Bear hunts in Idaho and Wyoming were scheduled to begin on Sept. 1. (Alan Rogers/The Casper Star-Tribune via AP)
Wildlife officials in Wyoming and Idaho say they've been contacting hunters licensed to kill grizzly bears to tell them their hunts are on hold following a judge's ruling.
The two states on Saturday had been scheduled to hold their first grizzly hunts in more than 40 years in the mountainous region surrounding Yellowstone National Park.
Map shows grizzly bear occupied range across Yellowstone National Park. (Maps4News/HERE via AP)
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At the request of wildlife advocates and Native American tribes, a federal judge in Montana on Thursday blocked the hunts for 14 days while he considers whether protections for the bears should be restored.
Idaho Fish and Game Department assistant chief of wildlife Toby Boudreau said Friday the ruling delays the bear hunting season opening but has no other consequences.
A small group of grizzly bear advocates protest outside the U.S. District Court in Missoula, Montana, on Thursday, August 30, 2018. Wildlife advocates pressed a Montana judge Thursday to restore federal protections for a group of about 700 grizzly bears and block hunting that's set to begin this weekend, but the judge said he would not make an immediate ruling. (AP)
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About 700 grizzlies in the area lost federal protections last year.