Oregon Public Broadcasting

A federal judge in Montana says hunters can continue to shoot wolves in Idaho. He turned down a request by conservation groups to stop the wolf season.

It's already underway in Idaho and will start next week in Montana. Correspondent Doug Nadvornick reports.

Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula ruled the hunts would not harm the wolves this fall in Idaho and Montana.

Suzanne Stone from the group Defenders of Wildlife says she's disappointed with the short-term outcome.

But she thinks another part of Molloy's ruling is good news for the conservationists' attempt to put wolves back on the endangered list.

Suzanne Stone: “He did rule that we were likely to succeed in the overall lawsuit in showing that the Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Endangered Species Act.”

That case could go to trial next year.

For now, the hunt continues in Idaho. So far, three wolves have been killed.

About 1300 of them live in Idaho and Montana. Some 300 wolves could be killed.