Alaska Board of Game Could Legalize Bear Snaring

2,000 signatures oppose it

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By Lauren Maxwell
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FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Board of Game will be tackling some controversial issues when it begins its meetings in Fairbanks tomorrow.

One topic is whether or not to permit bear snaring. The purpose of this would be to increase the number of moose available to hunters.

In bear snaring, the hunter lures the bear to a bait station, then catches them by their paws with a wire cable. The bear will wait there until a hunter shoots it.

Valerie Conner, with the Alaska Center for the Environment, said she had no trouble getting more than 2,000 signatures from people who oppose it.

“People are outraged,” said Conner. “I have pages and pages of signatures. These are all Alaskans from all different places around Alaska. No one likes this idea.”

Conner plans to present the signatures to the Board of Game in person.

The meetings will continue for the next ten days.
 

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jan said on Sunday, Mar 4 at 9:38 PM

And how many of these yahoos will subject these bears to harassment and torture while they are unable to get away. Makes me want to heave my supper.

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Maria E Pereira said on Sunday, Mar 4 at 12:40 PM

No More Animal Murdrer!!!!

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Maria E Pereira Q said on Sunday, Mar 4 at 12:39 PM

No more animal murderer

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cooljulie said on Saturday, Mar 3 at 1:32 AM

I think Parnell and Spraker would be enlightened by spending a couple days attached to a tree, where the bears can find and chat with them..... : )

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pinebird said on Friday, Mar 2 at 4:23 PM

Great comments, cooljulie! I believe the biggest guns aiming at predators are their competitors, the Big Game Guides, hiding behind the innocuous name of the Alaska Outdoor Council. Check out the pandering speech made by Gov. Parnell at their Feb.3, 2012 meeting in Juneau.

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cooljulie said on Thursday, Mar 1 at 10:50 PM

Did a quick search for more info. Please READ the January 12 article in the anchorage press (online). The evil mentality behind this snaring campaign belongs to a man named Ted Spraker. I urge everyone to speak to your elected representatives IMMEDIATLY about this issue. Here's a quote from the article, which describes in detail this unethical travesty- "Ted Spraker has claimed that BOG members and state wildlife managers "strive to adopt harvest or removal techniques that are acceptable or at least understandable to the majority of the public." I would argue that most Alaskans, until now, have had no idea what bear snaring entails. Furthermore, the great majority of Alaskans would find it a highly unacceptable, barbaric practice if they truly understood what bears endure when snared. As Aumiller comments, "I would bet if there was a video available on YouTube showing the efforts of a terrified snared bear trying to get away, snaring would not even be proposed."

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cooljulie said on Thursday, Mar 1 at 10:14 PM

Where do I sign? This is an OUTRAGE! "The bear will wait there until a hunter shoots it" makes it sound like the bear is just hanging out casually waiting to be shot (which would be bad enough). The bear is in agony, trapped by the paw, no idea what is happening to it. By the time anyone shows up to put the bear out of it's misery, which can legally be nearly 48 hours, the bear has exhausted itself trying to get loose from the snare. This is nothing short of animal cruelty at it's worst. Using it to engineer the moose population is despicable! And yes, I hunt, fish and trap. I have been doing these things in the outdoors here and in other states for over 40 years. I was raised to RESPECT wildlife, taught that clean and humane kills are good sportsmanship. I cannot believe this insanity has even made it this far!

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