The Seattle Times reports today that Priscilla Feral, of the Darien, Ct.-based group Friends of Animals, would like everyone to boycott Alaska tourism. This because of a wolf culling program going forward over the political and legal protests of her organization. State officials say the program, including helicopter marksmen, is necessary to control wolf predation of caribou and moose integral to the Alaskan diet. Feral's group just lost an appeal in the state Supreme Court.
Priscilla Feral is not done yet, however.
Friends of Animals began holding howl-ins in November 2003, soon after the program was initiated in the Interior town of McGrath. Since then, the wolf-control program has spread to four more areas of the state where moose and caribou numbers are low. About 400 wolves have been killed so far, about half the number planned for this winter....the latest Supreme Court ruling has people re-energized, (Feral) said. Friends of Animals has already heard from sympathizers in New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut willing to help restart the howl-ins. Friends of Animals also hopes to make lethal wolf control a gubernatorial campaign issue in the November election, Feral said.
I'll look forward to that last part, as will, I imagine, Alaska's governor, Frank Murkowski. In the meantime, maybe Prisicilla Feral and her friends from Darien, and New York, and Pennsylvania would like to pay to have the wolves humanely trapped and transported to Wolfhaven, in Tenino. I think it's gotta be either that, or some amount of wolf blood on the tundra.
Posted by Matt Rosenberg at February 13, 2006 06:47 PM | Email ThisCoyotes and wolves have their place, but there needs to be management just like any other species (including humans) In Alaska, there probably isn't enough people to actively hunt wolves to keep their population in check, so they just go nuts.
Posted by: Jason Woodruff on February 13, 2006 08:58 PMAlso, given that it's been proven that the Alaskan Oil Pipeline has actually helped the carribou population... due to the fact that the friction of the oil passing through the pipeline generates heat that they get warmth from, making it easier for them to mate... another way to help the carribou population is to just drill for oil in ANWAR and build more pipelines.
I know, I'm not being very PC tonight.
Posted by: Mike H on February 13, 2006 09:49 PMMan = evil. Cuddly wolves = good.
Clueless. The lot of them.
And 10 bucks says Priscilla needs a shave.
Posted by: jimg on February 13, 2006 11:33 PMDoubtful...no Starbucks, streetlights or asphalt in the wild. Most libs would never venture to the wild west, let alone Alaska.
I have a cousin living in that same district in Connecticut (new Caanan) who, as a conservative, is a political rarity in that old-money, country club region. The elite, old-money types vote democrat (see Bainbridge Island, Luarelhurst, Broadmoor, etc) because they already have theirs (many in off-shore trusts like the Kennedys) and aren't concerned with income taxes, but resent entrepreneurs gaining money, status and power through hard work and shrewd investment.
From their perspective, to soil one's hands is so...so...uncouth.
Posted by: Saltherring on February 14, 2006 07:31 AMThe opening of moose season in Alaska is a sight to see. The natives take it very seriously. After experiencing that, I fully understand why they want to limit the number of wolves around - they want the bulls for themselves. Alaska is, and always will be, a hunter's paradise. And the residents are sick of people from other states telling them what they can do with their own land.
Posted by: Palouse on February 14, 2006 07:49 AMIn a free society, if you want people to do what pleases you, you do what pleases them. It's a win-win kind of system. Liberals and other moochers and thieves have difficulty with that. They are more gratified when they can get their way by coercion and force. So they turn to government, oppressive law and threats to force others to do what they want. If they have a choice between persuading others, or forcing them, they are more satisfied if they can force.
Posted by: ken on February 14, 2006 08:00 AMps.... am I the only one who, just for a second, thought that the Queen and her PR folks staged the whole family dog death thing in order to seem more likeable? I admit, I felt bad even thinking it. Sadly, it almost seems plausible.
Apparently her last cause was to protect the deer in Darien. Fairfield County CT ( which contains Darien) has the highest rate of Lyme Disease in the US all of which is spread by deer ticks. It is so bad there that there are doctors whose whole practices are devoted to treating Lyme Disease.
Her solution to the deer issue was to use eminent domain to sieze undeveloped land to create "deer corridors' that would allow the deer to move in the woods along property lines. Like the deer will understand and not wander off into back yards spreading disease.
I disagree with the estate tax until I see moon bats like this who are poster girls for confiscatory estate taxes.
Posted by: Dennis on February 14, 2006 09:03 AMSorry if my opinion is not PC...but I was raised on a farm, and we lost alot of domestic animals to the wild animal population.
Posted by: dl on February 14, 2006 09:05 AMHunting is to Dick Chaney as playing golf is to Gerald Ford. T / F
My wife was born and raised in Alaska and moved to Seattle about a decade ago. She is still in her heart a native Alaskan, and I am sure that she would agree that Alaskans know best how to take care of Alaska.
Posted by: Gary on February 14, 2006 11:44 AMThe east coast eco-terrorist you speak of are just like the DeanRons of this state. Push it down there throats with no explanation or science. Just do it, and they will abide....
Feel like a sheep in a big herd with the wolf's as our guard (sheep) dog.
I think priscilla should go live with the wolf's for a week, see how she does......At least the tree hugger's will (protest)in a tree!!!!
Posted by: Chris on February 14, 2006 01:09 PMI know Mom has had black bears in the yard on a couple of occasions, as well as rattlesnakes. And, we have seen mountain lions on the hills nearby her place. In fact, she has a lion skin on the wall in her den (one of my brothers shot it while he was herding cattle - it had been a nuisance). People who are against controlling the predator populations should be aware that when they run out of food they head for the nearest garbage can - and people! Better to nip the problem in the bud than risk losing a toddler from your yard, in my opinion.
My mother does run a bed and breakfast for hunters. I'm sure she would be happy to have Ms. Feral pitch a tent in her yard so that she can get in touch with nature.
Posted by: Peggy U on February 14, 2006 02:16 PMAlaska has too many wolves.
Ms. Feral is an heiress with an affinity for wolves.
Ms. Feral lives in a place that has way too many deer and is bereft of wolves.
Let's all right a letter to Alaska's governor and ask whether his Fish and Feather guys might like to live-trap a few wolves and introduce them to Ms. Feral's back yard at her estate?
Alaska gets rid of a few excess wolves, and Ms. Feral gets to hear them howl without ever having to leave home or watch the Discovery Channel.
Seems like an all-round win-win to me!
Posted by: gaelwolf on February 14, 2006 02:48 PM