Over 1,300 Gray Wolves Taken Off Endangered List

Federal wildlife officials said on Friday that they will take over 1,300 gray wolves in the Northern Rockies off the endangered species list in the next 60 days.

An attachment to the budget bill signed into law Friday by President Barack Obama has taken away the wolves’ protection in five Western states.

This will be the first time Congress has taken a species off the endangered list.

Idaho and Montana are planning public wolf hunts this fall.  The states had a similar mindset last year until a judge ruled that the species still remained at risk.

Wolves in Wyoming are still at risk because of its shoot-on-sight law for the canine-species.

Oregon and Washington have not announced immediate plans to hunt the wolf populations.