Finally some wolf control in Alaska! While many will argue that we don't need it, I have seen the damage first hand and say, "About time"! In 2001 when I was up on the Yukon we ran a trap line about 20 miles south of Nulato on the Yukon. During that one winter within 1/2 miles of the river we found 11 moose kills. Sometimes the wolves never even returned to the kill.
Game Board OKs predator control
McGRATH: Plan offers options from shooting to relocating.
By Elizabeth Manning
Anchorage Daily News
(Published: March 13, 2003)
The Alaska Board of Game directed state biologists Wednesday to move forward with wolf and bear control for the McGrath area and gave them guidelines for doing it.
In a five-page report, the board stated that predator control "should be conducted as quickly and as effectively as possible."
The report did not say specifically how predators should be removed from a 520-square-mile experimental area around McGrath, but it offered a menu of options: State biologists could shoot wolves from helicopters, dart them from helicopters and then euthanize them, or dart and relocate them.
About 30 black bears and five brown bears should be captured and moved, the report added. Black bear sows with cubs would not relocated, because male bears kill the most moose. Additionally, bears should be fitted with radio collars to determine whether and how quickly they return to the area.
The wolf and bear control effort is intended to increase the number of moose for people to kill and eat. The board voted 6-0 in support of the plan. Now it will be up to Gov. Frank Murkowski to give Fish and Game the go-ahead.
Board chairman Mike Fleagle of McGrath abstained from voting because he and his wife have lobbied for the program.
After the decision, critics said they were dismayed but not surprised. Paul Joslin of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance said new board members appointed by Murkowski seem eager to kill predators.
Joslin said the plan would be costly and could spark a tourism boycott. Based on estimates provided earlier by the state, he said it would cost the state about $5,000 per moose to increase the local moose population by about 50 to 75.
He thought the board should consider other solutions, from habitat improvement projects to asking other hunters to donate moose meat.
Board member Ted Spraker of Soldotna justified the cost. The state last month estimated the program would cost $100,000 to $160,000.
He said the project would not only provide locals with more moose but also show whether predator control can be effective. He said that this would be the first time black and brown bears and wolves would be removed from an area all at once.
Board members said McGrath residents have asked for help for years. The board approved previous predator control plans for McGrath, but none were implemented while Gov. Tony Knowles was in office.
"This has been a long time coming," said board member Cliff Judkins of Wasilla.
"It doesn't make sense to sit by and do nothing," said member Ron Somerville.
Somerville said he and Fleagle met with Murkowski over lunch after the board action Wednesday. Somerville said Murkowski expressed support but also said he has concerns about a potential backlash if the department shoots wolves from helicopters.
Somerville thinks wolf control is unlikely to take place this spring anyway because of poor snow conditions around McGrath. But the moving of brown bears could start this spring, he said.
