Wolf hunting to control wolves in Alaska?

so many arm chair know it alls that have never been in the woods, never hunted, never even seen a wolf, yet they think they are experts.

I was one of the people who said, give it a chance here in Idaho and see if it works. Well, it did not work the way it was intended. The wolf population has skyrocketed. From the first, they not only began feeding on domestic livestock, but they have decimated our elk and deer herds. We went from the largest and healthiest herds since record keeping began, to a point where you can go to the winter range where we used to see herds of hundreds of deer scattered all over the area, to where you are lucky to see a dozen deer total. Area's where I have spent years hunting, fishing, 4x4'ing and always saw large herds of elk, are empty of elk. The wolves are getting braver, I had a face off with one, unlike JD's relative, I came out lucky, I had a rifle and I would have killed it, protected or not, if it had continued it's confrontation another foot or two closer. The myth that they won't attack people is more of a joke. Even a recent TV special showed the investigation of 2 wolves that killed a man out for an evening walk in Alaska. Back tracking showed how the wolves had seperated and stalked the man for several hundred yards, he finally saw them and tried to run, only to be drug down and killed. Later, a bear came along and fed on his remains as well. The wolves were killed, photo's showed them at an earlier confrontation against 3 adults. Read the journals of early explorers, you will find account after account of wolves attacking people. In many cases they attacked the settlers cabins, ignoring the barns with the live stock. I read of two accounts of wolves killing most of the population of indian camps ( and one written account of 2 grizzly bears killing off an entire village of indians that were down sick). Early settlers, "mountain men", Indians and farmers in states from minnesota to the rockies,tell of encounters with wolves. In Alaska, I have read numerous accounts of the huge wolf populations entering towns and stalking children and pets, of adults afraid to go out during the winter because of the aggressiveness of the wolves. I even had a problem with their smaller cousin, the coyote stalking my( then) young daughter behind our home. My son ran in to tell me that a hurt dog was yelping behind the house, I went out onto the 3rd story deck and saw my daughter just entering the woods to find the dog that was yelping, what I also saw still gives me nightmares. 3-4 coyotes were just ahead of her and stalking her, while one was yelping to draw her near. I yelled for her to run, drew my ever present .45 and killed 2, injured at least one more. The dead coyotes where checked by fish and game and found to be healthy and not starving. There is no doubt whatsoever that wolves and coyotes will attack, and there is written proof of that fact. So, if you haven't got first hand experience, don't attack someones view on wolves. If you really want to know, fly up to Alaska and check it out for yourself. In my state, even fish and game came around from being pro wolf, to wanting them controlled. Shortly, the federal government is turning managment of the wolves over to the state. Plans are already under way to allow limited. controlled wolf hunts to get the rapidly expanding population back under control, and to a lower population, before they destroy the remaining herds.

From what I am reading the issue is with wolves that are near the edge of towns/cities/large human establishments. So lets say of the 11 000 wolves, 500 are actually the problem ones. These are the ones that are constantly around the city limits.These are the ones that need to be dealt with the other 10 500 in the back boonies where there are no roads or human establishments, can be left alone.

Now sure culling these 500 would eliminate the problem around city limits but then someone might say well Dan there are gonna be another 500 to move in and take their place. Rightly so that may just happen so being a complex problem gives a complex solution. None are gonna be perfect while acheiving balance. Removing some of the more aggressive wolves will help put the other ones in their place so to say. Another option is be aware of your local environment when out. Don't go to areas where wolves frequent.

There is no one easy solution that balances both sides of the issue. You can't go out and kill all the wolves as if you've noticed they came back, but you can't let them just go on with status quo coming into town harrassing people. But living in wolf country you need to expect that a crossing of a wolf will occur.

Now I live in an area where there are two active wolf packs that come through our community main thing we have going for us is there is enough people here, and lots of deer as well. So the wolves feed on the deer and know to stay away from humans. Now I know there is gonna be someone who says well Dan where you live ain't Alaska so you don't know what your talking about. True I don't live in alaska but I do live around wolves. But i am aware of my surroundings and I know there are wolves out there as they mark all my ice fishing holes after I leave.

So to actually control the wolves, its complex and will require the active shooting of some yes, the aggresive ones for sure that frequent the village but also making the village unattractive to wolves will do wonders as well. Its the same as bears, if you don't want one on your deck clean up your garbage and bbq making sure all food attractants are eliminated from your home. Same thing with wolves eliminate attractants. I know this is easier said than done but attractants in each community need to be identtified and removed.

Example if there is a goat farm near the town and wolves can get in easily... this needs to be fixed so wolves can't get in, so putting all the goats in the barn at night that will help.

I hope this helps to answer your question.

*side note* your cbc urls about the guy being killed by a wolf well if you read it 2 experts do not both agree it was a wolf that killed the man, its a possiblity not an actual fact.

