VERNAL, Utah (AP) — Crews spent 12 hours rescuing a California man who fell while exploring a Utah cave.

The Deseret News reports Uintah County Sheriff’s Cpl. Brian Fletcher says the man and three friends on Sunday were exploring Little Brush Creek Cave in the Ashley National Forest near Dinosaur National Monument, when the man slipped and fell approximately 50 feet, breaking both of his arms.

It took one of the man’s friends about an hour to get back to the cave entrance where he was able to call 911 about 9 p.m.

Sheriff’s officials say crews were able to bring the injured man to the surface just before 10 a.m. Monday. He was flown to a hospital to be treated for multiple injuries.

Environmental groups and tribal governments are asking a federal judge to rule immediately in their favor and invalidate the federal government’s decision to lift protections for the Yellowstone grizzly bears.

The various groups, represented by Earthjustice, requested summary judgment from the U.S. District Court in Missoula in their lawsuit over the removal of Endangered Species Act protections from the Yellowstone grizzly bears. The request, filed Monday, came on the last day of a public comment period on how an appeals court decision regarding the delisting of wolves in the Great Lakes should affect the Yellowstone grizzlies’ final delisting rule.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opened that comment period months after the bears were delisted, a move opponents say was meant to cover up legal flaws in the rule removing protections for the bears.

In a press release announcing the request, the groups argue that the comment period is “evidence the government did not complete its homework” before delisting the bears.

“The time for taking public comment and considering all issues surrounding the removal of federal protections for Yellowstone grizzlies was before those protections were removed, not after the decision was finalized,” said Tim Preso, an Earthjustice attorney, in the release.

Earthjustice filed the request on behalf of the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Parks Conservation Association and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, plaintiffs in one of five lawsuits over the delisting that have been combined by a judge in Missoula.

A USFWS spokesman declined to comment on the request.

The Yellowstone grizzly bears had been listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act for more than 40 years when the protections were lifted in summer 2017. Removing the protections ceded management responsibility to the states of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana and opened the door for potential hunts. None have been planned.

Shortly after the protections were removed, environmental groups and tribal governments sued over the decision. In the lawsuits, delisting opponents raised concerns over the population’s status as a distinct population segment, which is the issue raised in the request for summary judgement.

USFWS considers the Yellowstone bears a distinct population segment from other grizzly populations in the lower 48, which allows them to delist the Yellowstone bears while leaving the other populations — like the bears in and around Glacier National Park — on the threatened list.

USFWS used the same rationale in a 2011 attempt to delist the Western Great Lakes gray wolf. But a Humane Society lawsuit has blocked that delisting.

This fall, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., sided with the Humane Society, saying the agency failed to consider the impact delisting that subset of wolves would have on the legal status of wolves elsewhere.

In December, USFWS announced a 30-day public comment period on how that decision affects the Yellowstone grizzly delisting, which remains in effect. Delisting opponents have described the comment period as an attempt to cover up legal flaws in the rule. David Mattson, a scientist and prominent grizzly advocate, wrote on the Grizzly Times blog Sunday that the comment period “was a cynical attempt to retrospectively develop a paper trail to remedy a patently deficient and overly hasty decision process” and flush out arguments delisting opponents might make in court.

The comment period closed Monday night. As of Monday afternoon, more than 2,700 comments had been received through the federal government’s online portal.

The agency plans to review the comments and issue a report detailing its conclusions by the end of March.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A federal judge sentenced a man to five years of probation after authorities say he killed a grizzly bear in northwestern Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park last year.

KTWO-AM reports William Kenneth Stoner was also ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution and a $5,000 fine after he pleaded guilty in October to killing the bear.

Authorities say Stoner shot and killed the bear in May while hunting for black bear in Park County.

Authorities say Stoner took the bear to be registered at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department office in Cody, and a department officer discovered the animal was an endangered grizzly bear.

Stoner also pleaded guilty to a felon in possession of a firearm charge.

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Information from: KTWO-AM, http://www.k2radio.com/

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A federal agency doesn’t need to do a new environmental study before being allowed to kill more wolves in Idaho, a federal court judge has ruled.

U.S. District Court Judge Edward Lodge on Thursday ruled in favor of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services of Idaho and against Western Watersheds Project and four other environmental groups.

Lodge said that even if Wildlife Services stopped killing wolves in Idaho, it wouldn’t matter because the Idaho Department of Fish and Game manages wolves in the state and has demonstrated it can kill wolves, hire third parties to kill wolves, or increase hunting and trapping for wolves. He said that meant the environmental groups lacked standing to bring the lawsuit.

“Plaintiffs have not shown that the relief they seek will redress their claimed injuries,” Lodge wrote.

Laird Lucas, an attorney at Advocates for the West representing the groups, said the ruling will be appealed.

