A federal judge in New Mexico has allowed the USDA to proceed with a plan to shoot up to 150 'unauthorized' cattle from a helicopter in the Gila National Forest, despite opposition from local cattle producers and an animal rights group. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) argues that the feral cattle, which have caused damage to the wilderness, pose a threat to public safety and natural resources. The cattle producers have challenged the Forest Service's authority to hunt the cattle and criticized the agency for not repairing faulty fences to prevent the cattle from entering the forest. The Forest Service claims the cattle have become 'undomesticated' and estimates their numbers to be between 150 and 200.