Idaho Wildlife Managers Call Off Contracted Wolf Hunt

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho wildlife managers called off a professional wolf hunter who has been killing predators inside a federal wilderness area. Department of Fish and Wildlife yesterday said it was halting the hunt after nine wolves were killed. It had planned to keep hunter Gus Thoreson of Salmon in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness this winter as it sought reduce wolves and bolster low elk populations there. Wolf advocates initially lost their bid for a court order to force Thoreson to quit hunting wolves from his base on U.S. Forest Service territory. Yesterday, however, they contended their continued pressure — they'd appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — helped convince Fish and Game to end the hunt. Fish and Game didn't say why it acted.