A state judge will decide whether gray wolf hunting and trapping should be blocked outside the gates of Yellowstone National Park after state officials pressed for a ban to be reinstated. At issue are two areas north of Yellowstone totaling about 60 square miles. State officials tried to shut down hunting and trapping in December over worries that too many wolves were being killed. A lawsuit blocked that move for now. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioners contend the closure was valid. But during a Monday hearing before Judge Brenda Gilbert, plaintiffs said not enough public notice was given before the closures were enacted. Gilbert did not immediately rule. Wildlife advocates say the case threatens to drive away tourists who visit Yellowstone to see wolves in the wild.
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