Posted on Friday, 08.07.09
California lawmakers take aim at Alaska's aerial wolf hunts

By Erika Bolstad

McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Alaska's predator-control program to kill wolves, which drew renewed national scrutiny last year during former Gov. Sarah Palin's bid for vice president, is under attack again in Congress.

Two California Democrats in Congress have introduced legislation that would all but ban the practice of shooting wolves from airplanes to control their numbers. The legislation, introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. George Miller, would force Alaska game officials to declare a biological emergency that predicts the imminent collapse of a species without the program.

Even if the state could demonstrate such an emergency, the law would limit aerial hunting to state or federal wildlife employees, barring private contractors, which currently are allowed to kill wolves from fixed-wing airplanes.

"What this bill does is essentially makes it impossible for Alaska to manage wolf populations in any sort of responsible way," said Pat Valkenburg, the deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. "We finally have a program that works, and to end it because of the emotional feelings of uninformed people is just not a good idea."

Alaska's Board of Game renewed its aerial predator-control effort seven years ago after complaints from hunters that a healthy wolf population was preventing moose and caribou populations from recovering in some areas, including parts of the state where subsistence hunters depend on game for food. Six areas in Alaska — about 10 percent of the state — have predator control programs for wolves.

Alaskans have twice voted to ban such hunting, but the state Legislature has overturned those bans both times. Last year, voters turned down a ballot measure that would have severely restricted the aerial hunting program.

The state's aerial program, long the target of the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife, drew renewed attention last year during Palin's bid for vice president. The governor even mentioned it during her farewell speech, in which she criticized "starlets" such as actress Ashley Judd for lending their fame earlier this year to the movement opposing aerial hunting.

In her resignation speech July 26, Palin told fellow Alaskans to "stick together" in opposing "outside special interest groups," including Defenders of Wildlife and Judd, who appeared in a video decrying aerial hunting.

"Because you're going to see anti-hunting, anti-2nd Amendment circuses from Hollywood," Palin said in her farewell address. "And here's how they do it. They use these delicate, tiny, very talented celebrity starlets. They use Alaska as a fundraising tool for their anti-2nd Amendment causes."

"And by the way," Palin added, "Hollywood needs to know: We eat, therefore we hunt."

In the past, Defenders of Wildlife used its political-action arm to run political ads in Alaska targeting Republican U.S. Rep. Don Young for his record on environmental and renewable-energy issues. Earlier this year, it launched a campaign called Eye on Palin. The campaign Web site, stocked with photos of Palin, included a count of the number of wolves killed in the state's aerial program and another page for donations.

"It is true that Ashley Judd has expressed concern over the aerial gunning of wolves in Alaska," said Robert Dewey, the vice president for government relations at Defenders of Wildlife. "But she's not alone. There are many other voices."

Conservationists say that Palin's turn as the Republican vice-presidential nominee may have helped draw attention to aerial hunting in a way unmatched by the "starlets" she criticized.

"There's no question that Palin's selection for the Republicans elevated the issue to a higher national plane than ever before," said Wayne Pacelle, the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States.

"It cuts both ways," Pacelle added. "It makes it easy for Democrats to support our efforts. But it may taint our efforts with Republicans, because they may consider it a partisan issue. But it's never been a partisan issue. She didn't invent the issue. It's been a troubling aspect of Alaska's wildlife policy for many years."

Alaska's predator-control program long has been a controversial method of managing wildlife, said Ted Williams, a Massachusetts-based outdoors writer who wrote about the Palin administration's approach to predator control in the most recent issue of Audubon Magazine. Williams recalls a 1993 wolf summit at which former Alaska Gov. Wally Hickel said, memorably, "You can't let nature just run wild."

"It has definitely flared up on the national stage before," Williams said. "But Palin has placed it there in a significant way. In a way it's good she attracted national attention to the predator issues with some of her absurd statements."

Williams, himself a hunter, characterized the state's program as a "war on predators" that treats caribou and moose as livestock, not wildlife.

"If you don't shoot a moose out of your truck window in Fairbanks, it's fun to blame it on the wolves," he said.

