Tracy Ross’ story was a good first look at the politics of predator control (HCN, 2/21/2011). One thing this article missed, however, is the fact that politics also drives the overexploitation of moose and caribou by the hunting industry. Game managers are under intense pressure to allow unsustainable harvests. Add to the mix a for-profit hunting industry with an international client base, and you have an insatiable appetite for Alaskan game. Current predator control programs can be traced back to overhunting that preceded the so-called “need” to kill wolves and bears.
Wade Willis
Anchorage, Alaska
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Predator control’s unsustainable roots.
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