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Injunction to stop aerial wolf hunt sought
Anonymous
AIRBORNE: Game Board revisions challenged; action would also stop bear kills.
Three conservation groups are asking for a court order to halt the state-sanctioned aerial-aided killing of wolves and bears.
Defenders of Wildlife, The Alaska Wildlife Alliance and the Sierra Club want a Superior Court judge to stop the state from issuing shooting permits under the program, said Valerie Brown, an attorney for the groups.
Their request for a preliminary injunction, filed Friday, also asks the court to order permitted gunners to hold their fire.
More than 150 wolves were killed last year.
The program, created in 2003, aims to reduce predators in five areas of the state to boost struggling moose and caribou populations and increase hunter harvests. The program encompasses about 10 percent of Alaska.
Under the program, private individuals can apply for permits to shoot wolves with the help of aircraft. Permitted gunners in planes can chase wolves from the air, then land and shoot. In some areas, they can kill wolves while airborne. Critics say the practice is inhumane and unsporting.
http://www.adn.com/outdoors/hunting/story/8428769p-8323092c.html
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