Sign a Petition to Stop Aerial Gunning of Alaska’s Bears

The Issue

Since 2022, nearly 200 bears, including at least 36 cubs, have been killed from helicopters under Alaska’s Mulchatna Bear Control Program in southwest Alaska. The program, created to boost Mulchatna caribou numbers, has faced strong opposition from biologists, former state officials, and the public due to concerns about ethics, lack of scientific support, and impacts on bear populations near Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks.

The program has twice been ruled unlawful by Alaska Superior Court judges after legal challenges from Alaska Wildlife Alliance. The program was deemed unlawfully adopted and void in 2025 due to the lack of both public process and data on bear populations.

Despite those rulings, the Alaska Board of Game reinstated the program and again authorized aerial killing of unlimited numbers of black and brown bears, including cubs and females with cubs, across a 40,000-square-mile area.

The area is the size of Kentucky, and surrounded by national parks and preserves; the gunning area is just 30 miles from Katmai National Park, home to the world-famous bears of Fat Bears Week.

AWA and conservation partners remain in active litigation against the State, arguing the program violates the Alaska Constitution's sustained yield clause and lacks sound scientific justification.

While the courts consider the case, bear gunning has resumed for the 2026 season, and we need your help. Please join us in speaking out for science-based wildlife management and help protect Alaska’s bears by signing the petition below. Thank you for supporting Alaska’s bears.