The Alaska Board of Game will discuss a variety of proposals, several of which seek to increase the number of wolves killed, during their January 2025 meetings. These proposals blatantly disregard fair chase and ethics, incorrectly blame wolves for decline in caribou populations, and seek to liberalize both killing seasons and the methods people can use to kill wolves.

The Alaskan public is encouraged to comment by December 27, 2024 – wolves desperately need your voice! Summaries of the proposals and suggested votes are below. Any Alaska resident can submit proposals to the Board of Game and this December, different departments (including Alaska Department of Fish and Game), submitted their comments on the proposals.

About the Proposals

Proposal 33 – OPPOSE

Proposal 33 seeks to allow the same day airborne “take” (killing) of wolves and brown bears in Unit 17. Alaska Stat. § 16.05.783 says “A person may not shoot or assist in shooting a free-ranging wolf or wolverine the same day that a person has been airborne. However, the Board of Game may authorize a predator control program as part of a game management plan that involves airborne or same day airborne shooting if the board has determined based on information provided by the department”

Same day airborne killing violates fair chase methods and gives hunters an unfair advantage over their target species. ADFG is neutral on allowing same day airborne killing of brown bears and they oppose same day airborne killing of wolves in Unit 17.

Proposal 59 – OPPOSE

Proposal 59 asks for a longer wolf trapping season in Unit 11. The current season runs from November 10 – March 31, but the proposal asks for a new season extending from October 15 – April 30 in order to give people more time to kill more wolves. Traps are  inhumane and inherently nonselective. They injure and kill countless nontarget animals annually, including endangered and threatened species and even family pets. Traps often injure people too when attempting to release a trapped animal. In their comments, ADFG acknowledges that extending the trapping season poses a risk to non-target species but they support the proposal despite these risks.

Proposal 75 – OPPOSE

Proposal 75 seeks to add ADFG removal of wolves, brown bears, and black bears to Unit 16 Intensive Management Plan. This would alllow allow department employees to conduct aerial, land and shoot, or ground-based killing of wolves and black bears and brown bears using state-owned, privately-owned, or chartered equipment, including helicopters, under AS 16.05.783. The state wants to decrease the wolf population in this are to 35-55 wolves and claim that 100 wolves must be killed annually, for several years, in order to reach this minimum. ADFG claims that there’s low interest from hunters because a majority of the wolves in Unit 16 have lice (which results in poor pelt quality) and low interest from pilots because they can participate in same day airborne hunting in other units. Therefore, ADFG argues that they may need to kill wolves because there’s declining interest from the general public.

Proposal 79 – OPPOSE

Proposal 79 requests an extension of the wolf trapping season by one month to April 30 in Unit 14A, to give trappers more time to kill wolves and to align the trapping season with neighboring units. In their comments, ADFG acknowledges that extending the trapping season poses a risk to non-target species but they support the proposal despite these risks.

Killing Wolves is Unnecessary

The concept that state-sanctioned killing of wolves is necessary to control wolf populations is one of the most widespread assumptions in large carnivore management but research demonstrates that wolves limit their own numbers. Wolves don’t decimate wild ungulate populations and they don’t pose threats to human safety. So why does Alaska continue to get away with outdated and incorrect management practices?