"No one's trying to eliminate wolves," countered Ted Spraker, the vice chairman of the Alaska Board of Game. "That's as far from the truth as you can imagine. But in some areas and some isolated cases, we have a lot of wolves, and a lot of bears, and not a lot of moose, and a lot of people who depend on moose. It's especially important to subsistence people, who live a subsistence lifestyle."

As a long time Alaskan, I recognize the government has the right to pass legislation which pertains to federal lands. After all, it was our government that purchased Alaska from the Russians. However, these decisions should be made based on sound biology and not on emotional responses drummed up through the usual anti-hunting propaganda groups.

Government is usually best administered by those people who are closest to the issue(s). The people of Alaska should be weighing in on these issues through lobbying Congress and the Senate since we Alaskans are the ones who will be most impacted by the legislation.

It never ceases to amaze me how some people in the lower 48 think THEY know what's best for the place we live in. Diane Feinstein and George Miller should be focusing on fixing the affairs of their own state before they start meddling with ours. Lord knows the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia is as dorked up as a football bat!

Sep, actually since they know cali is to far gone to save, they figure why not try and take the west coast with us, alot of OR and WA are already liberal so they are gonna work on us.

I'm so sick of folks outside trying to dictate how to run our state, I could spit nails.

I've got an idea. Why doesn't OUR Congressional delegation introduce legislation to reintroduce brown bears to "the golden bear state?" Add wolves and mountain lions to the list too.

Who could oppose assisting these animals in reclaiming their natural range?

Only when their house is back in order do they have any business dictating how we run ours.

(For the record, I adamently oppose aerial wolf culling. Wolf hunting is another story. We need to get off our butts, get outside, and HUNT them. I'm sorry that it takes effort and time. It should.)

yeah Bob, with baggage in that will never happen. hes to busy on his knees with the dems to do anything worthwhile.

I hear what your saying though.

Yeah!!! What we really need is people from the enlightened and financially solvent state of California pointing out where we went wrong!!! I'm sure in no time they'll have us straightened out and sharing in their economic and social prosperity!!!

Brett

If wolf control in the back country is a problem primarily for subsistence hunters, would some sort of long or "vermin" season in the areas presently using aerial control hunts be feasible? Wolf hides-fur is a valuable cash crop. Allowing private harvest in problem areas might mitigate the problem as it creates revenue for people who need it.

Just some thoughts.

quote:

research tells them they could get away with it?

Because they are the far far left fringe and their extreme views do not represent the majority ANYWHERE. So instead they try to chip away a little freedom/take a little control at a time so no too many people are pissed off at once.

Brett

It's all about power & control. BTW, the wolf has been re-introduced into the the west. Specifically, Yellowstone. They've decimated the elk herds there and in portions of Wyoming, Montana & Idaho. How do you think reintroducing wolves into the P.R.of K. is gonna change any one's mind?
Several weeks ago, I ran across an old friend whom I hadn't seen in 40 years. He now lives in Helena, Mt. I specifically asked him about the wolf situation, vis. Yellowstone. He verified what I've heard & even said that a rancher frind of his in Idaho just shoots, shovels & shuts up about wolves since he's lost a number of heads of cattle.
Normally, I don't believe in violating laws but in this case, my attitude would be S.S. & S.
No way would I ever report somebody that I knew that did it.
Regarding that lapdog, baggage. Even though it's another 5 1/2 years of his knob gobbing, it's about time somebody stepped up to the plate & rode his tail on everything he does. He evidently hasn't understood that he works for us and not for Osama Obama, dingey Harry & the rest of that ilk. He's definitely gotta go.
Bear in Fairbanks

Brett, I'm sure that's the reason the anti-gunowners and militant vegetarian rights fanatics don't just go on and try what they really want...a total ban on all forms of gun ownership right down to toy guns, all forms of hunting, all sport and commercial fishing, all animal husbandry and all meat eating starting with red meat, then pork, poultry and fish.

It's largely about protecting the old cash flow, meaning their source of income and wealth derived from the naive and gullible. Many of these are literally small children they prey on. Many are ignorant college kids acting out of peer group pressure. And many are the weak and vunerable generally...and those who are on Prozac or some form thereof.

