Aerial Wolf Hunting with Sarah

Photo: A10 Warthogs patrolling Denali National Park (click to enlarge)

This week Ashley Judd has gone after Governor Sarah Palin for the "senseless savagery" of aerial wolf hunting in order to either raise money for an animal rights (misnomer) organization, or to give purpose to her otherwise empty and pitiful life.

But Ms Palin said opponents such as Ms Judd misunderstood the Alaskan way of life and that aerial hunting was part of a state-managed "predator control" programme aimed at preserving stocks of moose and caribou, on which locals rely for food.

By controlling wolf and bear populations, she said, moose populations that have been at persistently low levels for many years stand a chance of recovery. Early results from six areas where hunting and trapping has been introduced show that moose populations are improving, according to the state's Department of Fish and Game.

"The ad campaign by this extreme fringe group, as Alaskans have witnessed over the last several years, distorts the facts about Alaska's wildlife management programmes," Ms Palin said. "Alaskans depend on wildlife for food and cultural practices, which can't be sustained when predators are allowed to decimate moose and caribou populations. Our predator control programmes are scientific and successful at protecting vulnerable wildlife.

"These audacious fundraising attempts misrepresent what goes on in Alaska, and I encourage people to learn the facts about Alaska's positive record of managing wildlife."