LEWISTON -- The leader of the Anti Wolf Coalition in Idaho says he will try again to put a wolf removal initiative on the ballot now that a federal judge has restored endangered species protection for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies.

Ron Gillett says he's pleased with the judge's decision because it will reinvigorate his attempts to put a ballot initiative before Idaho voters.

Two previous attempts to put such an initiative before voters failed, the last one fizzling about 10,000 signatures short of the 45,000 needed by the May 1 deadline.

Gillette blamed the failure on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision last March to remove wolves from the endangered species list, allowing states to plan wolf hunts this fall.