Amazing how close minded some of you are with regards to Alaska's serious Wolf problem. Who better suited to tell you the "facts" about what is going on (in REAL life) than someone like Beeds who is a trusted member in this Hunting Community who actually lives in the area of Alaska where the problem exists.....I'd be willing to bet that any one of you naysayers would change your minds in a heartbeat if it was a member of your family or close friend that was attacked...

My own uncle was walking his two German Shepards about 300' from his home this past November, when a group of 3 Wolves attacked him and the German Shepards..Anyone that knows the breed knows that Shepards are highly protective of their owners..Didn't make any difference.Uncle Max was knocked down and bitten twice in his face and neck and the bite wounds were literally ripped open and he almost bled to death. His female Shepard Lucy died as of her wounds a direct result of the Wolf attack......All of this within sight of 2 other homes.

Sorry, but no one needs to smack me in the head to see there are problems that are REAL and exist. Had it not been for a Emergency Life flight in a helicopter to a hospital..there is no doubt my uncle would have died. You want to belive this is not a common occurence but the truth is lately it happens, more often than not....Of course..Those of you that cry foul the loudest wouldn't last but a few days in the wilds of Alaska to begin with.And of course they take the stand that it isn't a problem because it doesn't concern them personally or their family member and pets.....Ironic

I know what your talking about, I live in B.C and we have a major wolves problem. Get a .223 or .243 or any shotgun except a .410. Then you wait at night usually just at dusk and they will come out. Fire a shot into the sky just after dusk, about the time it starts to get really dark. That tells them there is something loud and possibly big around. If any of them venture onto your property, shoot them. If they are attacking your animals and pose a threat to the community or even just your family then it is legal to shoot them. If you're starting to have a serious problem dispite killing some, then maybe it isnt the safest place to have pets outside at night. Good luck to you.

I've got several buddies in AK, the wolf issue is a problem from Valdez to Fairbanks and Circle to Nome.

The tact is harvest if a pack is coming into town. one of my buddies up around McGrath has harvest 5 this year that were chasing his family pets.

Sorry. You won't get my vote. I am a fan of finding a way to live with nature, not eradicating it for our own purposes.

I consider it pathetic of us as a species that Alaska has an overabundance of wolves and in the rest of the US there are barely any, and people are still forging ahead to kill more.

Maybe you should settle elsewhere. Their survival depends on the land, but yours doesn't.

edit: Hey you know what? I live where I live so I dont have to kill the wildlife. And yes, there is wildlife where I live. I adjust.

Man has often been compared to locusts. With good reason, apparently.

I am lousy with words but I will try to explain how we got in this mess.

A long time ago when settlers came into North America they didn’t like havin so many predators. From the Mexico border thru Canada into Russian owned Alaska there were so many bears, lions, wolves etc that one could not raise live stock or walk in the woods with out dangerous issues with these critters.

So man went on and shot every predator they could see to reduce the numbers. This continued on until areas were devoid of Grizzlies and wolves. And of course the herbivores flourished. Except for the buffalo and some birds that was almost wiped out.

Well time went on man built their cities and roads etc and prospered.

Along can some folks who wanted the wilds preserved like Theodore Roosevelt who set aside areas not to be developed and pressed for strong game laws.

Well by the 1960s less people trapped and hunted and by the 90,s very few people trapped and hunted. So the predators started to come back in numbers.

Along come folks who want the Griz and wolves back so laws were passed to protect them, areas were stocked with them and they flourished.

Great things happened; the eagles, wolves and bears were coming back as well as other endangered animals.

Well no one ever considered what we should do when the predators got so numerous that they would be a problem.

Now we have wolves and bears in abundance in some areas. And they are spreading out as they do and this brings them to mans cities, farms, ranches etc.

Now we are at a point we have to reduce their numbers in SOME areas.

So this is why people have been killed by mountain lions in California for example and by bears in the places that was about void of them for over 100 years.

What people fail to see is that while in 1818; three quarters of the population hunted and trapped now only about 5 percent do. So man the only predator to these animals are not able to keep the numbers in check. And now man is being attacked and killed by them.

The well meaning animal rights folks want to leave the animals alone. If we do this soon you will see more attacks and deaths. Would they like to step out of their urban home and have to fear for your life because lions, wolves and bears are in their neighborhood? If we stopped the Government and hunters from controlling the population of these animals this would happen. And IS in fact occurring right now in parts of North America.

Just as Theodore Roosevelt; most hunters love nature, predators and all. But just as you folks have animal control in the city we have to have that in the outdoors.

Some time ago Alaska biologists saw a need to reduce wolf numbers. But activists convinced voters in Anchorage (which makes up most of the states population) to vote down shooting wolves from the air. Now those folks have wolves coming into town and attacking them and their pets and have changed their mind to allow this reduction process. And since Alaska has vast road less areas; planes and choppers are needed to accomplish this huge task.

I hope this helps you folks understand what’s going. on, for this is the truth.

Nekai, you are wrong on many things you said and are going by flawed data.

And its the flawed logic you and others have that is placing others lives in danger.

Go hug you dog and leave us be.

