Alaskans can no longer trust the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) or the Board of Game to make sound decisions on predator control.

I attended ADF&G's program on predator control in Fairbanks and found it very deceptive and lacking in truth. When opened for questions, I asked the presenter, a member of the Board of Game, why there is no data on winter scavenging by wolves. I was answered with the statement “there is no scavenging in the winter by wolves as everything is frozen and they can not get to it”. I believe this attitude accounts for the inflated “kill” statistics that ADF&G has posted as they appear to count anything wolves are eating as a live kill.

When I presented factual science and peer-reviewed research accomplished here in Alaska over a five winter period which included the harshest winter on record, the mildest, and 3 average winters proving 47-48% of the study group wolf meals were scavenged (ungulates that were already dead), the presenter dismissed my claims with no further explanation.

Over many winters I have personally observed wolves digging deep in the snow and frozen ground to eat animals that have died from natural causes. The presenter, a sitting Board of Game appointee, was either deliberately lying about wolves in Alaska or is genuinely ignorant of wolf ecology in Alaska...neither of which I consider endearing qualities for a person deciding the fate of our wildlife.

The decision to kill wolves in June knowing pups will be orphaned was another bad decision. Both ADF&G as well as the Board of Game should be held accountable, as killing the adults and pups was an act of “denning”, which is illegal.

Measure 2 ensures that wildlife management decisions are based on sound, peer reviewed science, not emotional outburst and twisted statistics as described by the opponents. Note that the leading opponents of Measure 2 have only emotion and fear mongering of the big bad wolf as their tactic as they know that science is not on their side. For additional fact based science see alaskawolves.org.

Troy Dunn
North Pole