This is far from politics alone for them; it's big business. That's why it has to be nurtured and not squandered away in some major confrontation in which they run the risk of reason prevailing.

One other thing...one of the quotes I noticed above was something about this becoming partisan. There's no danger of it becoming partisan. It IS partisan ALREADY and has been since at least the early 1970s. I know of no radical anti-gunowner or militant vegetarian rights type who's not a very enthusiastic lib dem. They in turn consider this one of their most important constituencies. They see this as cashing in on the large youth vote that not only hates hunting and fishing, but won't eat meat at all. You will shortly see this playing out with the current regime agressively promoting vegetarianism with your tax dollars...there will no doubt be highly publicized vegetarian White House dinners and a lot else.

At any rate, not only for guns and hunting but for many other obvious reasons we on this side really, really have got to start getting organized nationally. It's no longer optional.

Years ago, my buddy shot a wolf out of season. he turned it into the local Bio to show that it would be worthwhile to extend the season. the bio took it to the BOG meeting to show. it was shot down.

it was beautiful. the hide on that dog was outstanding.

I dont care what your stance is on aerial wolf gunning (its not a hunt but a cull), but something has to be done.

In that area of the taylor, dogs have grown 10fold. My buddies wife used to be F&g and she is still the by the book but when it comes to dogs, just shoot them.

with the #'s growing of hunters vs the #'s of predators rising, you gotta do something. Dogs are just a secondary to a hunter usually just like griz for most residents. I partook in that griz baiting program a couple of years ago and I couldnt believe the restrictions on shooting the bears. the bio even said it wasnt working.

its a problem but the state wont fix it. its getting better but has a long ways to go.

todays society and preds dont mix.

Well men, some Californians are with you. Or more appropriately, don't care what you do in your own state. There are millions of good reasonable people here, but he have been drowned out by the liberal masses in the bay area and LA basin. They are making it ridiculously hard to do business here and desperately want to compromise our property rights as landowners more then they have already. Now apparently they need to spread their assonine veiws up the coast. I hope this doesn't cause any problems in your state.

quote:

Two California Democrats

Pretty well sums it up. Sen. Feinstein is almost as bad as Pelosi. It's amazing people this stupid have enough brain power to breath much less regulate a heart beat. They certainly don't have the intelligence to govern anybody.

Ken....

quote:

Originally posted by Heat:

quote:

Two California Democrats

Pretty well sums it up. Sen. Feinstein is almost as bad as Pelosi. It's amazing people this stupid have enough brain power to breath much less regulate a heart beat. They certainly don't have the intelligence to govern anybody.

Ken....

Heat:
Even worse, they're allowed to procreate.
Bear in Fairbanks

quote:

Originally posted by Bear in Fairbanks:

quote:

Originally posted by Heat:

quote:

Two California Democrats

Pretty well sums it up. Sen. Feinstein is almost as bad as Pelosi. It's amazing people this stupid have enough brain power to breath much less regulate a heart beat. They certainly don't have the intelligence to govern anybody.

Ken....

Heat:
Even worse, they're allowed to procreate.
Bear in Fairbanks

No what's worse is that somewhere someplace in California there's a whole group of people who think these are the most qualified people to represent them, their beliefs, and their way of life!!!!! Now tell me that little perspective doesn't keep you up at night!!!!

Brett

I live far, far from there but firmly believe the wolves are an Alaskan problem and should be handled per the wishes of Alaskans only and without outside interference. It's the just thing to do, but the deeper motive is I'd expect the same when trouble eventually shows up in my state.

California politicians trying to run Alaska's affairs? The words of Jesus come to mind... "Before you take the dust from your brother's eye, first remove the plank from your own."

Sorry guys. As a Californian I would apologize for the antics of my miguidied public representatives but if I started doing that, I would sound like Obama on his recent world tour. There are not enough apololgies to go around. The democratic controlled legislature has so f*cked up this state that I suppose they now want to export the insanity.

quote:

Originally posted by Joel/AK:
Sep, actually since they know cali is to far gone to save, they figure why not try and take the west coast with us, alot of OR and WA are already liberal so they are gonna work on us.

