We now have the complete breakdown of our wildlife management system in Alaska. It's no longer governed by science but by a Board of Game that gives pretty much anyone who claims a problem with wolves free rein to do whatever they want. This also includes bears, btw. Witness the implementation of hanging bear traps okayed for use in 16b. A bear inserting its paw for the bait will now get to hang from the tree to which it is attached for days until shot.
Claims that the wolves are destroying the moose and caribou populations are also without foundation. Takes a bit of logic and actual thought to figure this out, which means Palin and her friends in the NRA and AOC are out of luck. F&G likes to say a kill is anytime they happen upon a moose or caribou body that has been eaten by predators. However, this means animals dying of illness, natural causes, injury are counted as having been killed by predators. There is no way of distinguishing between an animal that dies from respiratory ailment or parasite infestation and one that has been killed by predators as in neither case is there enough of the carcass left to bear witness as to the cause. Too, this is an area that sees heavy hunting of caribou and moose, both in season and out of season. The "shoot, shut-up, and shovel" attitude applies in such regions.
That this is happening in Sagar-Albaugh's stomping grounds is no coincidence. She has an almost palpable hatred for wolves and bears and, frankly, I'm surprised she hasn't mentioned using napalm.
BTW, please don't haul out that tired old chestnut about how the "villagers are starving". The BOG has always allowed bear hunters to leave the entire carcass behind without any meat at all being salvaged and we saw in yesterday's paper just how much respect there is for caribou in some parts of the state. Don't think for a moment that such poaching is rare. It's just that our dear governor would rather spend money on her per diem and trotting the family around than beef up the wildlife enforcement division of the troopers. |
