PAW Act- Save Wolves (Fairbanks, Houston: agriculture, gated, jobs)

[warptman]

"Endeavor to persevere."

[Glitch]

The last I heard on the subject was three permits per year were being issued by the ADF&G to allow aerial shooting, or landing and shooting on the same day, of wolves in the McGrath area in order to reduce the wolf population. Area residents need between 130 and 150 moose/caribou per year, but have only been averaging between 60 and 90 for the last decade. My information is also a couple years old, so things may have changed.

Keep in mind that this is NOT hunting, but rather population control. Except for the limited number of permits issued in the McGrath area (as I noted above), it is illegal to shoot any game from the air, and it is also illegal to land and shoot any game on the same day.

For more information on Alaska wolf control see the State of Alaska, Department of Fish & Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation at: Aerial Wolf Predator Control in Alaska, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Videos

[decembergirl]

Originally Posted by Rance

The wolf pack in my area (Skilak) has been cursed with lice and mange that render their hides useless to man. Yet they continue to hunt the moose and caribou to survive. Along with the ever increasing brown bear population they are taking a very noticable toll on the newborn moose in the area. If not controlled...there will be nothing but older and barren moose. Next thing you know...there are no moose. Now you've got a hundred hungry bear and wolves wandering into town looking for something to eat. Or ambushing anything that hikes down a trail. Even humans.

Umm, if wolves killed off their natural food supply it would be suicide for them. I am sure God knew enough what he was doing when he created the world and all the animals in it to have some sense of balance between prey and predator. But if you want to question his wisdom go for it. I personally try not to insult someone who can hurl lightning bolts at me.

[warptman]

Lightning in the winter? Yea, OK.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by decembergirl

Umm, if wolves killed off their natural food supply it would be suicide for them. I am sure God knew enough what he was doing when he created the world and all the animals in it to have some sense of balance between prey and predator. But if you want to question his wisdom go for it. I personally try not to insult someone who can hurl lightning bolts at me.

Of course when they overpopulate and eat too much of their prey, the wolves' population declines due to starvation and disease. In the end it'll level back out. It tends to be cyclical in nature that way. Things do even themselves out but it takes time. Problem is when people are also depending on those animals for meat or whatever, waiting it out doesn't work too well.

[DannyL]

you people can hate me all you want, but I have a major problem with these "sportsmen" from outside coming up and shooting anything from an airplane with a 12 guage shotgun loaded with buckshot, hoping to get a hit, and then landing for a "finishing humane shot", and them calling this "sport".

[Metlakatla]

I don't hate you. I absolutely agree with you.

[DannyL]

I know, I'm just venting. I'm catching hell at work because of a few arguements, and I could give a rat's a$$ about "residual income" (i.e. trickle down economics). Wolf "hunting" is supposed to be a major sport, in fact a TV episode made be shot.

[Barkingowl]

It doesn't seem fair to me either. Especially on these game ranches where the animal has no chance to survive.

[Marty Van Diest]

I didn't know it was supposed to be sport. It's called culling. It's not sport, it's the most efficient way to cull the wolf population in a certain area. I wouldn't be surprised that many of the hunters with the permits think of it as sport, but that is not the purpose of the hunt.

Wolves and moose are renewable resources owned by the State of Alaska who has a responsibility to manage the resource on a "maximum sustained yield" basis as per the state constitution.