WI DNR also a number of years ago vastly underestimated the bear population. DNR is much too restrictive in their issuance of bear permits. They should open up a general bear season for everyone for a few weeks or so. The state of GA has done that in the N. GA mountains and it is still overrun with increasing bear numbers.
Two practical and one political reasons they don't. Bears are very hard to count accurately. The only way to do it is with a DNA hair-snag capture/recapture program, taking 3 or more years and bookoo bucks. Without "sound science" they face lawsuits from the crazies. And even then, with the science behind them. Defending against lawsuits is not a good use of limited departmental funds, especially if you lose.
We faced the same thing here on the Kenai, Pen. and elsewhere in Alaska. Everyone knew there were far more moose-calf-killing brown bears on the Kenai than the Department "estimates" (using a MT model!) on which they based a very limited number of permits. The biologists admitted it, but knew if they upped the permits or season, they would be sued. When they did get the funds for the DNA sampling, there were about twice as many bears as the official estimate. An increase in permits /season followed.
Same thing happened in the Anchorage Bowl with brown bear estimates. About 3X IIRC. Danged things were running all over town, with few people knowing it.
In Interior, during moose calving season in a low pop. area that could support many more moose, F&G instituted a program to non-lethally remove as many black bears as they could for a period of weeks. Sows with cubs were left. They moved more than 3 times as many bears as they first estimated they would. The moose population did rebound. One bear moved 60 miles away was recaptured several days later in the original capture area - he knew a good thing when he saw it, and where!
Wolves are easier, since one or two radio-collared animals can pin-point the entire pack. The fact, as mentioned, is that so many wolves were killed in so short a time indicates a far larger population than officially acknowledged. The kill was replaced, and likely more, by the spring puppies. The wolf population was reduced for only a few months. To be maximally effective, a hunt should be held during the gestation period, and boy howdy, won't that raise a howl!
It is a biological fact that when population mortality is increased, so is the effort to reproduce if possible. Alaska has shown that to give a boost to depleted ungulate pops. strongly impacted by wolves, the wolf population in the area must be reduced by at least 80% for 3 to 5 consecutive years.before the culling can be relaxed. Several years later, the wolf population will be at or above the previous level.
As a former AK Governor, Wally Hickle, once said, "We can't just let Nature run wild!"
