Environmental groups have sued to stop New Jersey's six-day black bear hunt after 589 of the animals were killed last year. An appeals court is scheduled to hand down a ruling tomorrow, as the season begins on Monday. "The back bear policy is full of scientific flaws, self-contradictions and outright fabrications," Doris Lin, director of legal services for New Jersey's Bear Education and Resource Group tells CBS. The bears should probably pay whoever is lobbying for the coyotes in Trenton to reduce their sentence to sprinklers. more ›

Coyotes have been spotted in New Jersey, possibly lured by the state's business-friendly climate, it's pristine shores or effective tourism campaign. Residents of Hackensack and Maywood are on edge after watching the wild animals traipse around their streets. One woman tells CBS that as she was putting her granddaughter in the car, "I came around the other side, and as I went to start the car, the coyote came right in front of us on the street." Somebody call the Governor, maybe he can pull a Palin and shoot em' from the sky! more ›

Could coyotes be the solution to our rodent problem? We've seen a few of the wild animals around the city streets this year, but they were run back out to more rural settings—in Chicago, however, they're letting the animals loose. Over at Chicago Breaking News, they have video (below) of a coyote running down State Street amongst traffic, allegedly hunting down vermin. more ›

Westchester police are on the lookout for two coyotes that mauled a 6-year-old girl in Rye. The girl was playing in her front yard with her sisters when the coyotes "pounced" from a bush, biting her on the shoulder, thigh and possibly ear and scratching her back. more ›

The 30-pound female coyote that was captured Thursday after leading authorities on a chase through lower Manhattan, has been released! The Parks Department kept mum on her new location when talking to the NY Post and NY Times, noting it didn't want Wally (that's what they named her) to be harassed once back in her natural habitat, but this morning spokeswoman Vickie Karp told us: "Our coyote has been released into Pelham Bay Park, the city's largest park, and one which already has coyotes in residence. Off she went — healthy, beautiful, and happy." Leave Wally alone, everyone. more ›

While we all wait for a Bald Eagle vs. Coyote face-off—or for those Columbia University coyotes to finish their education and take over the human race—we figured we'd get some facts from the front line. more ›

• Coyotes 5, Rangers 1: Wayne Gretzky returned to Madison Square Garden, the site of his final game as a player, to coach his Phoenix club to an easy win over the Rangers. His voice was hoarse because of a flu and laryngitis. Similar symptoms sidelined New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist, and Steve Valiquette wasn't up to the challenge of facing the worst offense in the Western Conference. Thanks to the wonders of the unbalanced schedule and the lockout, this was Phoenix's first trip to New York since 2002. At the rate the Rangers played against them, they might not want them back for another five years.
• Devils 4, Flyers 2: What more can be said about Martin Brodeur? He excelled in net again, and the Devils used his stopping of a penalty shot as a morale-booster during their home win over the Flyers. John Madden had two goals and an assist. more ›

Jamal Crawford led the way with 32 points and Zach Randolph added 20. Even Eddy Curry looked interested with 23 points and 9 rebounds, only his third game of the season with more than 8 rebounds. Add it all up and the Knicks got out of the cellar in the Eastern Conference. more ›

-Timberwolves 107, Knicks 89: Lackadaisical defense and inconsistent offense plagued the Knicks, who have lost three straight since undressing the Heat in Miami on Friday. Minnesota torched the Knicks by shooting 53 percent from the floor, and New York couldn't make the most of its shots. Quentin Richardson, one player who has appeared to benefit from Isiah Thomas' coaching, did not score and didn't attempt a field goal in 18 minutes. At least Steve Francis took his demotion from the starting lineup well -- he scored 19 points, including eight of nine free throws. The Knicks are 0-8 when they score fewer than 100 points. more ›