Peninsula Clarion / February 24, 2009

I have a few comments on Les Palmer's Friday, February 13th, 2009, Clarion column.

As a compassionate human, it is difficult to imagine the terror experienced by animals traveling in deep snow being hunted from the air or run to exhaustion by snowmachines with little chance of escape. And, as a common sense human, it is difficult to imagine killing any living creature solely for pleasure. Yet, there are those like Les Palmer and his ilk (including the Alaska Outdoor Council, the Alaska Board of Game, Frank Murkowski, and Sarah Palin--to name a few), who would like us to believe the Alaska Predator Control Program is beneficial to us all. These people, if allowed, would try to justify "hunting" people-habituated animals in our National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries (zoo's too?), and would brag of their trophies hanging on their walls from their brave exploits. They have little or no consideration for the rest of us, who marvel at Nature's wildlife and other wonders of beauty in a natural ecosystem. Viewing these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat is a unique, rewarding experience (every time) for some of us.

All wild creatures must eat to survive, and they spend most of their waking hours trying to avoid starvation. While fighting hunger in Alaska's harsh environment, many animals must be wary of baited traps, as well as other baited attractions, because powerfully armed killers await their cautious advance to the smell of food.

Many animals must also fear the distant roar of an airplane engine or the high pitched whine of a snowmachine because they KNOW, in a moment, it can bring sheer terror, exhaustion from fleeing, and a slow, agonizing death from being gut shot from the double-ought buckshot of a shotgun held by the smiling, intense face of a sport killer.

These killing-for-pleasure zealots are now killing wolf cubs and (advocate killing) bear cubs in their dens, reflecting a motto of the 1850's, (paraphrased): "A good wolf or bear is a dead one".

I would hope that one day most Alaskans will come to realize, as we are now with our wild fisheries in our streams and oceans, that human attempts to manage singular parts of complex wild creature food chains have failed again and again. Superimposed on this fact is the willfull pollution and destruction of our ecosystems in the name of profitable(?) but irresponsible development and other land use. I believe each of us is responsible for our individual tiny (but very important) legacy to posterity.

Ashley Judd may not know anything about Alaska but she probably recognizes lack of character when she sees it. And I believe that Les Palmer's diatribe is dead wrong!

Richard Hahn, Soldotna, Alaska