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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 14783
[Animals]
Date Posted:
1/18/2006
6:50:27 pm EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 4,966
RSS: 17,601
Comments: 15
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Judge Rules Alaskan Wolf-Killing Program Illegal
Author: Yereth Rosen, Reuters Source: Yahoo
Title: JUDGE RULES ALASKAN WOLF-KILLING PROGRAM ILLEGAL
A judge declared illegal on Tuesday Alaska's controversial program of shooting wolves from the air to boost the population of moose and other game, prompting state officials to suspend the policy.
Superior Court Judge Sharon Gleason said the Alaska Board of Game failed to follow its own requirements when it launched a program allowing private hunters to gun down wolves from an aircraft to remove the animals from the food chain.
Since the program started in 2003, licensed hunters have shot and killed hundreds of wolves by tracking the animals and shooting them from above in the face of protests from animal rights groups and the occasional tourism boycott.
Gleason ruled that the state failed to adequately address regulatory requirements, calling for proof that aerial wolf control is necessary and would be more effective than other, less-drastic steps to boost game populations.
Submitted by and Thanks to: ShadowCat
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Community Thoughts: There are 15 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Damage Is Already Done | Jan 21st. at 1:26:02 am EST
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NOVA (New Brunswick, New Jersey) - Email Me
Well, sounds like it's too late anyway, the damage has been done. Typical of the government to allow things, then cover for it by 'pretending' to care about it later, AFTER the desired result has already been achieved.
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| Well | Jan 20th. at 12:28:03 pm EST
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Zillah (Juneau, Alaska) - Email Me
First, From an earlier comment where someone said that hunting moose, elk, and deer is not nessacary for people it is apparent that is a big thing that people who dont live in alaska dont understand. That in many villages around the state, it *is* nessacary. Many villages dont have all the conveniences that most people down south are used to, including a constant supply of fresh meat and veggies and fruits at a super market. Those villages live on subsistence and it is absolutely nessacary for them to hunt and fish to live. So many places around the state are only accessable by small planes or boats that they cannot get market shelves restocked often like you would be able to in a normal small town. Also in the winter there is a bigger chance of those small planes and boats being unable to reach the villages due to weather. Do you expect those people to just sit around and starve while they wait for the weather to clear up? They must hunt all year to make sure that they can survive the winters. That situation is pretty common in this state. But one thing those people are not, is sport hunters.
Dont get me wrong though, I dont agree with aerial wolf hunting either. I think if you are going to hunt an animal, you better eat it, use the pelt and do it like a real hunter, not from a helicopter or small plane.
Lastly, I also agree that the main reason for "culling the packs" of wolves is to give game hunters from the lower 48 more chances at Moose and Elk, particularity moose. So many people just love to have one of those big racks over their fire place, I hate seeing animal heads on walls, they creep me out. But that, I beleive, is the real reason for the hunts. Not an actual shortage of game, but out of state sport hunters not wanting to compete with the wolves. I dont know much about Moose, but I know the Elk herds up north are in pretty good shape. I know one or two people that hunt the biggest Elk heard every year *for food* and there have been no dramatic changes in their numbers.
A
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| I Too Disagree | Jan 19th. at 9:59:34 pm EST
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Dara (Port Orchard, Alaska) - Email Me
with the other Alaskan. The main reason the wolves are being "culled" is because of the out state hunters. They represesnt big bucks$$$. And,yes, there are more people moving up here for any number of reason. One of which the reader from FL made clear. Too crowded there. Leave the wolves alone and don't leave your pets outside in the winter. Who would leave a small dog tied up outside anyway? You know, eagles do the same thing with pets. Against the law to shoot them too.
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| Dear Candleberry | Jan 19th. at 4:17:59 pm EST
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Marius Silverwolf (Christmas, Florida) - Email Me
While I understand that, because you live there, your view of this situation differs greatly from that of many of us "Lower 48ers", I find it difficult to believe your claim that Alaska is becoming "crowded".
According to the 2000 Census results, on April 1, 2000 the total population of Alaska was 626,932. For comparison purposes, at that same time the population for Florida was 15,982,378.
Alaska occupies a total land-mass coverage of approximately 600,000 square miles, whereas Florida occupies a total land-mass coverage of approximately 54,000 square miles. That means Alaska average roughly one person per square mile, while Florida averages 296 people per square mile.
