Alaska Inreasing Use Of Lethal Bear Control Measures

Greenwire is reporting(subscription may be required) that Alaska is increasing the use of lethal measures to control the state bear population and reduce predaation of valuable game species. Approved measures will now include sterilization, removal, trapping, baiting, and airborne taking but not airborne shooting.


I have two questions

First, why arent we opening the hunt up to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean business intersts (both domestic and foreign) who will pay fortunes for the bear parts (and are solely funding the poaching operations that continue to decimate eastern black bear - except in New Jersey)?

Second, why, if we are concerned with reducing their numbers, can't they be shot from the air? Is there a valid reason? Seems to me if were going to kill the bear, the bear really doesn't care whether we shoot it from the air or the ground. The end result is the same: Dead Bear.

Perhaps its got something to do with the Commie Mommies and the Tree (and Bear) Huggie Enviro Extremists. They, of course, are always upset by these things. Now they are complaining that we will cause permanent harm to bear populations and destroy the tundra because of overgrazing by the moose and elk and Caribou the bear would otherwise eat.

My reaction: Lets shoot the moose and elk and caribou for food and drill for oil and natural gas on the prisitne tundra so the native alaskans can afford things like DVD players and health care and I can get cheap gas and electric.