I'm so sick of folks outside trying to dictate how to run our state, I could spit nails.

Goddamn right, we can take care of our own problems and we know exactly what needs to be done. If a wolf or brown bear gets within 300 yards of me I am going to do my best to put some holes in them.

I am a Californian.
I despise the urban liberals that populate this place and appologize for them.
Sometimes I feel so out of place.
I've hunted most of North Amarica's predators including wolves.
A good friend of mine is the aerial wolf shooter from SW Alaska.
He sent me a pic of 97 wolf hides tacked to a barn.
More power to him!
Please dont lump all Californians into the same heap.
Folks in the rural part of the state are just as frustrated as you.
The treehugger urbanites took away mountain lion hunting sometime back and we are fighting tooth & nail to try to control them before they decimate our deer herds.
I think that we as hunters are fighting urbanization not only from California but most everywhere.
As the human population increases it it seperates people from the land and the actualities of life and death in the real world.
Food is no longer associated with animals and we hunters are being ostricized due to that.
States need to be able to regulate wildlife independantly and need to pass referendums protecting themselves from crap like this.
This issue of wolf control is baing labled as "unsporting " and "not abiding to the rules of "fair chase".
In reality was never meant to be.
It is a population control measure.
That fact is purposly being ignored.

(agreed)
edit

My little rant wasn't directed at you Salmonella so I hope you didn't take it that way. Fact is, California isn't the only state that wants to stop arial predator control in Alaska, they just seem to make the most noise about it.

Pictures like the 2 you posted are how the treehugging liberals get uninformed folks to side with their cause even though they don't bother me in the least.

quote:

Originally posted by Heat:

quote:

Two California Democrats

Pretty well sums it up. Sen. Feinstein is almost as bad as Pelosi. It's amazing people this stupid have enough brain power to breath much less regulate a heart beat. They certainly don't have the intelligence to govern anybody.

Ken....

+1

Two mindless morons.
All you have to do to get elected is run off at the mouth. You don't have to make any sense, just babble. I think Pelosi exemplifies my point.

quote:

Originally posted by Naphtali:
If wolf control in the back country is a problem primarily for subsistence hunters, would some sort of long or "vermin" season in the areas presently using aerial control hunts be feasible? Wolf hides-fur is a valuable cash crop. Allowing private harvest in problem areas might mitigate the problem as it creates revenue for people who need it.

Just some thoughts.

While there are existing trapping/hunting seasons, wolves are very difficult to hunt. No one has the time to spend their entire winter running trap lines over the areas to reduce the wolf heards. So either ADF&G would have to hire people to kill the wolves, or they open up the most effective means of culling them to the general public, at no expense to the state.

The aerial culling is working just fine, it just needs a few more years to really take effect. Those that are opposed the aerial shooting are either totally clueless about game management in Alaska, or they just want the population of wolves to boom so they can drastically reduce the prey species and make hunting in AK very difficult.

Gov Palin wrote an outstanding letter about a year ago to a California U.S. Senator/Congressman about just this issue. Wish I had it to post here. Above all, it is about the federal gov telling a state how to run it's business. She kicked asssss. With all the feds doing bailouts, & about to tell us what meds & med treatments we cannot have, well you know what I mean. Sorry, I got a little wound up there for a minute.........Chaz

Isn't Feinstein one of the liberal rocket scientists that pushed legislation to exterminate the mule deer and elk on Santa Rosa Island?

She's done her best to destroy her own state, now she wants to destroy the rest of America.

If people don,t do what they want done .they get the results of someone else who will dictate to them something they may well not want ... If you have a problem , fix it yourself .... The state just needs to put a bounty on those who teach that wolves are good .. Get rid of those vermin and there will be no problem getting rid of the 4 footed kind .......... Why don,t some of you college educates teach college kids how bad predators are ..... Then they won,t vote in cull democrates who want to murder human infants but save wolves........
.
. State just needs to put the bounty on wolves hundred bucks each ... . Privitice areal wolf shooting like it used to be .. Get the government out of the actual hunting business.and allow citizens to do what they should be doing in the first place !!!!

