Alaska wildlife officials have reactivated the bear culling program, arguing it is essential to protect the Mulchatna caribou population. On Tuesday, the Alaska Board of Game Department resumed predator control measures near caribou calving grounds.
The decision follows two previous court rulings that blocked the program due to legal and procedural flaws. Wildlife officials said predator control helped raise herd numbers slightly from under 13,000 to nearly 15,000 animals.
The goal remains to grow the herd to at least 30,000 so that hunting in Western Alaska can resume. Board Vice Chair Stosh Hoffman of Bethel said the board’s responsibility is to restore food security for residents who rely on caribou.
Since 2023, the state has killed 186 brown bears, five black bears, and 20 wolves under this program. Critics argue those killings haven’t been scientifically justified and claim habitat loss, overhunting, and disease better explain the herd’s decline.
Environmental groups like the Alaska Wildlife Alliance say the bear culling program threatens tourism and ignores public input. The alliance said 65,000 people signed a petition against the program while 1,500 submitted written objections.
The board rejected all proposed amendments that would have limited the area and timing of bear kills to caribou calving seasons. The authorized hunting zone covers 40,000 square miles near protected areas like Katmai and McNeil River sanctuaries.
Although a court previously ruled the program unconstitutional, Fish and Game officials still carried out bear kills in May. A new court hearing, set for July 25, will decide whether the department violated the law by ignoring judges’ orders.