Over the past 3 years, Alaska has engaged in a barbaric annual aerial wolf kill whereby wolves are tracked and gunned down by aircraft. More than 550 wolves have been killed in this manner since 2003. The Federal Airborne Hunting Act was passed in 1971 specifically to prevent this sort of aerial wolf kill. However, the Bush/Cheney Administration is unwilling to enforce this law and the state of Alaska claims that its actions are technically legal, because it doesn't allow "hunting" of wolves, but rather the "control" of wolves to artificially boost game populations for the benefit of urban and out-of-state big game hunters. Alaska continues with this program, even after a 1997 National Academy of Science study found that many of the biological relationships assumed in Alaska's predator control programs are not well understood and concluded that insufficient information exists to conclude that such programs increase prey or game populations. Twice in the past, Alaskans have voted to restrict the practice of aerial gunning. However, the Alaska Board of Game continues to promote aerial wolf killing and has liberalized other hunting methods in order to increase the number of wolves and bears killed. And now, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s Administration has announced plans to ignore public opinion and expand Alaska’s controversial aerial gunning program, which threatens to kill hundreds of wolves before the end of April 2007. Moreover, this practice could soon become a model for other states to follow as they consider their post-Endangered Species Act plans. Ranchers in southwestern Alberta have found that eliminating predating wolf packs simply leads to a never-ending cycle of new wolf packs, more predation, and the perceived need to kill more wolves. Working with Defenders' Canadian office, provincial wildlife staff and other partners, a group of ranchers is investigating new non-lethal methods to reduce predation. Their cooperation will be critical to maintain connectivity among U.S. and Canadian wolf populations. Help the Wolves
That's just wrong in my opinion there's no real purpose for the killing at all & it could mess up the natural balance in Alaska.
The Federal Government should mind it's own business and let the state of Alaska take care of it's business in peace. Wolves have become overpopulated in many areas due to a lack of natural predators, and wolves depress the populations of many other species because they are very good predators. Keeping down the number of predators is just one facet of what is called "wildlife management." It's not that people don't like wolves or that they want to kill all of the wolves, they just want to keep the wolves from damaging other species more than is appropriate.
Wildlife management takes every land user into account, including humans. This is true even if the humans are from out-of-town. Tourism is the second largest private sector employer in Alaska. Those wolves are competing directly with many Alaskans for the use of natural resources. Me? I would vote for humans over wolves. But it doesn't really matter what I think, because it's a local problem. This article is obviously a propaganda piece. When the author says "laska Governor Sarah Palin’s Administration has announced plans to ignore public opinion..." it clearly means "public opinion of a bunch of hippies who do not live in Alaska" not "public opinion among the people of Alaska." SaveWolves.org is a DC-based lobbying group. They make money by convincing people that wildlife management is a problem. They make money by harming the people of Alaska.
why don't they just give the tourist hunters permits to kill the wolves they do that in florida to keep alligator population down
Thanks for signing Here is more about wolves: Despite the ecological value and the sheer natural beauty of the wolf, millions were trapped, poisoned, or shot to death during the first half of the 20th century, victims of unfounded fear and ignorance. Ultimately, nearly all wolves were exterminated throughout the lower 48 states, and their range was reduced severely on the Canadian prairies. Fortunately for the wolf, however, the 1960s and 1970s launched the modern environmental era, bringing about landmark conservation statutes including the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the cornerstone of America's wildlife laws. Shortly after the Act's passage in 1973, the wolf was identified as endangered or threatened in the lower 48 states and declared a candidate for species recovery. I read that here. I love wolves Not really sure why I like them so much, but they remind me of dogs(Maybe a dog on steroids). I read about how they chase them down in aircraft until they are exhausted and then kill them. It just kind of makes me mad because I think they are such intelligent and beautiful creatures.
