When all else fails in trying to get people to believe you, looks like the next move is to get a large group of friends and associates to sign your statement.
If you have enough signatures, what you say must be correct and believed, right? Wrong.
The group of 34 retired scientists who submitted their Aug. 15 Mulchatna caribou commentary failed to point out that scientists regularly disagree with the conclusions and hypotheses presented by other scientists. I do not doubt that if I wanted, I could find 68 scientists who would agree that Alaska’s game management goals for the Mulchatna caribou are realistic. But I’m not going to spend my time doing such because there are too many other issues in Alaska and the U.S. that need addressing.
Besides the maybe modifiers (“appears to,” “unlikely,” and “substantially”) that these wolf and bear supporters used, there is one additional questionable statement that needs a response.
Department of Fish and Game staff did tell the Board of Game, when asked, that wolf control had little if any effect on the decline in the Mulchatna herd numbers over the period 1998-2018. That’s because the decline during this period was primarily the result of habitat loss associated with overpopulation. No matter how little the wolf predation, the herd was going to continue to decline.
The Board was also told, ‘That was then,’ but that now, to facilitate the recovery of the herd, predator control of wolves (and bears) would be absolutely necessary to minimize calf mortality.
This situation is not unique to the Mulchatna herd. Wildlife biologists have documented the importance of predator control during the initial phase of caribou population cycles with various herds both in Alaska and across Canada.
As to whether the herd size goal of 30,000-80,000 is achievable, time will tell. With continued predator control, reasonable control of poaching, and minor hunting of only bulls, 30,000 could be reached by 2028.
— Jim Lieb
Palmer
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