinformation out there,” he said. “The threat of a big wolf slaughter is a joke.”
Alder said he doubts hunters who show up will even see a wolf.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
Exposing the Big Game 
There was an update an hour ago:
“After a phone hearing Friday morning, a federal judge has decided the fate of a disputed coyote and wolf derby planned for this weekend in central Idaho.
U.S. District Magistrate Judge Candy Dale ruled that organizers are not required to get a special Forest Service permit and the derby can go on as scheduled.”
Evil always wins. 😦
The chances are, Judge Candy Dale is a hunter, or she has come from a long line of hunters & therefore our wild life hasn’t got a real fighting chance! Are there any real animal lovers out there who are in government? If so, where are they? I was horrified to watch video’s of pets (dogs) who are tortured by electrocution, kept in cages, hosed down & then cattle prod to death, some are still alive before having their throats slit & some are killed by being hit across the bridge of the nose, & this happens in Korea! To a degree I fully understand where hunters are coming from but there have been other non lethal methods out there that many have dis-guarded & won’t try to implement, why? You have taken away the food resources by claiming the (elk, deer, buffalo to name a few). What do you all purpose Wolves & Coyote eat? They are not plant eaters! They are meat eaters like most of us are! How about Judge Candy Dale & everyone of those hunters who are taking part in the mass killing, stop eating meat like the rest of the slaughterous groups out there & see if they can survive or would they take every opportunity to scavenge to fill their hunger for the taste! America I can’t work you people out! I’m so posting this over my wall & be sure to let many people know just how disgusted I am about this pathetic ruling to slaughter another creature who has just as much right to live as we do & if you think I’m wrong, try researching on wolves & bears, their raising of their babies are not much different to how we raise our own! They feed them, look after them & try to protect them, how many hunters have done the same for their families? I’m totally disgusted 😦
i cannot stand the thought that they are celebrating their LEGAL victory. Sick about it.
Trophic cascade, jacked-up ecosystems, taking lives that nobody has the right to take, but hey, the motels are having a good weekend. That justifies everything. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/foes-forest-service-battle-idaho-wolf-derby-21349504
This is so disgusting . I called several of the sponsors of this event. One stated “you don’t know what’s going on here; it’s murderous”. I contend that the only murderers in Salmon are those who engage in this “derby” and encourage their children that participation in this killing is the right thing to do. What a twisted way to raise our young.
Its so deeply ingrained in their lives I don’t think they can grasp the idea that its wrong. How can they say it murderous one time, and another time say that they don’t expect very many wolves to be killed? You can’t have it both ways.