Furthermore, nearly 75% of the Alaska population lives in urban areas, such as Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau.
While I understand that there can be competition between humans and wildlife for resources, there must also be checks and balances on that competition as well. Perhaps near the urban areas the moose are becoming more scarce, but the wolves aren't the only predators hunting the moose. And, since the wolves can't swing by the local grocery store to pick up some of the latest shipment of buffalo, turkey, or ham, they are at a decided disadvantage when it comes to finding food.
As was said earlier, the wolves and the moose keep each other's populations in balance when left to act naturally. It's only when humans interfere -- and assume that if it's not in the best interest of humans then it must be wrong -- that problems develop.
May you have a blessed day.
Marius Silverwolf
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| In Defense Of Alaskans | Jan 19th. at 1:48:12 pm EST
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Candleberry (Port Angeles, Alaska) - Email Me
Some of you definately have a few wrong ideas about what is going on up here. Please let me explain.
The wolves being shot are running in large packs--very large packs. The wolves are being culled. The entire pack is not being eliminated, most of the time.
Believe me there are many people in Alaska that love the wolves just as much as you do. But wolves can becomes pests. Or rivals. In the Interior (where the hunts are taking place) the wolves are rivals. Their main food source is moose in the winter.
The problem is there are lots and lots of human hunters in the interior that want moose and the moose are getting scarce. So the question is how to increase the moose? The only way would be to increase the survival rate of the calves. Most calves are killes by wolves. Therefore, remove the wolves.
The article makes it sound like people are going up in planes and shooting wolves for sport. That is not happening! I don't know of any Alaskan who hunts for sport. Every Alaskan I know that hunts, hunts for meat to eat or occationally fur (e.g. bear) . The people that shoot wolves are usually game biologist who are also doing research on wolves or they are trappers going after the fur. They definately are not your average Joe Hunter.
This is a very big state. In most of the state wolves go about their business without ever seeing or hearing anything having to do with a human. But the state is getting crowded with people, especially in the Interior. Wolves are beautiful animals. But when that beautiful animal kills your little 5 pound pet yorkie who was tied outside your door you start thinking about him in a different way. Like the wolf is a beautiful dangerous animal! We have had things like that happen up here. So we have a different view up here.
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| What The??!! | Jan 18th. at 11:43:42 pm EST
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Tails Kitsune (Palm harbor, Florida) - Email Me
That is not right.. they should not hunt wolves for any reason. don't they know that wolves elimate weak elk and deer? it sounds like that program wants to make the wolves extinct.. if they kill all the wolves then all the other animals die.. those greedy humans!
From, Tails Kitsune the fellow wolf lover.
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| WTF?????????????? | Jan 18th. at 10:37:00 pm EST
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Richard Brownbear (North Wilkesboro, North Carolina) - Email Me
My mind is having a hard time dealing with an issue that involves the deliberate killing of wolves.
Wolves are much, MUCH more than some pesky predator to kill at our whim.
They are an archetype of the universe. A primal being living in immediate touch with the world. A proud and completely non-human moral race of beings. A living symbol of strength, honor, intelligence, integrity, and tenacity to survive.
And before you small minded people say "it's just an animal", I HAVE to say you have no idea what you are talking about. You have no connection to the REAL world where we are ALL in this together,..the wolf, the lion, the the dog, the tree, the fungus, the virus, the rock, the stars, the entire universe, where we are ALL equal.
All you have is the fabricated existence you hide in.
Each and EVERY non-human intelligence on this planet deserves the same rights as we so-called "Human" animals have.
Wolves are no different.
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| Natural Order | Jan 18th. at 10:01:32 pm EST
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Ahr-Ohn (Bridgeport, Connecticut) - Email Me
"The agreement gives ranchers permission to eliminate wolves that harass livestock and empowers Idaho wildlife managers to cut down wolf packs that make a dent in deer and elk populations."
Has someone not been watching Educational Television? Wolves are naturally Mousers, who only hunt the weak of the herds, because Man has hunted the Strong. Wolves are supposed to make a dent, or Man will have no more Strong to hunt.
"Alaska wolves are not classified as endangered or threatened, and licensed trappers harvest them for their fur each winter."
Then, why are these areal hunters damaging the population of an export herd?
The way to cause Extinction, is to deprive the target population of its natural environment. This is the same for Waterfowl, Wolves or Poor People.
Arawn
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