I was outraged and shocked to hear about the proposed no-holds-barred black bear hunt, including sows and cubs, across Cook Inlet, north of Anchorage ("Cull of the wild," April 10).
The following from the news story is haunting: "The state doesn't call it hunting. Instead, the extraordinary measure is a predator-control program where fair-chase and other hunting ethics don't apply."
Have we lost our collective mind, if I can use that term loosely?
This reminds me of the senseless rattlesnake hunt that is held yearly in the Southwest with thousands of the creatures meeting their deaths in a variety of terrible ways. The reason for the proposed slaughter of bears is the low count of moose in the area. What would have been done 1,000 years ago were this to happen? We as humans always seem to gum things up. I doubt that black bears are the main reason for the depletion of moose, but even if they are, just let things be and allow nature to seek its own natural balance again. Who do we think we are that we can order the slaughter of hundred of animals by any means necessary in order to protect another species so that there are more of those for us to hunt? This is just plain wrong and shameful! Some folks just need a reason to kill.
---- Dondie Stevens / Anchorage | 
