‘Squeezed’ Judge Doesn’t Issue Quick Injunction; Wolf Hunt Likely to Proceed

Environmentalists say a wolf hunt in Idaho is likely to proceed today, after a federal judge in Montana said he needed to review some documents before ruling on a request for an injunction.

The hunt would be the first in decades. Environmentalists say wolves should be returned to the endangered species list and the hunt banned, the New York Times reports.

After a three-hour hearing Monday, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said he would rule as quickly as possible, but he needed to review the documents first. New state laws allow hunts, first in Idaho, then in Montana.

Molloy stopped a wolf hunt in Idaho last year, but this year Idaho game officials announced the hunt only two months in advance. Doug Honnold, the lead lawyer for 13 environmental groups that filed suit, said the short notice left little time for a challenge.

“That squeezed the judge and the judicial review process,” Honnold told the Times.