Judge Holds Yellowstone Grizzly Hunts in Pause
A Montana federal judge, Judge Dana Christensen, issued a 14‑day restraining order that temporarily stops the first trophy hunts for grizzlies in the Yellowstone area in more than four decades. The decision was made just days before Wyoming and Idaho were set to start a new licensed hunting season, allowing up to 23 bears to be taken for sport.
Why It Matters
- Native American groups and environmentalists have long argued that grizzly bears deserve protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
- The restlessness of the hunting season threatens not only the bears themselves but the cultural values of many tribes who consider the grizzlies sacred.
- After the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the grizzlies from the threatened list in 2017, state management took over — a move many scientists and activists say was a reckless gamble.
The Court’s Slip‑Through
Judge Christensen listened to both sides and made a clear statement: the plaintiffs — comprising tribes and conservation groups — are likely to win their larger lawsuit that could reinstate federal safeguards for the grizzlies. The restraining order is a precautionary pause while that bigger case is decided.
What Happens Next?
Wyoming and Idaho officials have all but accepted the court’s decision, saying they’d be ready to comply should the order stay in place and when the larger legal question is resolved. Meanwhile, the states have yet to respond to wildlife managers who want to know how the hunting season will officially start after the ruling.
Tribal Voices
Stan Grier, chief of the Piikani Nation and president of the Blackfoot Confederacy Chiefs, put it bluntly:
“It’s essential to protecting our religious and spiritual freedoms, and treaty rights in Yellowstone,”
“This sacred being is considered to be a deity by many tribes, not a rug.”
This ruling is a reminder that the beautiful, hirsute giants roaming Yellowstone are not just pretty to look at—they hold deep spiritual significance for those who have lived in harmony with the forest for millennia.