Actually, as a California resident, I believe you should not kill those poor problem animals. It isn't their fault. I think you should just trap all of your problem animals and relocate them. May I suggest southern California and the San Franciso Bay area? We'll even do our part locally by including all of our problem black bears and mountain lions.

Anything to protect our furry brethren!

quote:

Originally posted by Sevenxbjt:
Well men, some Californians are with you. Or more appropriately, don't care what you do in your own state. There are millions of good reasonable people here, but he have been drowned out by the liberal masses in the bay area and LA basin. They are making it ridiculously hard to do business here and desperately want to compromise our property rights as landowners more then they have already. Now apparently they need to spread their assonine veiws up the coast. I hope this doesn't cause any problems in your state.

Hear! Hear! The politics of L.A. and the Gay Bay continue to permeate and drown out the reasonable hard working souls in the rest of the state who have financially supported their socialist agenda for decades.

My parents walked away from a very successful and lucrative business with numerous government contracts in which they provided disaster relief services for forest fires, floods, earthquakes, etc. for over 20 years. The dems made it so difficult to do business in Kalifornia that they, long with thousands of other business owners, joined the White Flight (a real term I recently saw printed in a California history book text) and got the hell out.

My senior high school project was based upon a campaign in favor of Proposition 197 which allowed hunting of mountain lions, over turning a 1990 proposition 117 that banned hunting them. Banning wolf culling in Alaska via federal channels is more of the same emotionally driven drivel that spews forth from the mouths of the ignorant. It puts a smile on my face every time I read about one of those cutesy spandex clad bicyclers getting mauled by a mountain lion.

It sucks to see Kalifornia painted with such a broad brush, but given the fact that the opinion of the other 49 states is based upon the hot garbage piped into homes every evening via television "reality" shows created by the mostly homosexual West Hollywood producers, I understand everyone's skewed perspective.

The election maps show a much more divided state, however. The shear populace of L.A. and the Gay Bay make elections based upon the majority rules system of the electoral college a no-win situation for conservatives. For all those reasons and many more, I know my family will never return to being full-time tax paying residents of the state. I still feel compelled to apologize for those of you, specifically Alaskans, that are having to endure the liberal Kalifornia propaganda machine. I guess the cup of liberalism spilleth over and shit rolls downhill.

quote:

Originally posted by Joel/AK:
Sep, actually since they know cali is to far gone to save, they figure why not try and take the west coast with us, alot of OR and WA are already liberal so they are gonna work on us.

I'm so sick of folks outside trying to dictate how to run our state, I could spit nails.

What about becoming your own country? Do you really need the lower 48? Many of us would support the cause! If no other way than financially.

quote:

Originally posted by buffybr:
Isn't Feinstein one of the liberal rocket scientists that pushed legislation to exterminate the mule deer and elk on Santa Rosa Island?

She's done her best to destroy her own state, now she wants to destroy the rest of America.

She can't be too dumb? After all, didn't she get 50 million in tax dollars for her husband's company? Frickin crooks! ALL OF THEM!

quote:

Originally posted by Brett Adam Barringer:

quote:

research tells them they could get away with it?

Because they are the far far left fringe and their extreme views do not represent the majority ANYWHERE. So instead they try to chip away a little freedom/take a little control at a time so no too many people are pissed off at once.

Brett

Actually, Brett, that is why the second amendment is there. Of course with so many people having their hands out and living off government pay checks or other programs, the second amendment is WORTHLESS! And by the time
the new spick bitch supremer gets done it will mean even less!

quote:

Originally posted by Shack:
Brett, I'm sure that's the reason the anti-gunowners and militant vegetarian rights fanatics don't just go on and try what they really want...a total ban on all forms of gun ownership right down to toy guns, all forms of hunting, all sport and commercial fishing, all animal husbandry and all meat eating starting with red meat, then pork, poultry and fish.

It's largely about protecting the old cash flow, meaning their source of income and wealth derived from the naive and gullible. Many of these are literally small children they prey on. Many are ignorant college kids acting out of peer group pressure. And many are the weak and vunerable generally...and those who are on Prozac or some form thereof.

