Mule Deer Fanatic

As quoted from the Wyoming Game and Fish :

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On March 28, 2008, wolves were officially removed from the Endangered Species List in the Northern Rocky Mountains. This includes the entire states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, as well as portions of Utah, Oregon, and Washington. However, a number of groups have filed a lawsuit challenging the delisting of wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains. Those same groups filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to restore Endangered Species Act protection to wolves while the lawsuit is being heard. On July 18, 2008, a federal judge in Montana granted this injunction, returning management authority for wolves to the federal government.

News Release
Contact: Eric Keszler
eric.keszler@wgf.state.wy.us
July 18, 2008
Cheyenne Headquarters
5400 Bishop Blvd.
Cheyenne, WY 82006
Phone: (307) 777-4594 ▪ Fax: (307) 777-4600
http://gf.state.wy.us
Federal Court Decision Changes Wolf Management in Wyoming
CHEYENNE—A decision issued today in federal court will have significant impacts on the way
wolves are managed in Wyoming. Judge Donald Molloy issued an injunction to suspend the
removal of wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains from the federal Endangered Species List.
Wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains were removed from the Endangered Species List in
March 2008. A number of environmental groups are challenging the US Fish and Wildlife
Service’s delisting decision. Today’s injunction effectively returns management authority for
wolves in the region to the federal government while these legal challenges are heard.
Under state management, wolves in Wyoming were classified as Trophy Game animals in the
northwest corner of the state and Predatory animals in the rest of the state. In the Trophy Game
area, wolves could only be taken by hunters with a wolf hunting license during an open season or
by ranchers who had been issued a lethal take permit by the Game and Fish. In the Predatory
Animal area, wolves could be taken by anyone at any time.
As a result of today’s injunction, wolves can no longer be taken anywhere in Wyoming except in
cases where wolves are in the act of attacking livestock. Ranchers who are experiencing
livestock depredation problems anywhere in the state should contact their local Wyoming Game
and Fish office.