Photo: Robert Dewar

 

 

 

 

 

elephant has featured pro-responsible hunting articles. Hunting is better than picking up your meat in plastic wrap in a grocery store—it’s more immediate. Most hunters have a deep and practical respect for nature, and are among animals most active protectors.

We do have a problem with needless killing, and torture.

…the wolf, perhaps the last breeding alpha female of its famous old clan, was baited by a dead horse by an angry hunting safari leader across the park line, trapped, and lay starving with its pups for two weeks, chewing dirt and crushing its own teeth, losing its claws…

The below comes via various articles, and Christian Griffith, a longtime elephriend, famous climber, and man behind Verve.

If you email two politicians this week, let the below be it. It takes, literally, a second: pass along this link. http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/06/dear-governor-parnell-letter-via-christian-griffith-please-share/

If you click share or like on one thing this week, let this issue be it. We can easily make enough noise that the Alaskan governor, apparently more anti-wolf and bear than even Gov. Palin, will hear us and begin to worry about his tourism dollars.

We can and must quickly find a respectful balance between man, business, nature tourism and what’s left of the wild.. ~ ed.

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Despite the fact that Coke Wallace’s actions were not ‘illegal’ they were clearly sadistic and need to be taken as a personal affront to everyone who loves the outdoors hunter or otherwise. This cruel man and his operation could be shut down if enough public outcry is (and needs to be) mustered.

Here is another article about this recent wolf tragedy. clearly this particular female was even more important then already noted.

“The trapper apparently shot an aging horse and left it as a lure for the wolves, according to residents in the area…”

~ CG.

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Updates (skip below to the letter. Please share via email (addresses at bottom):

“A necropsy revealed that the alpha female sat in Coke’s trap for 10 days to two weeks, eating dirt and rocks. She lost 15 percent of her body weight and broke all of her teeth.

The puppies didn’t know they were being hunted.”

~

‎”then Coke did something he’d never done. Haber’s Cessna 185 came into view, and Coke acted out. Maybe it was frustration, or hatred, or overheated rivalry. As Haber circled, Coke pulled his black balaclava over his face, put on his sunglasses, and stuck the barrel of his pistol in the dead wolf’s mouth. “When I saw Gordy up there with his camera, I said, ‘This is gonna cost me a shitload of grief,'” says Coke. “‘So I’m gonna make it worth it.'”

…he had a call to make–to a T-shirt company. ..Coke’s T-shirts come in heather gray and olive green, in a full size run, so you can buy one for your kid. The slogan, printed in square black letters, reads: Visit Alaska This Summer or the Wolf Gets It!

…Next summer, a half-million people will come to Denali hoping to encounter a wild wolf. They will tap their savings and crowd into line for a backcountry permit, braving Alaska’s unforgiving terrain to penetrate the heart of this great park. When they see a wolf, somewhere between the Teklanika pullout and Igloo Creek, they will believe that they have gained a clearer vision of God–or something very close to it

~

I hope the below letter will inspire others to write. And if not, at least ‘liking’ this is similar to signing it. If enough friends do maybe I will take a page shot of the post and forward it to the Governor as well. ~ Christian.

Dear Governor Parnell,

My name is Christian Griffith. I am the owner of an outdoor / climbing equipment company in Colorado called Verve. I recently read several news accounts of the wolf trapping that has been going on along side of Denali national park. After reading these accounts I felt compelled to write to you.

As an avid life long outdoors man and climber I have always aspired to visit your incredible state—not just for the challenge of the mountains and rivers but to witness the living natural beauty of Alaska which, I have been told, still exists to a degree unmatched in the lower forty eight.

Colorado of course has no shortage of mountains nor wildlife, however our lands have been purged of the predators that make the outdoors feel wild, and the forests secret and sacred. It may be difficult to understand living in a state which has not yet destroyed its full circle of natural creatures, but the existence of wolves and other predators in your lands is one of Alaska’s greatest allures. For myself and I am sure most of my climbing friends witnessing a wolf pack in the wild would be a greater and more memorable experience then reaching the summit of America’s greatest mountain, Denali.

I would like to ask that you do everything in your power to protect the wolves of our National Parks! Please reestablish the necessary buffers that will guard these amazing animals from hunters and profiteers that apparently wait along the edge of the park’s boundaries and bait wolves to cross. I beg that these actions and the apparent cruelty of perpetrators are not rewarded but are put and end to as quickly as possible.

I would like to visit your state. I would like to see wolves and that is the reason I would come…if not to see them, perhaps hear their howls and know that they roam unmolested in what little land that is left to them.

Thank you for your time in reading my request.

sincerely,
Christian Griffith
owner, Verve Inc.

 

Update:

This is from the Alaska Wildlife Alliance to me after I posted my letter. We make a difference.

Thanks very much for the letter to Gov. Parnell. We need more like that to make the necessary point to him as he is very much in the pockets of the trophy-hunting/anti-predator crowd. As bad as Sarah Palin’s administration was, Parnell’s has somehow shown itself to be even worse and it is no exaggeration to say he is waging a real war on our wolves and bears. Keep those emails flowing to him and the Commissioner of Fish and Game ([email protected]). Perhaps they will come to understand a wolf or a bear is more than just something to kill as entertainment.

Update: A post from the Alaska Wildlife Alliance…

“For those of you upset enough to cancel vacation plans to Alaska, you might want to email a comment to the state tourism association to let them know your reason. Few things speak louder to politicians than revenue loss! Email your comments to: http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/ded/dev/toubus/aboutus.htm“

Update:

And here’s the link to the jerk wolf killer’s business if you really want to get to the source.

http://www.midnightsunsafaris.com

as Coke boasts…

“Winter trapline hunts – These hunts are conducted primarily by snowmobile in GMU’s 13 and 20. I run three different traplines encompassing over three hundred miles. These hunts take place from Dec.-Mar.,

If the hunter would like an opportunity to harvest a Lynx or Wolverine they will have to come join me in the dead of the Alaskan winter (Dec.-Feb). I won’t promise warm weather but I will guarantee you some of the most scenic snowmobiling on earth and lots of it!

We will do some calling for predators as well as setting traps and snares in locales that are likely spots to produce results. Typically we will snowmobile between 50-150 miles a day in search of Wolves, Wolverine, Lynx, Coyote and Fox.

We will stay at several of my cabins for two and three day stints looking for predators to call and/or trap. These hunts have become increasingly popular over the years so much so that I can’t even break away to attend a show to promote my business.

If the hunter wants to harvest some of the most luxurious fur on the face of the earth then this hunt is for you.”

 

Update:

Here’s another wolf link about the same…with a few numbers if you feel like doing something. I am going to.

http://www.alaskabearsandwolves.com/tag/denali/

Please help by asking our State Government to 1) implement an emergency closure to halt hunting and trapping on state land bordering the northern edge of Denali National Park, and 2) re-establish the Denali Buffer Zone (abolished in 2010), which protects the park wildlife along its borders. 3) Reiterate that Alaska hunting guides should have respect for the wildlife and the country, and have common sense.

Please send a message or call (or better yet, both) to the following:

Gov. Sean Parnell: [email protected] (907) 465-3500

Dept of Fish & Game Commissioner Cora Campbell: [email protected] (907) 465-4100