This is far from politics alone for them; it's big business. That's why it has to be nurtured and not squandered away in some major confrontation in which they run the risk of reason prevailing.

One other thing...one of the quotes I noticed above was something about this becoming partisan. There's no danger of it becoming partisan. It IS partisan ALREADY and has been since at least the early 1970s. I know of no radical anti-gunowner or militant vegetarian rights type who's not a very enthusiastic lib dem. They in turn consider this one of their most important constituencies. They see this as cashing in on the large youth vote that not only hates hunting and fishing, but won't eat meat at all. You will shortly see this playing out with the current regime agressively promoting vegetarianism with your tax dollars...there will no doubt be highly publicized vegetarian White House dinners and a lot else.

At any rate, not only for guns and hunting but for many other obvious reasons we on this side really, really have got to start getting organized nationally. It's no longer optional.

The only organizing at a national level that will ever change anything is a civil war that settles the issues once-and-for-all! Just ain't gonna happen! Too many fingers in the government pie! Over half of america gets its' income from sugar daddy. And who is going to
jeopardize that? LOL! The HNIC and his cadre of Chicago mobsters are trying very hard to make that 100% of the population!!! And because americans are basically selfish and stupid, they will eventually get the job done.
God,I'm old and I hope I'm dead by then!

quote:

The legislation, introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. George Miller, would force Alaska game officials

Couple of liberal cityits with absolutly no knowledge of wolf/wildlife biology cycles trying to force their bleeding heart BS on alaska.

Im sure wolfs once roamed where feinsteins house is. Need to releise a pack or 2 in her neighborhood, dumbshits!

Don, thats the last thing I want to do but the way this admin is going, I have a feeling more and more states are gonna be talking about it.

Unfortunately most states are so dependant on the feds tit that it would be almost impossible to do.

quote:

Originally posted by Joel/AK:
Don, thats the last thing I want to do but the way this admin is going, I have a feeling more and more states are gonna be talking about it.

Unfortunately most states are so dependant on the feds tit that it would be almost impossible to do.

Yep. I agree, Joel.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul H:

quote:

Originally posted by Naphtali:
If wolf control in the back country is a problem primarily for subsistence hunters, would some sort of long or "vermin" season in the areas presently using aerial control hunts be feasible? Wolf hides-fur is a valuable cash crop. Allowing private harvest in problem areas might mitigate the problem as it creates revenue for people who need it.

Just some thoughts.

While there are existing trapping/hunting seasons, wolves are very difficult to hunt. No one has the time to spend their entire winter running trap lines over the areas to reduce the wolf heards. So either ADF&G would have to hire people to kill the wolves, or they open up the most effective means of culling them to the general public, at no expense to the state.

The aerial culling is working just fine, it just needs a few more years to really take effect. Those that are opposed the aerial shooting are either totally clueless about game management in Alaska, or they just want the population of wolves to boom so they can drastically reduce the prey species and make hunting in AK very difficult.

.
.
. Very Well said !!!
.
. Anyone coming for a hunt will get great thumbs up if they kill a wolf or bear ...... Saw too many piles of this summers grizzly and wolf poop with moose and caribou calf hair in it .. Didn,t see a single moose or caribou calf tho we saw half dozen cow moose and some cow caribou .Just got in from 4 days moose hunting . No bulls either ...First time the guy I went with didn,t have a moose in 3 days for over 30 years .......

Kalifornia should mind their own house.
I'd like to see some bear scat with Fienstein hair in it!!!!!!!

I moved to Alaska to get away from that wacko sort of thinking. Feistein, Durbin, Reed, etc. should be taken to a remote stream during salmon run to "learn" from nature. The bears would have fun with them for a few minutes, and we would be rid of them. I hope that, if they pass the law, Alaska ignores it and thumbs our nose at them.

Of all the REAL problems they could be working on, this is what they want?

What they hell do they care? Typical LIB CA snobs.

In my opinion if you do not live in that state , you have NO opinion, the world dosen't rotate around them- no matter what they think. We get the same crap for our wolf problem...

www.african-montana-taxidermy.com