I know there are many people who find hunting repugnant but I want you to know that Partner and I are not sport hunters. We don't kill to have a trophy on our walls. We only take animals for food purposes and we use as much of the animal as possible. When we kill deer, we use the hides and even smoke the bones for the dog. Very, very little is wasted. We are skilled hunters and we try very hard not to make the animal suffer. Because of decades of predator mismanagement in the state (and indeed in the rest of the country), populations of deer, moose and elk have outgrown what the environment can handle. Without wolves, bear and cougar to thin the herds and weed out the sick or inferior animals, genetic pollution is taking place and diseases are ravaging entire populations. Human hunters must take up the slack. Because Partner and I don't hunt for trophies, we don't kill the deer with the biggest racks. Meat prices are extremely high in Alaska. Cattle, pigs and poultry do not do well up here. 95% of all meat is shipped in. There are many families here that could not afford to eat meat if it had to be bought at the store. In some of the villages a single pound of ground beef can cost 10$. Partner and I are fairly well off and we could probably afford to get all of our meat from the store but we understand what environmentally responsible hunting is and we truly love nature. I hope this makes you feel a little easier about what we do, but I will understand if it doesn't.
-M