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Defenders Magazine
Defenders in Action: Wolves Under the Gun in Alaska
Alaskan wolves will soon be in the crosshairs of aerial gunners under a bill signed by Governor Frank Murkowski. Bowing to the commercial hunting lobby and ignoring both public sentiment and scientific facts, Murkowski in June approved legislation that allows wolves to be killed under the guise of “predator control."
Under the new law, private hunters with special permits will be allowed to use airplanes to track wolves in large areas approved for predator control by the Alaska Board of Game. The wolves can be shot either directly from the aircraft or immediately upon landing. Although Murkowski’s law is designed to boost the numbers of moose and caribou, upon which wolves prey, it does not require proof that moose and caribou populations are low. The game board can act regardless of population data and without input from the state department of fish and game.
“Past applications of airborne wolf control and hunting as game-management tools have not been cost-effective, scientifically justified or supported by the general public," notes Karen Deatherage of Defenders Alaska office. Alaskans voted in 1996 to ban land-and-shoot hunting and in 2000 to stop private citizens from using aircraft to track and kill wolves for state predator-control programs. Defenders led the charge on both ballot initiatives and has consistently opposed predator-control programs based on unsound science and the participation of untrained private citizens, which increases the likelihood of animal abuses.
With snow season on its way, making it possible to track wolves from the air, Defenders and its allies are expeditiously analyzing options for halting this latest assault on Alaska’s wolves.
For more information on how you can help protect wolves, please go to Save Wolves.
