Alaska Wolf Pups in Peril

A very disturbing article was recently printed in the Anchorage paper (1/19/2008). It seems that a remote Native community is advocating for its right to kill wolf pups in their dens. There is even a term for this activity- "denning". The Alaska department of Fish and Game has begun seriously considering such proposals as well.
The argument is two fold: again, folks are concerned about low moose populations. And secondly, this particular Native community is claiming that "denning" is actually an old cultural tradition.
Native I am not, so I can not factually confirm or deny the history of this activity. However, various sources report that this a stunning new claim, without much credibility.
Regardless of the historical significance, wildlife management and hunting practices have evolved and changed dramatically in recent years. The most significant change being the relative ease with which one can hunt via snowmachine (snowmobile) or ATV. This leads to more access and higher kill rates. Of course how many moose are actually killed in remote areas is often under reported. This is definitely a more serious threat to moose management than the wolves.

I do hope that the story of the wolf pups makes the national media. A ton of outrage is needed to stop this barbaric activity from returning to Alaska. The Alaska Wildlife Alliance (www.akwildlife.org) is a good contact for more info, as are letters of complaint to the Governor of Alaska (www.state.ak.us)