Dogs are so cool. I have a pomeranian named "CoCo" that is pretty much in charge of my house But I try and help other dogs as much as I can. I was a foster home for a stray dog for the last 2 months and just found him the most wonderful home about a week ago. I joined the Defenders of Wildlife mainly because there involvement in helping wolves. I realize there always has to be balance and I wouldn't want wolves living in my front yard. But on the other hand I want them to have protected areas to live in and want them to exist.
Wolves are the species that helped man survive - and now we've turned on the natural predator that we domesticated into dogs. Wolves are NOT like dogs - they have 20% more brainpower and are not selectively bred by humans to be used as tools. Screw humans. We're just monkeys. If anything we should let the wolves do hunting of unarmed death row inmates. My god, the ignorance about wolves and the natural balance of nature in this topic is enough to actually for once make me mad - whereas before most topics just irritated me or made me wish to voice an opinion without much feeling. Wolves are the top of the food chain in the natural balance in Alaska - they hunt the weak and diseased animals as well. We've already driven them out of north America, we have destroyed them in Europe, and we have made them extinct in the middle east. I don't give a god damn about some dumb idiot who wishes to waste his gun rights on shooting animals when we no longer need to. Guns are for shooting people and maintaining freedom - not being retarded and killing animals with an unfair advantage. You want sport? Take on a deer with a knife. Shooting animals with guns when they pose no threat is like going to a school for the retarded and shooting them. You're killing retards who can't fight back. Fair Fight? Take on an animal with a 6 inch hunting knife. There's no need for survival by killing with guns, there's no need for the wholesale slaughter of a predatory species which has been around longer than humans, gave rise to humanities hunting skills, saved the human race through an early symbiotic relationship, and never actually caused humans much grief except eating their own natural prey. It's like whale hunting. Let's go kill some whales, who cares if they are near extinction and their annihilation may cause grave effects for mankind. Who cares that they can't fight back fairly. Let's use our TNT and technological superiority to wipe them out! All Hail Hitler and his wholesale slaughter of the mentally inept! All hail man and his annihilation of lesser species who can't fight back! I regard any Ape man who kills with a gun for pleasure as the basics of a sociopath. If you want to be a real competitor, and for there to be real sport, go take on a deer with a knife. Go take on a bear with a knife. Go take on a whale with a knife. Even then it isn't a fair advantage because humans were born with no natural weapons - thus we should fight with none. Our teeth are dull, our nails are brittle, our bones break easily, our skin is thin, our eyes are poor, our smell is lacking, our hearing is muffled, and our feet are slow. If you think that we were made to hunt I would disagree - we were made to think - and if thinking about ways to kill off more animals and further our decline is all we're good at - then I am sorry. Humanity should go extinct.
So, your support is keeping food off the table of a bunch of Alaskans. How are you making up for that? Are you sending them money to make up for the money that you are costing them?
Please explain exactly how protesting against the government going out in aircraft and shooting down the wolves is taking food away from people in Alaska. Actually, Alaskan citizens have tried to stop this all this killing, but it is happening anyway. Here is a little lesson about Alaskan economics: The state's 2005 total gross state product was $39.9 billion. Its per-capita GSP for 2005 was $60,079, 3rd in the nation. Alaska's economy relies heavily on petroleum extraction, with more than 80 percent of the state's revenues derived from this industry. Alaska's main export product (excluding oil and natural gas) is seafood, primarily salmon, cod, pollock and crab. Agriculture represents only a fraction of the Alaska economy. Agricultural production is primarily for consumption within the state and includes nursery stock, dairy products, vegetables, and livestock. Manufacturing is limited, with most foodstuffs and general goods imported from elsewhere. Employment is primarily in government and industries such as natural resource extraction, shipping, and transportation. Military bases are a significant component of the economy in both Fairbanks and Anchorage. Its industrial outputs are crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, gold, precious metals, zinc and other mining, seafood processing, timber and wood products. There is also a growing service and tourism sector. Tourists have contributed to the economy by supporting local lodging. source 80% of there revenue is oil, and as a 2nd industry is fishing. Alaskans enjoy a higher income than in most parts of US. So, with all due respect I believe your mistaken.