"Thrilling Helicopter Wildlife Management Program to Resume in Alaska"

Alaska to Continue Shooting Wildlife From Helicopters [SWOP NEWS]

The Great Alaska Bear and Wolf Chase is On Again:

Hold onto your hats! Alaska is is resuming an eye-catching measure aimed to help moose and caribou herds beef up their numbers. The plan involves a bit of a sky-high adventure, as hunters look to trim down up to 80% of the bear and wolf populations sprawling over 20,000 acres of state land, their very own choppers serving as steeds. Environmental groups aren’t exactly jumping for joy though, calling the practice as more of a "sport" than science. 

Hunting from the Clouds:

The masterminds behind this hunting strategy are known to harbor a bit of a penchant for caribou, trophy animals in their eyes. However, critics like Rick Steiner, former ecologist at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, hold contrasting views. He believes this aerial assault does more harm than good, disrupting the predator/prey balance and challenging the thriving wildlife dynamics.

Bear and Wolf Stats, or Lack Thereof:

As per the renewed program plans, hunters will eliminate 80% of wolves and black bears, and 60% of brown bears. But, here comes a curve ball - apparently, there's no real data to show whether this strategy would actually work. The state's October report finds that factors like disease, nutrition, and winter severity play more significant roles in declining caribou herd populations. Not to mention, the state isn’t quite sure about the full impact on bear populations, given there were no brown bear numbers pre-hunt.

All Eyes on Alaska Hunting Practices:

While the state gives aerial hunters free rein, it's not as welcoming toward onlookers and prying eyes, turning down attempts to photograph hunts, allow observers, or put the program up for a federal government review. They're so secretive, in fact, that it's led the National Park Service to call off a twenty-year old wolf study, and tourism has been affected negatively due to reduced sighting opportunities.

Making Cents of the Hunting Program:

The Alaskan authorities argue that the fun in the skies brings in significant revenue from hunters, but critics beg to differ. According to Tim Whitehouse, Peer executive director, the tourist dollars from folks eager to see these animals in the wild robustly outweigh the projected hunting fee benefits. So one might wonder: Is the aerial hunting game with bears and wolves really worth the chase after all?




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