I haven’t did a lot of posting lately letting the political arena slide somewhat and not voicing my opinion on the candidates nor their potential vice presidents. Well you may know by now I am a staunch supporter of wildlife conservation and hunting but am dead set against the aerial hunting of wolves as has been promoted by GOP vice presidential nominee and Alaska governor Sarah Palin. She is in favor of opening up ANWR (Alaska National Wildlife Refuge) up to drilling that I oppose. I do agree that we can open up off shore drilling though. Opening up ANWR will do little to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and will threaten wildlife and habitat in a pristine area.
But I find the promotion of aerial hunting for wolves, bears and their cubs abhorrent to me. Governor Palin has done a lot to promote the killing of wolves and bears.
- Palin offered a $150 bounty on wolves with hunters only needing to present the left foreleg of a wolf to collect the money.
- She actively opposed a ballot measure that would have brought an end to aerial hunting and approved a $400,000 state funded campaign to sway voters on the issue.
- She also introduced legislation to make it easier to kill wolves and bears and which would have also removed the aerial hunting initiative from the ballot and block the ability of citizens to vote on the issue.
- The Board of Game, which she appoints, has approved the killing of black bear sows with cubs as part of the program and expanded the aerial control programs.
- The media is currently looking into reports that state officials implementing one of the aerial wolf killing programs illegally killed five-week old wolf pups just outside their dens
Warning: This video is extremely disturbing. It contains graphic images of aerial hunting of wolves — a brutal and needless practice that Governor Palin has fought hard to promote and expand.