Judge Refuses to Suspend Alaska's Aerial Wolf Control Program

[Tsiyu]

By Mary Pemberton Associated Press Writer
Published: Jan 27, 2005






ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - An animal rights group failed to persuade a judge Thursday to immediately suspend Alaska's aerial wolf control program, which it likened to a slaughter.
Friends of Animals sought to have the program, authorized in five areas of the state, suspended until May 16 when the issue is scheduled for trial.

Superior Court Judge Sharon Gleason refused to issue a temporary injunction, saying she needed more time to review new concerns raised by Friends of Animals.

"It is essential to me to knock this wolf program out," said Priscilla Feral, president of the Darien, Conn.-based group. "It is a tremendous carnage."

Over the next few months, the state has set a goal of killing as many as 610 wolves, with the aim of increasing the number of harvestable moose.

more:

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBDK6LUH4E.html

[roguevalley]

1. we as a state do not support this and voted this down more than

once if memory serves us. But we are the forth most corrupt state in America and the Repig mafia do what they want. God help the wolves. Don't come to Alaska until this ends. Please.

[Carolab]

2. I donated to save them as a Christmas gift to family.

I really want them to be able to stop this madness.

[Carolab]

3. Here, send this to the stupid Governor.

http://www.friendsofanimals.org/programs/howl-in/postcard.html

And while you're at it, tell him what you think of their program.

http://gov.state.ak.us/govmail.php

Why don't they just ship these wolves to Jasper National Park? I was there last year and they were posting signs to slow traffic down so people wouldn't hit the wolves. They are trying to SAVE the wolf population there.

[leftchick]

5. Thank you for the links Carolab

this makes me sick. The death and destruction repukes give the world is just overwhelming.

[aikido15]

23. Done..!

I sent a letter to your governor. This about sent me over the edge.

I used to volunteer at the wolf sanctuary here in Missouri. I learned about what cool animals they are and how they are one of the most misunderstood.

I asked him to consider a capture and relocation program instead. I also suggested that he could easily find volunteers to help cut costs.

I was polite, but firm.:)

[whatelseisnew]

4. Why have the wolves' numbers increased

in areas of Alaska where they were seen infrequently before? Following Carribou herds, which have also changed migration patterns. Why?

[Andromeda]

22. You've brought up a good point.

.

[xchrom]

6. sometimes you just hate people.

this is one of those times.

[orpupilofnature57]

7. Dominion theocracy in action. e o m

[noonwitch]

8. "Harvestable Moose"-what a term

I have no problem with hunting, but calling it a harvest really bugs me. They do that in Michigan every year, calling deer hunting the "deer harvest". It's hunting. It's not quite the same as harvesting corn or wheat.

[pokercat999]

12. Oh but it is,

there is no sport in modern "hunting". A bullet travels at speeds exceeding a half mile per second. The scope (telescopic sight) on a rifle can pin point the projectile to a square inch of target at well over 100 yards and in some cases over 1000 yards. The bullet hits before the "quarry" can even hear the report of the rifle. True sportsmen would want a better, stronger, smarter quarry. That is why I suggest we get all sportsmen together and pick straws to see who is the hunter and who is the quarry, the survivors could then change places. We could return the wild spaces to the natural world and the species would control their own populations in a natural way. Or they could all go to Iraq.

[primavera]

13. Hear, hear!

I'm always amazed listening to hunters describe the reverance and admiration they feel for their quarry, waxing eloquent about what a beautiful, majestic, and magnificent a creature it is... and, apparently, how much lovelier still it will be with its brains splattered all over the forest. I can't help but wonder if they like the look of shards of shattered skull so much, why aren't they eager to try it on themselves?

[yinkaafrica]

24. You make good sense

[arikara]

17. I despise that term too

A harvest is grain or something that people planted themselves and then gathered up in the fall. I hate it when they go out and clearcut a forest of old growth trees and call it a harvest. Same with calling the killing of wild animals a harvest. Sick bastards.

[Tyler Durden]

9. Hope they enjoy the Coyotes.

When you decimate the top predator, somebody else usually comes along to fill the niche.

Here in Michigan, we are already seeing influx of the most adaptable predator/scavenger in the entire food chain, the Coyote. With all of those deer to "harvest" because we brainlessly have hounded our predators to local extinction, the coyote is now becoming common in Lower Michigan. My wife saw two of them yesterday while visiting a patient near Port Huron.

This is NOT a "good thing" as the coyote is smart, highly adaptable, and absolutely fearless when it comes to human population areas, so if they can scavenge which is much easier and safer than hunting, guess which they choose? Right. Your Garbage Can.

BOY do we suck. I am so glad that where I'm taking my family, wolves and even the occasional bear are seen in the deep forest and forest fringe.