“We believe the court’s holding that plaintiffs lacked standing, based on speculation that Idaho Department of Fish and Game could take over all of Wildlife Services’ wolf-killing activities in Idaho, is incorrect.”

Lodge didn’t rule on the main thrust of the environmental groups’ arguments, including one that contended Wildlife Services’ 2011 study that allowed it to kill wolves in the state is flawed because it relies on outdated information. The groups also say that the outdated information includes Idaho choosing to use a 2002 wolf management plan that requires 15 packs minimum in the state, which the groups contend is not enough for a viable population.

Todd Grimm, Idaho State Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, said Lodge was right in that Idaho Fish and Game is capable of controlling wolves as well as the federal agency.

“We are pleased with the decision by the court, and we will continue working with our Idaho Fish and Game partners to manage wolf conflicts,” he said Friday.

Grimm said that his agency killed 56 wolves in Idaho in 2017, all due to attacks on livestock. He said the agency killed 70 wolves in Idaho in 2016 — 50 due to livestock attacks and 20 to relieve pressure on elk herds in northern Idaho.

The last intensive wolf count in Idaho was in 2015 when officials said the state had an estimated 786 wolves at the end of the year. That’s also the last year Idaho Fish and Game was required to do that type of count after wolves were removed from the Endangered Species List.

Roger Phillips, a spokesman for the agency, said biologists now get a general estimate of wolf populations using remote cameras, tracking wolf kills by hunters and trappers, and doing genetic studies. He said Friday that genetic studies give an estimate of 53 wolf packs in the state, while cameras and harvest tallies put the estimate at 90 packs.

He said the agency estimates the wolf population in Idaho is still about the same as at the end of 2015 — between 750 and 800 wolves.

“We have seen no dramatic increase or decrease in the last five years, which leads us to believe that it’s a stable population,” he said.

ANTELOPE ISLAND, Utah (AP) — Bighorn sheep used to roaming rocky cliffs on an island in the Great Salt Lake found themselves in even higher altitudes Friday as they soared through the air on slings attached to helicopters.

The animals’ flight was part of a periodic roundup to control the sheep’s population on the 15-mile long island.

Officials with the state Division of Wildlife Resources and State Parks used the helicopter to bring about 15 sheep to a staging area at a ranch on the island, where the sheep received vaccinations and health checks.

The animals were loaded onto trailers and driven to central Utah mountains, where they’ll be released.

MOOSE, Wyo. (AP) — Wildlife managers in Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming say they had to euthanize a red fox that was exhibiting bold behavior because people had been feeding it.

The National Park Service says the fox had to be killed because of concern for human safety.

Feeding park wildlife is illegal.

Grand Teton Superintendent David Vela says he hopes this case will serve as a cautionary reminder to not feed wildlife and to secure food sources that might attract wildlife.

Vela encouraged park visitors to immediately report incidents of animals being fed.

Biologists have documented increasing numbers of habituated and food-conditioned foxes in the park.

Some foxes have been observed begging for food in developed areas and harassing ice fisherman on Jackson Lake.

BURTON — A large cat was spotted on New Year’s Day near the Burton Cemetery about 4 miles southwest of Rexburg.

Kathleen Price, a 30-year Burton resident and employee for East Idaho Health and Welfare, said she could see the wild animal from her home.

“It was a mountain lion,” she said. “It was catching voles and mice and whatever it could pounce on.”

Price said the large cat was just making its way through the field next to her property searching for easy prey to eat. Around 4 p.m. the cat left the area.

Later Price saw the animal’s large paw prints in the snow, giving a clue as to what type of cat it could be.

Price, who has a background in geology and has had experience in animal tracking, said the signs pointed to it being a mountain lion, even though some doubted her claim.

“I’ve tracked before, and these tracks showed it was a mountain lion,” she said. “Usually there’s several normal cats that just live out there, but there were none. Our dog wouldn’t come out of the garage, they just stayed in the background and didn’t want to be seen.”

Price and her husband, Jay, reported the sighting to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, who then alerted the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Both organizations cautioned safety when encountering wildlife.

Fish and Game Regional Wildlife Manager Curtis Hendricks said he knew about the incident and encourages locals to be on the lookout.

“The information we were able to see did not necessarily point to the animal being a mountain lion,” he said. “We’re not saying it wasn’t one, either. That’s fine, and we still want people to call in and report something that seems out of place, specifically these species that have a human safety hazard to it. We really want to hear about that.”

Early the next morning Brigham Young University–Idaho employee and LaBelle resident Regina Hull was jogging on her route in the LaBelle area when she saw a dark shape silhouetted against the roadway.

“I vaguely saw a large, dark lump in the middle of the road in the shadow of the trees,” Hull said. “I quickly turned on my bright flashlight to see what looked like a huge cat laying down. I think it was mountain lion.”

