jm77,
The regulation concerning the Predator Zone should not change including the boundaries of that zone. It is just being held in abeyance until the latest appeal period expires.
The trophy zone will require the Wyoming Game and Fish to establish harvest quotas and seasons for the trophy zone. I would expect that Game and Fish are doing this right now while the time for appeal is running. Historically, the trophy zone seasons were in the Fall. It is possible that the quotas may be higher because there has been no wolf hunting since 2013. With state management, Wyoming has the right to determine all the ground rules in the trophy zone. Hopefully, when the appeal period has expired the Wyoming Game and Fish will have set seasons and a quota for harvest. My guess is they are not there yet.
When I spoke with Big Fin of RMEF, he indicated that they were not anticipating this outcome and not this soon. I expected a decision this soon, but I was anticipating an affirmation of the Federal District Judge's opinion relisting the wolves. The D.C. Circuit is a notoriously liberal court stacked with a lot of judicial activist judges. The decision was a sharp rebuke to the Federal District Judge and to the eco-elites. It may well be that the flimsy basis for the trial judge's initial decision was too much for the court to go with. I liken it to the fact that the three judge court may have felt that they couldn't make "chicken salad" out of "chicken sh**". It is also possible that their opinion may have been a clear message that they don't want these delisting decisions in the West and Midwest to be decided by the D.C. courts.
The precedent established by this last decision is pretty simple. Basically, the appellate court is saying that if the USFWS follows all the procedures and rules to delist a protected species, it is not the purpose of the court to second guess the science and ultimately the decision making of that agency.
just sayin...mh