[Pert_UK]

10. I totally misread that and thought you had flying wolves......

Scary!

[Boosterman]

11. Oh cmon. This woman is obviously a RW plant

*said Priscilla Feral, president of the Darien, Conn.-based group. "It is a tremendous carnage." *

Her last name is Feral.j/k but oh the irony.

[Carolab]

14. No, you are wrong. Priscilla is very real. And that is her name.

http://www.friendsofanimals.org/news/2005/january/judge-refuses-to-suspend-wolf-control.html

She lives in Connecticut and she is the president of the Friends of Animals. Don't go spouting off about things you know NOTHING of.

[MisterP]

15. Bush: "My goal for 2100? not one species left living!"

[Straight Shooter]

16. Alaska's Aerial Wolf Extermination Program

For crying out loud, those so-called conservatives never call anything what it actually is. Why don't they let "God" take care of the creatures He has created, or does their faith not take them that far?

Help if you can, by donating to Defenders of Wildlife http://www.defenders.org/

[arikara]

18. We have been no better in Canada regarding this

I worked for a few weeks in a fire camp in a beautiful pristine valley just south of the Yukon border in the early 80's. The fire was started by the forest service to burn scrub brush to increase the feed for the moose. The fire got out of control so they had to fly in firefighters, cooks, first aid people etc. at a great cost to the BC taxpayer, the cost being increased because there are no roads up there. The year before, they had a huge wolf kill in that valley. They flew around in helicopters and shot dozens of wolves, picked up the carcasses and threw them on top of a frozen lake (which was where the drinking water came from as well). Greenpeace tried to get in to stop the hunt but couldn't because the valley was so isolated and no pilots in the area would take them in.

While I was there, I would go up with the pilots flying around in the helicopters to check on the fire. I saw hundreds of moose. They were standing along the riverside eating, in fields eating, in swamps eating. It was like one big happy moose city. The wolf kill made no sense because the moose were in no way endangered.

The thing that they weren't telling anyone is the real reason why they were doing all of this. The reason for the wolf kill and for the out-of-control forest fire was that there were a couple of guiding outfits up there that were making huge bucks on killing moose, I heard $1000 day from rich Germans and Americans... remember this was 20 years ago. I was told that one of the outfitters was a friend of one of the BC cabinet ministers and he got some strings pulled to ensure that they had no competition from the wolves. Then I guess because the moose population had no predators, they had to make sure that they had enough feed, hence the "controlled" burn.

I'll bet its the guiding outfits that are behind this Alaska wolf kill too.

[whatelseisnew]

25. Here's some info on guiding outfits

Here's a sample:

http://www.flyrusts.com/alaska-hunting-trips.htm

Hunt Options:
* Trophy Caribou, $1695 (8 or more days).
* Trophy Moose, $1795 (8 or more days).
* Moose/Caribou, $1995 (10 or more days).
* Moose/Caribou Float, $2195 (10 or more days).
* Mid-Hunt Move, $395.

Trip Price Includes:
* Roundtrip seaplane flight from Anchorage, including all game and trophies.
* Second caribou or black bear at no extra cost.
* Airport/hotel courtesy van service.

You Bring:
* Food, hunting & camping gear, personal items.
* Raft and accessories for float hunt. Rentals available through our supplier.
* Hunting license and game tags.

Here's another one:

http://www.huntinfo.com/seeak/

Alaska-Yukon Moose
Sept. 1 - through end of October. All moose hunts are done at our Icy Bay camp, on private land. Sizes range from mid-50's to low 60's, with the occasional 65 inch + moose being taken. We hunt moose while they are in the rut. Calling rutting moose is very effective and very exciting. Spike camps are also available for moose, and we recommend them over hunting right out of camp. We recommend a .270 caliber or up for moose. Hunter is responsible for paying to get meat to Yakutat. If he does not want to take the meat home, we will arrange for someone to pick up the meat in Yakutat. $9,000 for Moose.



Oh, they do bear hunts too:

[burrowowl]

19. Homo sapiens sapiens

what arrogance!

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

20. Wolf killing is now legal in many states like Idaho and Montana

Some bill just passed in congress a couple of months ago--some federal law--killing wild horses was included as well.
If we let these guys in power do this it is our own fault.
The environmental impact will be catastophic for future generations.

Let's clean up our government-
We need leaders who respect the environment and the habitat of wild animals.
Right to Life?
Pro Life?
Corrupt bastards are looting all our resources!!!!!

[Andromeda]

21. There has to be a better way to *control*

the wolf population. Why don't they try relocation if there's a disproportional wolf population to moose.

The arbitrary slaughter of such a beautiful animal breaks my heart.

[arikara]

26. The only predators that need controlling

are the 2 legged ones. The four leggeds have maintained a natural balance until stupid white men get involved.