Boise State Public Radio News | By Jaxon Holmes

Published February 19, 2025 at 8:30 AM MST

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Email
• https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/law-justice/2025-02-19/federal-judge-shortened-wolf-trapping-season

Listen • 1:14

A federal magistrate has upheld a previous decision to prohibit trapping and snaring wolves during certain seasons.

The initial lawsuit was filed by Earthjustice, an environmental nonprofit.

Ben Scrimshaw, a Senior Associate Attorney with Earthjustice, said the decision to limit the recreational wolf trapping season to times when grizzly bears are hibernating will help protect the bears.

“We know that the size of the wolf traps that are permitted by Idaho are more than capable of capturing and holding grizzly bears. And then snares are even more dangerous for grizzly bears” he said.

After federal Magistrate Judge Candy Dale made the initial decision in March 2024, Idaho Fish and Game requested she reconsider.

Roger Phillips, the Public Information Supervisor for Idaho Fish and Game, said they are disappointed by both rulings.

“We’ve been trapping wolves for over a decade. There’s never been a grizzly bear killed. And none that we know of have ever been caught in a wolf trap” Phillips said.

Phillips says wolf trapping and snaring is a part of a long-term plan to manage wolf populations in Idaho but trappers have already adapted their practices to comply with the ruling.

The Cool DownFollow

140.3K Followers

Story by Cassidy Lovell

 • 23h • 2 min read

With lax regulations and an annual hunting quota, the animals are just barely getting by.

The Swedish government has put in motion a plan to halve the country’s population of endangered wolves, outraging conservationists.

What happened?

As Mongabay detailed, the Swedish government permitted a hunt in January that allowed for the killing of 30 endangered wolves. According to the Guardian, there were 375 recorded individuals before the hunt. Despite records that the population dropped around 20% in 2022-23, the government announced the intention to reduce numbers further.

The new “favorable conservation status” population number has been set at 170, down from the previous minimum of 300.  

Berne convention members also ruled recently that the wolves’ status be moved from “strictly protected” to “protected,” with this coming into force in March. This will enable more wolves to be legally culled in European nations. The ruling has been made to protect farmer’s livestock and stop the wolf population from getting out of control. 

However, according to the Guardian, environmental experts believe the ruling would not only be devastating for the wolves but for the wider ecosystem across the European continent as well.  

Why is the wolf population important?

For nearly 20 years and until 1983, Sweden had no wolf breeding population. With lax regulations and a hunting quota, the wolves are just barely getting by, the news outlet reported.

Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

Ecosystems have a fragile balance. Without a top predator, prey species can over-populate, and the entire habitat can pay the price. 

What’s being done to protect the wolves?

Unfortunately, the government gave the go-ahead and handed out permits to hunters, but this hasn’t stopped protection efforts. Conservationists continue to speak out against the unnecessary killing of wolves.

A decade ago, similar outcry from conservationists, including the European Environmental Bureau and WWF, kept 44 wolves from being culled, showing action can yield results.

If you’re concerned about animal conservation where you live, you can donate to climate causes, or you can write to your local representative about the importance of healthy ecosystems.