As Hull slowly began to back away, the large cat got up and casually walked in a different direction. As soon as it was out of sight, Hull sprinted home. She posted her experience on Facebook to warn her neighbors.

It wasn’t long before Price saw what might have been the same big cat in the field by her home again.

“The next day it was back,” Price said. “It did the same thing, just wandering around in the field.”

Price said mountain lions, as well as bobcats and other large wild cats, aren’t savage creatures, but they shouldn’t be messed around with.

“They’re not super aggressive,” Price said. “They won’t attack a human for no reason, but I wouldn’t want to mess around or put myself in a situation where one might be in danger.”

Price said she wasn’t afraid of having wild animals in her yard. After living in Burton for so many years, it’s become part of the scenery.

“It was cool to see it. I hope no one gets too crazy and thinks they need to kill it,” she said. “I’m happy to live here where we can enjoy these things every once in a while.”

Hendricks said if there are any more sightings of mountain lions in the area, he wants to know about it, even if the caller isn’t sure about what they saw.

“The big thing is we want to know about it, and the quicker they let us know the sooner we can get out and handle the situation,” he said. “If there is evidence, such as tracks or scat, you can put a small tarp or something over it to preserve it from the elements.”

Hendricks said the last thing anyone wants is to get in a physical altercation with a wild animal.

“We don’t want to perpetuate a conflict, so if you see the animal, don’t run from it,” he said. “We want to make folks appear big but slowly back away from the animal and then immediately report their encounter.”

Hendricks said to act in charge and not look afraid when backing away from mountain lions.

“Don’t act submissive. Keep facing the animal. If you are struggling against an attack from a mountain lion, we encourage you to fight back until you can get away,” he said.

If you see what looks like a mountain lion or other big game animal, make sure to get yourself to a safe location and contact local wildlife authorities or the sheriff’s office.

I had a late-season landowner’s elk tag so I needed to get out scouting. Where I’d be hunting is out in wide open country. I hunted down there last year but didn’t really know the area so I ordered some maps from MyTopoMaps. I love their maps. They’re a lot more detailed and precise than any other maps I’ve ever seen.

In this area, there are some small groups of elk scattered around, but as a whole they run in herds of 200 to 1,500. That many elk can eat you out of house and home if you’re a rancher, which is why they give out these tags.

It is super big country. The first year I hunted there I took off across the desert. But you could walk 20 to 30 miles without seeing an elk. So what you need to do is drive around and determine the general locale that they’re hanging in and then plan a stalk.

Last year I figured I’d be lucky to get a 500-yard shot. Turns up I got within 40 yards of one group and 35 yards of another group — and this herd was about 500! Things worked out great for these stalks. It doesn’t always work out that well.

I’m not into the long-range shooting scene, but you’re going to have to be comfortable shooting out there a little bit if you’re going to hunt in this country.

If you’re going to be at the Safari Club International Convention in Las Vegas on Feb. 3, drop by. Ron Spomer and I will be teaching a seminar titled “Pragmatic Long-Range Hunting.” What we’re going to teach is to have a flat-shooting rifle and good ammo, as well as how to zero in your rifle at 200 yards for hunting in this kind of country. That way you can pretty much hold dead-on from 100 to 400 yards and still hit in the kill zone.

Myself, I’m not comfortable shooting much past that. A few mistakes I think most people make is that they don’t practice enough with their rifle to be comfortable with it and know where it hits. Probably the second biggest mistake is choosing the wrong ammo. Not only do you need to get ammo that shoots accurately in your particular rifle, but you also need to use ammo that performs well. Not all ammo is created equal.

Another big thing for longer range shots is having a good rest. A lot of these guys who claim to be able to consistently drill targets at 1,000 yards are lost in the real hunting world. It’s a lot different out in the real world.

You see an elk, he sees you and you have a few seconds to unsling your rifle, get a steady rest and stabilize your breathing, oh, and yeah, get a shot.

You have to be able to improvise. One time there may be a good tree or log to lean on. Next time it will be a rock or boulder and the next time, nada. What do you do then? You may use a bipod. But if you get a bipod I’d suggest getting one that is at least 24 inches tall or you won’t be able to see over the sagebrush and weeds. We’re not hunting on a flat golf course you know. A lot of bi-pods are only 9 to 12 inches. They’re made for shooting from the prone position.

Another popular option is shooting sticks. There are a lot of options on the market. Some are almost a walking stick with a rest that can be elevated. The single-leg ones are not too stable. Then there are bi-pods that go up to 60 inches. You can adjust them to any desired height. They’re more stable than a single-legged shooting stick and a good choice but they also make tri-pods that are even more stable. These last two options will have a V-shaped rest on top in which you can lay your rifle. I’m about to go on some varmint hunts in Texas, so I ordered a Bogpod tripod to test out. I’ll let you know how it works out.