NEKAI;

There were about 15,000 in 2003

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science/11/05/alaska....

15,000 in 2003 and you don’t think 15,000 wolves mated since then? Get real!

Also if you don’t live here who the hell are you to tell us what to do in our state?

Maybe we should ban dog ownership where you live and interfere with your state and life. But we wont because we are NOT like you.

"and have over 11,000 wolves" You completely chose what number to take and quote. The numbers are estimated between 7,000 - 11,000. Not OVER 11,000.

Did you beat your chest every time you found some article claiming to back up YOUR claims?

Just what is it that you are putting across here?

I am not anti-hunter, but I completely disagree with trophy hunting. With that said, hunting wolves for sport is absolutely disgusting... hunting for control must be done. But a BOUNTY paid to anyone who brings in a leg (not a whole wolf) of a wolf gets paid. Unbelievable. What is this, the 1800's again?

AND to do this by Ariel hunting, how cowardly. This "wolf kill" seems to be supported mainly by trophy hunters, I've read. I'm not the least bit surprised.

While there may be numbers of wolves starving, this is due to MANS interference. This has always been the case.

Are you aware that the numbers quoted by Fish and Game are ALWAYS exaggerated? ALWAYS.

Did you know that wolf biologists and Fish and Game are forever at odds in wolf ecology and preservation??? Therefore, you're saying that the WOLF BIOLOGISTS are wrong and the Fish and Game Dept. is RIGHT?? You are way off.

The other issue at hand here is climate change. While one can easily blame the depletion of herbivores on the wolves, there is still an on-going study on climate change and the effects of this on the elk, deer, moose and caribou.

Having a wolf cull will do nothing but increase the population of herbivores and destroy an ecological balance. THEN, the Dept. says that there are too many moose and deer and the land cannot sustain the numbers. Deer, caribou and moose will starve. It's been done before and they admitted it was a mistake then. This is a typical example of our interference. A wolf cull will only lead to disaster. I guarantee it. Wolves are nothing but an ecological necessity.

Maybe there should be a decrease in hunters bag limits for moose, caribou and deer?

ADD: JD, did you know that the majority of Alaskans are opposed to a cull and bounty on wolves? I would say that they ARE the ones that are being affected the most, and yet they oppose the decision. It's their OWN Government that's ignoring their vote and pleas to ban the hunt.

And it's no surprise that I'd get the 'thumbs down'; I have facts, as well as a brain, to support my opinion. Lets hear the arguements to justify YOUR claims everyone... I don't see many.

JIM A ... go hug my dog? Now what is that supposed to mean?

I live in an area where hunters come from all over North America because of the game here. It's a hunters paradise. I see wolves, cougars, bears, moose, etc. ALL the time. I'm not some city-girl who hasn't a clue.

I also work WITH Fish and Game (along with biologists for bear and wolves) here in Canada and we're just sick of the way the Alaskans are handling this. They're back-tracking as fast as they can to cover up the mess they created in the first place.

SOURDOUGH, we don't have a lack of wolves. We have a stable number of wolves here in Canada, being the second highest populated country of wolves in the world.

QUOTE from you "Here you are telling us what to do and you don’t have wolves at all around your house."

*Why do you assume such a thing?? I see wolves quite often (studied them for 3 years in Northern Canada, and I'm STILL alive!) I also hear them nearly every night.

I'm not telling you Americans what to do. Why are you so defensive?

EDIT: Sourdough, once again you assume. I work with wildlife conservationists and biologists. Seal Clubbing has nothing to do with us.

You're actually making me laugh!

Well how many wolves do you have in your state? Hmmmm?

Instead of picking on Alaskans why don’t you FIX the lack of wolves where you live?

How much of a hypocrite can you be to tell us how to deal with wolves when you don’t have many in your back yard? Lol

Here you are telling us what to do and you don’t have wolves at all around your house.

See a problem with this?

I am sure Alaska would let you live trap a bunch of wolves to take home.

But I would bet you money your neighbors and law enforcement would refuse you to let them go near you.

Hypocrites! Put your money where your mouth is and DO something. Get your state to take our excess wolves off our hands.

Otherwise you are just blowing hot air!

For the wolf lady;

No insult intended but you live in another Country and yet you feel you can tell others in another country how to deal with their problem?

You have the baby seal hunts do you not? You know the clubbing of baby seals?

I will not tell you what to do about that, so don’t tell us what to do.

I just thought of something Nekai the wolf lady said; “I'm not some city-girl who hasn't a clue.

I also work WITH Fish and Game (along with biologists for bear and wolves) here in Canada”

This means she is part of an agency that over sees the clubbing of baby seals. That right!

And so its ok to beat cute little baby seals to death with a club but oh God don’t shoot the wolves?

Go figure!

Anne b, maybe you should move to Alaska with your family & see how things work out!!!!!.

Sound alot like Churchill Manitoba, they have trouble every year with the polar bears.

I say if it gets in front of you when you have a firearm, go ahead & blast it.

GOOD HUNTING....