Before I ever saw any shooting sticks on the market I used to get two half-inch dowel rods and tape them together about 6 inches from the top. I’d stick these in my back pocket while walking across the prairies antelope hunting. They work pretty good. You just spread the base out further to get lower settings.

Part 2 of Tom Claycomb’s article will be published in the Idaho State Journal next Friday.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.

Welcome to 2018 and all it will bring for outdoors folks. Many are looking forward to hunting, and even if you’re not a hunter, you’re probably a wildlife watcher, so there’s lots of cool things in the coming months.

It’s tricky to talk about the upcoming hunting season while it’s still in progress. Jan. 1 is technically the start of the new hunting season, so don’t forget to buy your 2018 license, but it’s also continuation of 2017 for a variety of hunts.

Let’s look at what’s currently available, and then what lies ahead. As most hunters know, Idaho has some generously long bird seasons, so shotgunners can continue to pursue waterfowl and upland game birds. Waterfowl hunters should take note of extended seasons for white-fronted geese and snow geese, which last into February and March, respectively. You can see details in the waterfowl rules booklet.

Predator hunters can take advantage of animals being at lower elevations, and snow provides easier tracking, and pelts are in prime condition.

Those aren’t the only things that hunters focus on during winter. Most are involved in hunting year-round, even if they don’t have a gun or bow in hand and a tag in their pockets. We’re watching wildlife and gearing for upcoming seasons.

So far, weather is pretty mild in comparison with last winter, but there’s still a lot winter to get through. It’s a busy time of year for Fish and Game crews because they’re monitoring big game herds by flying and counting animals and trapping and collaring young deer and elk so they can see how many survive winter.

Winter is a double-edged sword for big game herds because the habitat they rely on needs snow and rain to grow forage and sustain animals, but like last winter showed, there can be too much of a good thing.

Winter is a critical test for fawns and calves. If they survive their first winter, they’re likely to survive many more. Long-term averages show about 57 percent of mule deer fawns will survive their first winter, but for adults it’s typically over 95 percent. Because elk are larger animals, calves usually survive at higher rates, but getting through the first winter isn’t a gimme for them, either.

Fish and Game collars hundreds of young deer and elk and adult females every winter so they can monitor their survival and adjust hunting seasons in accordance. Biologists have been doing it for 20 years, and it has provided valuable insight into how herds fare each winter.

With a little luck from the weather, we may see our mule deer herds bounce back, or at least, sustain their current levels. Idaho’s current elk boom is likely to continue barring something catastrophic.

While winter has just started, it’s not too soon to start thinking about spring. Seems like we barely get the shotguns put away from waterfowl season and it’s time to break them out again for turkey season in April.

I also mentioned wildlife watching, and that’s another cool opportunity for outdoors folks. Most big game animals are down on winter range, which makes them easily visible, but people should always respect how important it is to leave animals undisturbed. There are many places around the state you can drive and park and spot them with binoculars or spotting scopes.

There’s also some amazing waterfowl watching in late winter and early spring when flocks of snow and white-fronted geese migrate through Idaho on their northern journey. The Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area and Roswell Marsh near Parma are both amazing places to see (and hear) them. It’s also a good place to see large flocks of turkeys, but tags for them are limited to controlled hunts, so don’t forget to apply in February.

The following press release from Idaho Power is warning residents that high water levels on the Snake River are creating potentially dangerous situations for those recreating on or near the river:

Water levels in the Snake River are higher than normal for this time of year, creating potential hazards for duck hunters, anglers and others recreating on or near the river.

Carryover from the last winter’s heavy snowpack has prompted releases from dams in the Upper Snake Reservoir system, which is managed by the US Bureau of Reclamation. The current flow past Milner Dam, east of Twin Falls, was approximately 7,400 cubic feet per second (cfs) on Jan. 2. The normal flow past Milner Dam this time of year is approximately 1,500 cfs. Flows are likely to remain at or above current levels through February, since the Upper Snake reservoirs need to allow water to pass downstream while maintaining sufficient space to catch spring runoff.

Duck hunters have reported water much deeper and swifter than expected in some popular locations, such as the areas around C.J. Strike Reservoir, south of Mountain Home. Anyone planning to recreate on or near the river should be aware of the conditions and use caution.

Flow forecasts for the Snake River near Murphy (downstream of C.J. Strike Dam and also Swan Falls) are provided by the Northwest River Forecast Center, at nwrfc.noaa.gov/rfc/. Use the navigation on the right to search for the Snake River stations list and find the river gage for the Snake below Swan Falls (SWAI1), also known as the Murphy gage. Since there are few tributaries between C.J. Strike Dam and the Murphy gage, the forecast flow at Murphy should be close to the flow downstream of C.J. Strike Dam.

As of early Wednesday morning, the gage was showing flows over 14,000 cfs; normal readings for January are around 8,500 cfs.